Excerpt from The Laryngoscope, Vol. 10: An International Monthly Journal Devoted to Diseases of the Nose-Throat-Ear; January-June, 1901

The discrepancy between the results arrived at by these Observ ers is very marked. Aside entirely from the question in this par ticular instance, as to which set Of figures is the more accurate, comes up a very important and a very ancient question, a question which underlies many such discrepancies, z'. A, the reliability of human observations. Is it more or less fallible than human ratiocination? It may at once be said that, so far as the Observations go which lie well within the scope of the five senses, we have no other criteria we are willing to rely on, however faulty they may be. When, however, we come down to a point within the variation of the individual index, they are much more untrustworthy than care ful deductive reasoning, and many a positive assertion of the exist ence of fact we flatly refuse to believe, aside entirely from the question of veracity. Now, the most pressing necessity for the recognition of this lies in the fact that in the present state of scientific labor observers are so eager, observations are so acute, and alas! Alack! Ratiocination is so weak and puerile, and so dis credited, that we are continually meeting, and with ever-increasing frequency, just such minor discrepancies in observation, which lead to major discrepancies in inductive conclusions, as is here instanced. Now, the mere mechanical measurement of the dimensions of the palatal arch by even such earnest, honest, painstaking observers as these gentlemen, Opens an opportunity for wide variations in the individual index when it comes to the fixing of a few millimeters on a scale. In his address before the late International Congress at Paris, the father of Modern Pathology laid great stress on this objectivity in scientific research, but if Rudolf Virchow had not throughout his long life been in possession of a higher faculty than the power of accurate observation the scientific position of modern medicine would be many years behind its present one. The gift of the power of direct reasoning and of a vivid imagination are attributes of the human mind which belong to a higher grade of evolution and are much more rare than the ability to accurately catalogue phenomena. In every great library there are thousands of tons of facts mouldering and useless on the shelves because no mind has arisen in fifty years which can shape them into a compre hensive and systematic law. Since Virchow's Cellular Pathology16 laryngological and rhinologicai. Literature.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.