Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-01-09
OsIer Seen As A Wit.
January 5th. 1920.

DR.. William Osler, or "Sir William" as
the English preferred to called him after he
was knighted in 1911. has left behind him
writings which prove that had he chosen
literature instead of medicine as calling
his career would have been distinguished.
Since his death at Oxford in the last week,
where he held the exalted post of regius
professor of medicine, his friends have
recalled that he always advised doctors to
relieve themselves of the grind and wear
of the profession by having an avocation
as well as a vocation, and he followed his
own precepts by getting his recreation in
literary invention.
That course brought him sudden world
wide fame when he declared that men
reach the height of their powers at 40 and
are useless after 60. He was 81 when he
said it. and was about to step into the
highest place he had ever occupied. but
he had been known mainly to his profess
sion. That speech made him a world
character. of whom the general public in
all lands took notice.
1t may be doubted If what he said about
the age limit Of efficiency was meant to
be taken too seriously The Canadians.
among whom he was born and made his
professional bow. felt certain he was jok-
ing. They knew that his father. clergy
man, had lived and was active until past
80. and that at the time he made the
speech DR.. Osler was taking care that every
attention be given to his mother. who was
nearing lO0lyears, with her faculties and en-
ereies only slightly impaired.
The AGE For CHLoRoFoRM.
When he took leave of his associates
In Johns Hopkins University in 1905. after
having served as head physician there
since 1889. he admitted that he was sorry
to leave, and that the lure of Oxford had
tempted him, mainly because he could
have more leisure there for study and
writing than had been possible in his busy
Johns Hopkins post.
Then, as if to soften the pangs of his
departure. he said the loss Of a professor
might bring stimulating benefits to uni
versity, for no man had ever been long
missed from any place. whatever his mer-
its or influence, and change was a good
thing to broaden the outlook and useful
ness Of university. This line of argu-
ment led to his remarks about men of 40
and Of 80, the age for chloroform.
Students who came under DIR. Osler q
teaching had always liked him equally for
the soundness Of his learning and for the
impact OF his wit, which was quantity
philosophic. and which laid bare with anus
ing emphasis many Of the follies of the
profession. He took high pride in his call
ing, but he despised humbuegery and ex-
posed it, and he was keenly eager to impress
his student hearers with the importance
Of doing the best they could by sane anC
wholesome methods. In discoursine upor
medical subjects nothing was alien to his
interests which concerned human conduct
in all relations. for he wished the boy
under him to become examples Of rieh
1
were to 90.
Few WORDS On Love"
Touching on love in one OF his lectures
he said Put your affections in cold stor
age for few years. and you will take them
out ripened. perhaps a little mellow. bul
certainly less subject to those frequent
CHANGES which perplex so many young
men. So surely as young man married
is a young man married. is a woman un
married. in certain sense, a woman un
done"
"As a rule. man dies as he has lived
uninhuenced by thought Of a future life
have careful records of about 500 death.
beds" he said again. studied particularly
with modes Of death and the sensations
of dying. Ninety suffered bodily pain.
showed mental apprehension. two positive
terror. one spiritual exaltation. one bite
remorse. The majority gave no sign. one
way or the other. Their death was SLEEP
and forgetting The preacher was right
In this matter man has no pre-eminenct
over the beast as the one dieth. so dieti
the other.
THE real tragedy is the moral dealt
which. in different forms. overtakes s,
many good fellows who fall away from
the pure. honorable and righteous service
Of Minerva into the idoatry OF Bacchus
Venus and Gree"
There is only one safe rule" was an
other bit of advice. "Never listen to
patient who begins with story about the
carelessness and inefficiency of DR.. Blank
Shut him or her up with a snap. knowing
full well that the same tale may be told
of you a few months latter Never be-
lieve what patient tells you to the detri.
ment Of brother. even though you may
think il to be true"
Other sayings remembered by his stu.
dents were
Nothing will sustain you more potent )
in your humdrum routine than the power
to recognize the true poetry Of life. the
poetry Of the commonplace. their sorrows
and their griefs."
TAKE THINGS AS They CONE.
Things cannot 90 always your way
Accept in silence the minor aggravations /;
cultivate the gift Of taciternity and con.
sumo your own smoke with an extra draft
Of hard work. so that those about you may
not be annoyed with the dust and SCOT Of
your complaints. Courage and cheerful
ness will not only carry you over the roue b
places Of life. but will enable you to bring
comfort and help to the weak-heartsd. and
will console you in the sad hours when
like Uncle Toby. you may have to whistle
that you may not weep"
physicians are apt to become affected
with the drug habit from patients. II many
drugs are used for disease. all are In