The Harveian Oration on the Influence of Character and Right Judgment in Medicine: Delivered before the Royal College of Physicians, October 18th, 1898
Authors: D. Duckworth
Journal: BMJ (1898)

THE honourable task which is imposed upon me to-day carries with it year by year a heavier burden and an increased responsibility.I suppose that not fewer than i8o Harveian Orators have taken their places in this venerable College to carry out the project of that great man whose character asid work we so appropriately commemorate on this festival of " the beloved physician."When we reflect that the Orators have in nearly every instance come fresh to the task, have brought all their learn- ing and literary skill to bear upon it, have, not seldom, in the past, clothed it in the purest Latin or the most classical English, and have no less enriched both the science and art -of medicine by many of these efforts, the latest of that band may well invoke to-day some of the divine 4y0ovcaa,ous to descend upon him as he sets out to follow the well-worn road which lies before him.For myself, I may say that I yiel4d to none in the interest which this duty has for me.As physician to the great hos- pital which Harvey served,1 as his suocessor in this College, .longointervallo, in the capacities of its Treasurer2 and Lum- leian Lecturer,3 and as one of the eight Fellows, of whom -only three now survive, who on this day fifteen years ago had the privilege of bearing his body, "lapt in lead," to its final resting place on the occasion of the translation of his remains at Hemel Hempstead, I find myself in particular sympathy with the object and circumstance of our meeting to-day.Inasmuch as Harvey himself conceived the idea of this Oration,I and definitely laid down the specific objects of it, I take it to be the plain duty of the Orator to obey his direc- tions as loyally as possible, and in doing so I hope to find suggestive lines of thought for interesting and -fruitful comment.It is therefore my duty, first, to commemorate some of the greatest benefactors of this College; secondly, to incite our Fellows and Members to search out and study the secrets of Nature; and, thirdly, to urge a spirit of gracious courtesy and -kindliness amongst ourselves.Harvey's primary consideration in this matter was, without -doubt, to maintain the position and dignity of his beloved College, to foster its usefulness, and to keep it well abreast of the knowledge and learning of the day, so that by its influ- ence it might impart a high and beneficial tone to the whole commonwealth of medicine in England.It was a high ideal but not too high for the best spirits in this College; and that, Sir, and no less, I will venture to say, is our ideal of its position to-day, a day in which we bear witness to many and radical changes of circumstances indeed, but in which, not- withstanding, we are still full of energy and good purpose, full of strong will and intention to hold that position, and, if possible, to add to it.When Harvey enjoined upon the Orator the duty of com- maemorating the chief benefactors of the College the task was comparatively simple, but happily for us, thanks to the many benefits our Fellows have conferred upon our common- alty, it would now be little less than wearisome to enumerate them, and allude even briefly to their varied benefactions.Few will demur to the statement that Harvey himself has been our greatest benefactor, whether by reason of the im- I6o8-?I633 2 x628-x629.6 'e stone Hoase, No. 5, Knightricler Street.[ '973]