The Hunterian oration for the year 1907 : being the sixty-third Hunterian oration since its foundation : delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons : On the objects of Hunter's life and the manner in which he accomplished them / by Henry T. Butlin.

  • Butlin, Henry T. (Henry Trentham), 1845-1912.
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Hunterian oration for the year 1907 : being the sixty-third Hunterian oration since its foundation : delivered in the theatre of the Royal College of Surgeons : On the objects of Hunter's life and the manner in which he accomplished them / by Henry T. Butlin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Even as it was, he was justly regarded as a leader of surgery in this town, -and as one of the boldest operators of his day. Those of us who knew him well miss his fine presence and his cheery manner, while the vigour of his speech was always-pleasing to us, whether he was on our side or in opposition to our views. Human beings may fairly be divided into three classes in their relation to the affairs of this world. First are they who see that a thing is wrong; they are very numerous, especially in their relation to politics, and their opinion is in these days frequently referred to as the opinion of the man in the street.. Next are they who see how what is wrong should be put right. They are not so numerous as those of the first class, and for one who sees clearly there are at least many hundreds who only dimly see. And of those who see clearly few are capable of putting the wrong thing right. Few of them, indeed, have the inclination to do so, and of those few still fewer are capable of doing so ; they are for the most part talkers, not workers. And third are they who set to work, diligently and with determination, to correct the wrong. They are not necessarily the j)ersons who first discerned the wrong or who saw clearly the means by which the wrong might be corrected. Sometimes, indeed, they are merely workers, what are termed humble instruments, but the work which they accomplish in this world and for the good of man is greater than words can tell.