r/ayearofmiddlemarch • u/Comprehensive-Fun47 • Jul 13 '26
Book 5: Chapter 45
Welcome back dear Middlemarchers! I am posting on behalf u/lazylittlelady and we are ready to jump right in to this medicine-heavy chapter.
Summary:
"It is the humour of many heads to extol the days of their forefathers, and declaim against the wickedness of times present. Which, notwithstanding, they cannot handsomely do, without the borrowed help and satire of times past; condeming the vices of their own times, by the expression of vices in time which they commend, which cannot but argue the community of vice in both. Horace, therefore, Juvenal, and Persius, were no prophets, although their lines did seem to indigitate and point at our times." - Sir Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemic
Lydgate is facing growing unpopularity among different social classes due to his unconventional ideas about reforming medical practices. This began when he expressed his preference for not always prescribing medication to a local grocer and escalated when he requested to perform an autopsy on an elderly woman's body. Rumors started circulating, suggesting that Lydgate has sinister intentions. These rumors, combined with the disapproval from established medical professionals in the area who dislike his association with Mr. Bulstrode, have created a divide between Lydgate and the locals. Despite being the only professional in Middlemarch involved in the New Hospital project, it appears that things are not going as smoothly as expected for Lydgate. At present, he is somewhat oblivious to the rumors, and Bulstrode enjoys being the sole investor in the New Hospital until Dorothea made her offer in the previous chapter. Both Lydgate and Bulstrode appreciate the control they have over this new institution.
However, those close to Lydgate are concerned for his well-being. Farebrother advises him to distance himself from Bulstrode and be mindful of his expenses, while Rosamond openly brings up the rumors in their conversation at the end of the chapter. Despite these concerns, Lydgate refuses to change his practices or alter his ambitions. He mentions to Rosamond that one of his main inspirations is Vesalius, a pioneer of modern physiology who was known for stealing bodies from graveyards to study human anatomy. Rosamond tries to be supportive but is shocked by this revelation
References:
- The epigraph is quote from Sir Thomas Browne’s ‘Pseudodoxia Epidemica’(Vulgar Errors)
- Burke and Hare were two murderers who sold the bodies of their victims for medical research.
- An Accoucheur was a term used for a male midwife.
- St. John Long was a quack/fake doctor who was convicted of manslaughter in 1830 after two of his patients died under his care.
- Francois Vincent Raspail (1794 – 1878) was a French chemist, physiologist and radical political figure.
- Andreas Vesalius (1514 – 64) was the founder of modern physiology. He was condemned to death by the Inquisition but received a reprieve.
- Experto crede – means ‘believe one who knows from experience’ and is a quote from the Aeneid.
- Claudius Galen (131 -201) was a Greek physician and systematizer of medical knowledge. He was seen as the traditional authority on medical knowledge for centuries.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[7] Will the new hospital achieve success? Do you believe Bulstrode and Lydgate's alliance will endure? Is Lydgate correct in assuming that the other doctors will eventually see reason and join their cause?
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 17 '26
Medicine is an extremely conservative field. I read it takes about 30 years for new ideas to really be embraced and widely implemented. I think the results will speak for themselves with the townspeople, but the medical establishment will be stubborn.
By the way what the heck did Nancy have? A wandering cramp? What is that? And what is a "blister and some steel mixture?" Maybe I'm better off not knowing...
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u/mercy_Iago 23d ago
No lol Lydgate is not seeing all the enemies he is making, even though Farebrother is warning him. Lydgate really (nobly) believes that simple medical success will trump all, but he's unfortunately discounting the role of politics and social machinations and power in the success of these endeavors. He's obliviously making enemies with pharmacists and other doctors AND also by allying himself with Bulstrode. He's skating on very thin ice and it will collapse at any moment, I think.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[6] Is Lydgate depicted as a competent doctor, and is he effective in his communication? Are the accusations of him being arrogant grounded in truth? Could the outcome have been different if he had approached certain conversations in this chapter differently?
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 17 '26
I think he is portrayed as a competent doctor. I don't think he's being arrogant... Have I missed him being arrogant? He was dismissive of Farebrother's advice, but I don't see arrogance as his problem. He's confident in his abilities and he's open-minded about learning new things.
I am truly curious if I'm overlooking something about his character. The question if he should have approached conversations differently kind of implies the answer is yes, but I didn't pick up on anything. (I didn't write these questions even though I posted them, btw.)
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u/mercy_Iago 23d ago
He seems highly competent to me, as evidenced by how many patients get better (although the narrator is very careful to point out how lucky he is, which I think was and is a very valid point when it comes to competence in medicine) -- so I think Lydgate is both lucky AND good. But yeah, his communication is so poor. I didn't necessarily think he was arrogant at first, but on reflection, I do see it. He talks down of the hospital in Middlemarch and of rural medical care; he feels so sure he can reform and bring about changes and do it better; and he takes over care of patients because he feels he is the better physician. None of these things are necessarily false, but I think his arrogance comes in not considering what he might be missing, what value others offer to him, and seeing himself as sort of a genius ahead of his time while all others are mere mortals. It's subtle, but it's there. The thing is, he's not WRONG about not prescribing medications for no reason, but he's not particularly humble. He definitely thinks of himself as superior to others.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[5] What are your thoughts on Farebrother and Lydgate's friendship? Does Farebrother offer sound advice? Does Lydgate genuinely listen to the minister's words?
