The Henson Journals

[232]

Thursday, August 21st, 1930.

["]In the Middle Ages the ascetic contempt for the body – partly Stoic, chiefly oriental – the barren alliance of medicine with philosophy, and the low esteem of mechanical callings hid from the physician the very gates of the city into which he would enter.["]

v. Clifford Allbutt. Science & Medieval Thoughts

(Harveian Oration 1900). p. 61

["]Even in the xvith century medicine and anatomy were taught wholly from books; & teachers were forbidden to use other than prescribed books.["]

Ibid. p. 69

["]Galileo may be venerated as the first modern naturalist to set the experimental method conceptually, whereby, and thoroughly before himself, including the deductive side of it.["]

Ibid. p. 98

[233]

The night was stormy and wet. Rain continued to fall till the middle of the day. It was cold enough to make a fire in my study acceptable. After dealing with the correspondence, I returned to the Newcastle Address, & read through again the brilliant and suggestive Harveian Oration which Sir Clifford Allbutt delivered in 1900 on 'Science and Medieval Thought'.

Eddon, the Vicar of Craghead, brought a party of Toc H. members, who had been 'running' the camp at Seaton Carew, to see the Castle and have tea. The arrived at 3 p.m. and departed at 5.45 p.m.: and I hope the enjoyed themselves. Boutflower and his brother, the Bishop of Southampton, arrived and had tea with us. They made themselves pleasant to the men.

The Rev. Maclaren & his sister – Australians who had been commended to us by the Inges – arrived about 6 p.m. and were shown over the House. He is the chaplain of a large school in Adelaide, of which the Headmaster is Bickersteth, the son of the Canon of Canterbury. They are motoring to Scotland & seeing all they can on the way.

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