Discourses on medical education, and on the medical profession / By John Ware.

  • John Ware
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Discourses on medical education, and on the medical profession / By John Ware. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/120 page 8
    there are certain classes of men with a defined posi¬ tion in society, transmitted from generation to genera¬ tion, either as the inheritance of blood or of fortune, the mass of mankind look up to such classes as their leaders, as their models;—always, certainly, in cus¬ toms, manners, and all those lighter arrangements which give a charm and elegance to human intercourse; and too often, also, in morals and religion. Now, among ourselves, we may scorn as we please the im¬ putation of social inequality, and assert that, as no class has the right, so none has the power, to exercise among us this sort of social influence. But it is not so, and, constituted as mankind are, it cannot be so. The bulk of men do, and must, think and live on authority and by imitation. They look upward, some¬ where, for models in opinions, in manners, in morals. We have pulled down the idols of silver and gold which are worshipped in the old world, and are proud of our own purer political devotion. Let us be sure that we do not put up in their stead idols of iron and clay. Now, our profession is, and, in this country, always must be, one of those permanent classes which exercise a wide social influence. We are not, as in some other countries, a class, honored indeed to a certain extent, but still subordinate to the aristocracy, to the land¬ holders, even to the gentlemen of the land. We are here of the aristocracy,—I use theterm in no offensive sense,—we are, or ought to be, among the gentlemen of the land. There is an influence in this relation, which we must exert, whether we will or not. Surely this is
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3