to Athens for a modern Greek book on anatomy, since I could not find a copy in New York. The book arrived too late to enable me to complete my preparations, and therefore I selected another subject. Some of you will reproach me for occupying your time with a theme which may appear unusual in this place, but if it were not for this I should not regret the change, because, before we can understand the significance of the living Greek language as the one to be selected for our anatomy and for other practical purposes, we must come to an understanding of the language itself, and this can best be accomplished if we begin with the study of certain historical facts.
Some years ago the Greek question was introduced into the medical world by no less a person than Rudolf Virchow, in his inaugural address as rector of the Berlin University, on October 15th, 1892. While Virchow spoke of school Greek only, and did not mention living Greek at all, the credit is due to the Medical Record of having been the first to call our attention to living Greek. The impulse which was given by the editor of that journal has found an echo in the medical press; in all languages in all civilized countries has the subject been discussed; even in the scientific papers of German philologists
