Transactions of the Medical Society of King's College, London.

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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Transactions of the Medical Society of King's College, London. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the London District Letter-Carriers’ Assistant Pension and Widows’ and Orphans’ Annuity Society, and the Society for Providing Asylum and Relief for Aged and Infirm Fish¬ mongers and Poulterers. For the mere purpose of publish¬ ing books on special subjects I know at least six—the Architectural Publishing Society, the Camden Society, the Cavendish Society, the Parker Society, the Ray Society, and the Sydenham Society. And besides those to which the particular name of “ society ” is given, there are innumerable others that are just as much societies, under the names of Homes, Committees, Institutes, Unions, Institutions, Asso¬ ciations, Colleges, Leagues, Guilds, Missions, Funds, Refor¬ matories, Clubs, Academies, Charities, Hospitals, Infirmaries, Asylums, and Companies—for Reforming, Reviving, Pro¬ tecting, Nursing, Relieving, Curing, Educating, Rescuing, Defending, Preventing, Promoting; and for all sorts and conditions of men—Christians and heathen, compatriots and foreigners, the poor, aged, friendless, deaf, dumb, blind, halt, diseased, injured, convalescent—in short, for doing everything to every body. Now, all this great system, this complex machinery, is the offspring of man’s exigencies, the spontaneous fruit of his requirements, and springs immediately from his gregarious, restless, determined, progressive nature. Of this great sys¬ tem your society forms an integral, though humble part, it springs from the same causes, and answers the same ends, and of the common advantage of all societies—the unity of design, intensity and concentration of energy, division of responsibility, division of labour, accumulation of resources, and mutual support—it has its share. But leaving these general advantages which it shares in common with all other Societies, let me just glance at a few
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