Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-05-08
ADDRESS OF DIR. OLIVER WENDEl L
HOLMES.


Dr Ol;vor V.,doll Uolmos rooo,,,,. Jol;,or
ed voled;c,orv address to thn f;radmo;;na, TIas.
of Harvard Tnivcr.itv II ;s in he has, s,,lo
we make somn cxtrncts from il as puhl;sbnd IN
tho Roston Wnd;cnl and Surg;coI Ipurnai
Aftcr - ra,, Introductory remorLs anJ ~, ol
lusion In tbc necessity of nhn IN lie nr
Holmes sovs,
DUTY drnws the great circle which ircludos nj,
else wi,h;n il Of yonr resnons;h;l;,, tn ,ha
Head phvsician Of his vast nlonn,arv o,nb,,-
lcncr or iravc;ng hnsp;,al ,rb,cb ,ve oh Iar,l,
I need saw Gttle we reach Tho Creator ch;oa,,
through his creatures. Whose pove the cmn II
cold water TO the disciple gave il IN the Nnsicr
whose received that Master received tbe Inf,
mite Father who sent him. If porformed in tbe
right snirit there is no hirher worsh;n than the
unpurchased sprvice of the Medical nr;cstbood
The Sick MANS ALTERED blrss;ng readhes Ucav'
en- through the battered roof Of his bovpl beforc
the Te Ueum that reyerbero,es in yost cotbe.
drals.
Your duty ne nl,vsicians involvos ,bo rroc,;co
of every virtue and the stunning Of every Vice.
But there are certain virtues and gracns of nrc'
eminent necessity to the physician and certain
vices and minor faults against which he must
be particularly guarded.
And first. offIutb. Living is the preat tempta-
ton to which physicians are exposed Clergy
men are expected to tell such portions of trnth
as they think will be useful Their danger is
the stDprcssio reyi. rather than direct GalsehooJ
LAWYERS stand in professional and technical rc.
lations to veracity. Thus. the clerk swcars n
witness to tell the truth tbe whole truth and
nothing but the truth. The lawyer Is exnec,ed
to get out of the witness not exactly the truth.
but portion of the truth. and nothing but the
truth-which suits him. The fact that there are
two LAWYERS pulling at the witness in different
directions makes 4 Etlo ho,tor tbe borscs
pulled different WAYS in that borrid old nnnish-
ment of tearing men to pieces; so much the
worse for the man. But this is an understood
thing. and we do not hesitate TO believe n law
yerUoutside of the court room.
The pbvsic;an. however il not nrovided with
a snccial i;cer.a 20 .o,. ,bo hin, ,rb;cb l. uo,
u, 'P00i"i n0.nSe " S'! 'he 'iii,iS ",len 10 not
ne tIPsc''I 10 know ,Ge truh ana a to s Se ready
Always 10 10 IT, whenever ne makes an un-
necess"l! VISIT nc tens ne whenever ne
" ~. I'ii'eecss"r! ne tens ne
II ~ auuiDiY whispered 'iia' some OF the gen
ti'i PrIcuuoi,ersi as they are caiieu IN Eng
ANU who i''"he 'hcll PrOht on the heulciles
uie! ulSPeiiSe are app 10 DC 100 iona Oh giving
.hoSe Winch can DC charged at pleaslng hgure
III tlielr accounts IL would De oe'ter IL the pa
l
'ili LOT every uose ne took' just as chIdrcn are
f: t?:liiPeiisated Oy tneir parents ior swallowing
iiue1us lieulcal MIXTURES;
~ iaisu pretehccs whatsoever ac'eu OF
'Pon.t an SuPcihclai uiaSHoSeS' "here inc
PtrTu'ioner Ia uoos Iot kno" tilat ne Knows or,
SUN "oIae' Hno"s 'i"' iie Ioes nov hilO" al
VII ''i''ou Pios'oseS anu PROMISES o' cure
,'ii .-'S ''' t'e"''iei, 'ii't ",iiVi, MA! nave
ee'n o"ins 70 Nu'ute ohi! AL shaiio" excuses
oi .' ''Sui'S vi oau Prao'ice' are mes ana noun
ing eise'
mere Is one saie RUE when Will venture to
IA! eo"ii iot your g'nue IN every professional
I "It' n',otNn's the l'hheu'ate reiauo win the
ooJec' 9i your cure SO pam that IL my De
.. ."eieu q, "S uuishn' ou, SO oiircut 10 iohow
me nmo n,I ne'er nroAeh II deserves S''n-
/ piySiciGn's tirSf d,Ifv IS 10 h,S u0t;cnf, III,
second onIy. IN himself
If YOU can avoid this most easily besettinp sin
of falsehood, to which your profession Offers
such peculiar temptations. and for which /, af
fords such facilities, I can hardly fear that tho
closely related virtue, which clng IN truth hon.
esty and fidelity 10 those who trIst Won will be
wanting to your character.
That YOU must be temperatc. So that Won can
be masters of YOUR faculties at all times. that
YOU must be pilre. so that Won shall mass tLo
sacred barriers of the family circle. omen to vo,
as to none other of all the outside world. w;th.
out pollutiny its sanctuary bv vour nrrsrrce il
is. think. needless for me 70 nrre
Charity is the eminent yirtue Of the medical
profession. Show me the parret or cellar which
its messengers do mot nonetrotc tcll mo If ,be
pestilence Which its heroes have moi broved in
their crrands of mercy name TO me the Young
practitioner who is NOT reaJy to he thc s:r,'ant
of servants in the cause of humanity or ,bo old
one whose counsel Is no, reodv for hin, in his
pernlexities md will ,he
of virtue which 7 am con,ent 70 Ieaye yo~ ,o
learn from, those who have GONE befnre Won
and whose footprints Won viii find in tho Iatb
to every haunt of stricken humanity. f''
This next rule nrocla;r in M bes;tat;r, oc-
cents ResDect vo,,i anon ,,ro,s,s;onI ifx%n do
not feel as Won cross tbs p,;i;ona;re,s tbrsshoiJ
that your Ar is nohler than his naIace Tho foot y
man that LET'S Won in il vnmr ftt,na comn,n;on
and NOT his master Resnect yonr nrofpss;on
and Won will not chottor ahou, ,o,r !. ,,a,rors y,
thinking ~ old yonrsalf hv rnhb;rdp p' aao;n,, -,
wealth and splendor' Re n little nrondVit will
not bnrt Won and re,ra,,har tha, !, dononJs a 49,
bow the profession boars wbetbor Sts mon,
hers are The ncers of tho h;@host & or tbn harol,,
tolerated onerat;ves of son;str TLo ,bnso e.,
t;on dissectors bred - "s" tbs;r ;onnbo
- - ~ ~ 10 ,Pi'