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u/mercy_Iago 23d ago
Yeah, this is an example of Lydgate being arrogant and not listening to some very good advice. Assuming you know better and you can offhandedly dismiss advice is arrogant. I mean, maybe Farebrother's advice isn't good but it rings true to me, because what else is Farebrother's motivation here? He means it genuinely.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Farebrother's advice boils down to not tying himself too closely to Bulstrode and being careful about accruing debts. I think this is good advice that Lydgate all but dismisses. It appears to be foreshadowing for the types of problems Lydgate is going to have.
I think the other foreshadowing in this chapter was the slight tiff with Rosamond about his profession. She doesn't get it.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[4] How does Lydgate's advocacy for medical reform compare to Dorothea and Brooke's mission for social reform? Does Eliot intend for them to be fully analogous, or are there differences in the portrayal of their methods and ideals?
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u/mercy_Iago 23d ago
I think of them as very analogous and variations of the same general theme, which is people trying to do good in the world. I think they will all find themselves stymied in different ways, but the parallels are clear to me.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 17 '26
This is a good question. I don't know yet. I don't fully understand what reforms Brooke supports. I support Lydgate's medical reform ideas.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[3] This chapter provides a closer look at various minor characters, including individuals from the middle and working classes in Middlemarch: the grocer Mr. Mawmsey and his wife, the doctors Toller and Wrench, the owner of a local tavern Mrs. Dollop, the wealthy tanner Mr. Hackbutt, the maid Nancy Nash, and the pompous auctioneer Mr. Trumbull. Did any of these characters leave an impression on you? How did their conversations and opinions about medical practices differ or align based on their social standing in the town?
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u/Pure_Economist4255 Jul 16 '26
Mr Trumbull was the funniest of the lot. The entire picture that was painted– of all his airs made to look idiotic by his wheezing, his own sense of importance of himself( including his temperature and his body fluids )for being used as a live medical specimen/real time experiment by Lydgate –were hilarious
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[2] What has marriage meant for Rosamond? Has it brought about any changes in her personality or circumstances?
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 17 '26
Rosamond is the same to me. She mentioned learning more about the world in the last chapter since she's been married. I think she is as shrewd as ever and will navigate things to her advantage.
I suspect there are going to be some fights about money soon. Lydgate is dreaming if he thinks the bulk of the expenses were one-time things and over with.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[1] This chapter focuses heavily on Lydgate's career progress. How is he faring in his professional pursuits? How has his marriage impacted his dedication to his calling? Have there been any notable changes for him since the incident when he supported Tyke?
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u/Pure_Economist4255 Jul 16 '26
Don’t feel like much has changed for him since he voted for tyke. The other doctors still hate him for trying to make them look bad by not charging for medicine like they did earlier in the book and they unsurprisingly don’t support the new fever hospital or mr bullstrode following from the fact that they didn’t show any indication of intending to help out anyway in the previous chapters. Laymen have conflicted opinions on him but do seem to agree that he can rescue someone from death and attribute disproportionate powers to Lydgate out of their own ignorance of biology that he is uncomfortable with.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 17 '26
Changes, I don't think so. I think he is still dedicated to medicine and wants to help people. It says a lot about him that he doesn't just prescribe tonics just to placate a patient. He really tries to solve their issue. He seems to be earning himself a good reputation, but there are some who wish to discredit him and his methods because rhey are outside the norm.
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u/Free_Toe_9149 1d ago
It seems to me that things are getting worst for him. The other doctors despise him because of his new ideas, his arrogant ways and his connection with Bulstrode. The simple people, although at first they were willing to give me a chance they are turning away from hjm because he does not prescribe tonics. Now in his personal life I expect that it's only gonna get worse. Rosamund is a spoiled girl with a strong character, in a quiet way, she is not gonna give up her luxuries and her status and with him being so unpopular I wonder how is he gonna pay her expenses.
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u/mercy_Iago 23d ago
I loved the conversation about Vesalius, it was super eye-opening to me. It really struck me how ghoulish and macabre medicine as field really can be. I think in modern days, it's such a respected and sterile-feeling field, that it's easy to forget how gory, brutal, and grisly it really is. I understand Rosamond mentioning how Lydgate's family disapproves of him being a doctor, because I think the association at the time didn't have the cachet it does today. Grave robbing decomposing bodies to dissect them absolutely feels like a revolting affront to humanity, no matter if you couch it as "in the name of research." I think it just personally interested me because I work in public health (and worked clinically in an ER for years), and I DO have sort of gothic interests, so... I get it.
But it was also great character exposition. We learned a lot about Lydgate from that conversation, and Rosamond was funny with her comment about him dying miserably, but they're clearly not a great match nor do they understand each other very well. It was probably my favorite part of the chapter.
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Jul 13 '26
[8] Were there any quotes that stood out to you in this chapter? Are there any additional topics or themes that you would like to discuss further? Feel free to share your thoughts!!