The profession was
literally ravaged by theories, schools and systems--iatromechanics,
iatrochemistry, humoralism, the animism of Stahl, the vitalistic
doctrines of Van Helmont and his followers--and into this metaphysical
confusion Morgagni came like an old Greek with his clear observation,
sensible thinking and ripe scholarship. Sprengel well remarks that "it
is hard to say whether one should admire most his rare dexterity and
quickness in dissection, his unimpeachable love of truth and justice in
his estimation of the work of others, his extensive scholarship and rich
classical style or his downright common sense and manly speech."
Upon this solid foundation the morbid anatomy of modern clinical
medicine was built. Many of Morgagni's contemporaries did not fully
appreciate the change that was in progress, and the value of the new
method of correlating the clinical symptoms and the morbid appearances.
After all, it was only the extension of the Hippocratic method
of careful observation--the study of facts from which reasonable
conclusions could be drawn. In every generation there had been men of
this type--I dare say many more than we realize--men of the Benivieni
character, thoroughly practical, clear-headed physicians.
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