Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.
Francis BaconRead
Medicine is a science which hath been (as we have said) more professed than laboured, and yet more laboured than advanced: the labour having been, in my judgment, rather in circle than in progression. For I find much iteration, but small addition. It considereth causes of diseases, with the occasions or impulsions; the diseases themselves, with the accidents; and the cures, with the preservation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the stagnation in medical science despite the efforts made in the field.
Francis Bacon reflects on the state of medicine, emphasizing that while there has been considerable effort and debate within the discipline, meaningful progress and advancements have been lacking. He observes a pattern of repetitive discussions without significant contributions to the knowledge or practice of medicine, suggesting a need for more innovative thinking that leads to genuine improvements in understanding diseases and their treatments.
Themes
MedicineScienceProgressDiseaseKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
During a seminar on healthcare innovation, one might reference this quote to illustrate the need for new approaches in medical research.
More from Francis Bacon
All quotes →Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
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Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
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Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils
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Wise men make more opportunities than they find.
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Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
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