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

  • Struthers, John, Sir, 1823-1899.
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 University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    fessional brethren; an J very naturally so, as this implies, that they respect his knowledge, and have found him fair and honour- able in his relations to them,—their reputation, their good name, their interests, their patients; and to rise by fair and honour- able means is simply this, to work well and honestly at your profession, and do to your professional brethren as you would wish them to do to you. There is just one other advice I would give you, as bearing on your professional life,—not to aifect more knowledge than you possess, or qualities which you have not. This advice I give you, although to some it may seem not well suited for young men who have the world to go through, and although many proverbs and sayings might be quoted to the contrary. I am not afraid of your going too far in the opposite direction, and I speak of those who have accomplished all that can be reason- ably expected at their time and in their circumstances, and have no occasion to be ashamed of not knowing more; to others, of course, silence is allowable. There is first the honesty and comfort of it, and then the fact that it is generally very well known what our qualities and extent of learning are, or at least what our deficiencies are ; and that our estimate of our- selves does not make any difference, at least in our favour, on what others think of us ; which is no less true than that, what- ever our words may be, we will always be judged by our deeds. It is a common saying that honesty is the best policy, and it is a true saying, for it is always our interest to be open and straight- forward ; but it is not a nice saying, for it changes honesty into cunning, and implies what from the very nature of honesty is impossible. But it is satisfactory and encouraging to young men to know, that they will not be losers in the end by always following their generous impulses to do and say what they feel to be right; that, besides being a healthier and happier character, Mr Honest will generally also succeed better than Mr Worldlywiscman. Let us all try not merely to seem
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