Medicine in modern times, or, Discourses delivered at a meeting of the British Medical Association at Oxford / by Dr. Stokes [and others] ; with a report on mercury by Hughes Bennett.

Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medicine in modern times, or, Discourses delivered at a meeting of the British Medical Association at Oxford / by Dr. Stokes [and others] ; with a report on mercury by Hughes Bennett. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    precede it. Our own profession is not exempt from these influences: even if it were, we are part of the body politic, and as wise men we might do well to look forth from the fretted shelter of this ancient Hall, itself a memorial of the ferment of the Reformation, and, scanning the clouds as they drift along, take the bearing of our own course in the stream of time. The accomplished authors of the special addresses which you will hear at your general meetings. Professor RoUeston, Professor Haughton, and Dr. Gull, will bring before you abundant illustrations of the present state of three great departments of the science and the art we profess. While waiting for these addresses and for the other more technical communications which you will hear, I propose to take a general survey of the position occupied by our professional knowledge in relation to other branches of knowledge, and to consider the objects which ought to be held in view when we dis- cuss the temper required of us by our times, and the training proper for the formation of that character and temper. No better illustration of what is meant by Medical character and temper can perhaps be found than in the words deep graven in the hearts of true Physicians for a hundred generations :— 6 KULpbs d^ljs' f] be Tietpa (T^aKepr\' rj be Kplais xaKeut], How may every age—some more than others, but yet every age—for itself exclaim, 'Yes! opportunity fleets by and is lost. Old experience is a quicksand. Sound judgment is hard, above all things.' The traditions of our present resting-place may well