On the study of medicine : the introductory address at Surgeons' Hall, session 1855-6 / by John Struthers.

Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the study of medicine : the introductory address at Surgeons' Hall, session 1855-6 / by John Struthers. 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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    reputation has long shed a lustre over, and contributed to give a high tone to, the Edinburgh School, by which we all benefit; and it is therefore with peculiar pleasure, and I trust with per- fect propriety, that I embrace this opportunity of referring to him. To discuss his qualities as a teacher and physician would be an uncalled for intrusion ; but I may say he set us the example of a philosophical and true physician. I would define a philo- sophical physician as one, whose knowledge of his profession is profound, whose mind and views are, besides, enlightened and liberal, and whose love of truth made him a careful observer, a close and impartial reasoner, and candid in communicating his opinions to others. But still he is not in the truest sense a philosophical physician, unless, as Dr Alison also so well ex- emplified, the great practical element rises out of all this, assert- ing its supremacy as the culmination and object of the whole. No one more eager for post-mortem examinations, no one more ready and able to discuss a theory or a system ; but amid all this, clearly distinguishing what concerned the patient; dis- tinguishing between what might be said, and what was to be done; and always recollecting, to use one of his favourite ex- pressions, which has a wide as well as a more exact application, that our object should be, not to treat the case on this or on that system, but always to obviate the tendency to death. To be a great physician necessarily implies great intellect or genius, and- the exercise of industry, and besides these some heart too ; for he who cannot enter into the feelings of a patient, or take an interest in him, is not likely to be acceptable or great as a physician. But the physician who has done this, is usually considered to have done his duty; and as he rises in his profession, nobody thinks of blaming him if he attends to his own interests, if he so shapes his course and so occupies his time, as to add to his profits, and lay up for himself treasure like other men,—while he leaves the less wealthy and the poor to his younger brethren, to take their turn of them as he has done before. But what we