An Address on Children's Hospitals as Medical Schools
Authors: T. Holmes
Journal: BMJ (1886)

but the companion of fools shall be destroyed."But who are the fools ?Well, in the sense now spoken of, they are the libertine, the idle, the sceptic, and those whose coarse and unbecoming conduct repels you.Never associate with a man you cannot thoroughly respect and gain some good from.That is a simple and useful rule.B3e master of yourselves in all things." Keep a conscience void of offence."It is infinitely easier to avoid the beginning of evil than to renounce it afterwards.Temptation you must encounter.Resist- ing it strengthens the character as the tempest gives firmness and vigour to the fibres of the oak.Let not the holy temple of your bodies be defiled by any uncleanness.Remember Tom Hughes' advice-"The only thing to do with 'wild oats' is to put them carefully into the hottest part of the fire."A very trifling lapse from virtue may start you on the fatal path.A tiny grain may pollute and intrinsically alter a pure solution.The little rift within the lute, That by andlby will make the muIsic mu11te, And ever wideining, slowly silence all."Further, I must not omit to say that sufficient bodily exercise and well regulated amusement should find an important place in the scheme of your daily work.By substituting the word "medicine " for that of "law," you might well adopt the adage of the old Lord Chancellor:-Seven hourns to me(licine, to soothing slumiibers sevei;Ten to thle world allot, aind all to Heaven."The brain needs rest and variety of work just like an over-used muscle.As a foil to your special studies and as the best preservative against that narrowness which all mere professional pursuits are apt to engender, you should cultivate the writings of our great essayists, poets, and novelists, that is, the best thoughts of the best men in all countries.These will serve to render " distraction from labour beautiful, and not only beautiful, but beneficent."It is a duty you owe to yourselves to attend sedulously to-your health.If the flesh is weak, a spirit, however willing, can do no good.The tendency of late years, however, in all our schools is to give, perhaps, undue prominence to " sports," and to make a greater hero of the athlete than the student.That temperance (using the term in its widest sense), self-reliance and courage are largely pro- moted by athletic exercises, I am ready to believe, and so I should be glad to see them carefully cultivated, but always in their [proper time and place.In this connection I would strongly recommend to your support the admirable gymnasium which supplies, at so trifling a cost, that exercise which our uncertain climate does not always allow of beinc, otherwise obtained.Gentlemen, you will find in this University the most perfect super- vision, both in class and hospital-ward.This is a duty we owe to you, to your guardians, and to ourselves.Let me then entreat you to make a good beginning of your work.As you begin-diligent or idle-you will probably continue.It is usually easy to foresee from a very early period the future career of a student.Try to gain the good opinion of vour teachers.It may prove of great, even vital, import-