ream　but　which　not　all　will　ever　reach。
  First　of　all；　he　truly　loved　his　profession。　　He　had　no　intellectual　ambitions　outside　of　it；　literary；　scientific　or　political。　　To　him　it　was　occupation　enough　to　apply　at　the　bedside　the　best　of　all　that　he　knew　for　the　good　of　his　patient；　to　protect　the　community　against　the　inroads　of　pestilence；　to　teach　the　young　all　that　he　himself　had　been　taught；　with　all　that　his　own　experience　had　added；　to　leave　on　record　some　of　the　most　important　results　of　his　long　observation。
  With　his　patients　he　was　so　perfect　at　all　points　that　it　is　hard　to　overpraise　him。　　I　have　seen　many　noted　British　and　French　and　American　practitioners；　but　I　never　saw　the　man　so　altogether　admirable　at　the　bedside　of　the　sick　as　Dr。　James　Jackson。　　His　smile　was　itself　a　remedy　better　than　the　potable　gold　and　the　dissolved　pearls　that　comforted　the　praecordia　of　mediaeval　monarchs。　　Did　a　patient；　alarmed　without　cause；　need　encouragement；　it　carried　the　sunshine　of　hope　into　his　heart　and　put　all　his　whims　to　flight；　as　David's　harp　cleared　the　haunted　chamber　of　the　sullen　king。　　Had　the　hour　come；　not　for　encouragement；　but　for　sympathy；　his　face；　his　voice；　his　manner　all　showed　it；　because　his　heart　felt　it。　　So　gentle　was　he；　so　thoughtful；　so　calm；　so　absorbed　in　the　case　before　him；　not　to　turn　round　and　look　for　a　tribute　to　his　sagacity；　not　to　bolster　himself　in　a　favorite　theory；　but　to　find　out　all　he　could；　and　to　weigh　gravely　and　cautiously　all　that　he　found；　that　to　follow　him　in　his　morning　visit　was　not　only　to　take　a　lesson　in　the　healing　art；　it　was　learning　how　to　learn；　how　to　move；　how　to　look；　how　to　feel；　if　that　can　be　learned。　　To　visit　with　Dr。　Jackson　was　a　medical　education。
  He　was　very　firm；　with　all　his　kindness。　　He　would　have　the　truth　about　his　patients。　　The　nurses　found　it　out；　and　the　shrewder　ones　never　ventured　to　tell　him　anything　but　a　straight　story。　　A　clinical　dialogue　between　Dr。　Jackson　and　Miss　Rebecca　Taylor；　sometime　nurse　in　the　Massachusetts　General　Hospital；　a　mistress　in　her　calling；　was　as　good　questioning　and　answering　as　one　would　be　like　to　hear　outside　of　the　court…room。
  Of　his　practice　you　can　form　an　opinion　from　his　book　called　〃Letters　to　a　Young　Physician。〃　　Like　all　sensible　men　from　the　days　of　Hippocrates　to　the　present；　he　knew　that　diet　and　regimen　were　more　important　than　any　drug　or　than　all　drugs　put　together。　　Witness　his　treatment　of　phthisis　and　of　epilepsy。　　He　retained；　however；　more　confidence　in　some　remedial　agents　than　most　of　the　younger　generation　would　concede　to　them。　　Yet　his　materia　medica　was　a　simple　one。
  〃When　I　first　went　to　live　with　Dr。　Holyoke；〃　he　says；　〃in　1797；　showing　me　his　shop；　he　said；　'There　seems　to　you　to　be　a　great　variety　of　medicines　here；　and　that　it　will　take　you　long　to　get　acquainted　with　them；　but　most　of　them　are　unimportant。　　There　are　four　which　are　equal　to　all　the　rest；　namely；　Mercury；　Antimony；　Bark　and　Opium。'〃　　And　Dr。　Jackson　adds；　〃I　can　only　say　of　his　practice；　the　longer　I　have　lived；　I　have　thought　better　and　better　of　it。〃　When　he　thought　it　necessary　to　give　medicine；　he　gave　it　in　earnest。　He　hated　half…practicegiving　a　little　of　this　or　that；　so　as　to　be　able　to　say　that　one　had　done　something；　in　case　a　consultation　was　held；　or　a　still　more　ominous　event　occurred。　　He　would　give　opium；　for　instance；　as　boldly　as　the　late　Dr。　Fisher　of　Beverly；　but　he　followed　the　aphorism　of　the　Father　of　Medicine；　and　kept　extreme　remedies　for　extreme　cases。
  When　it　came　to　the　〃non…naturals；〃　as　he　would　sometimes　call　them；　after　the　old　physicians；namely；　air；　meat　and　drink；　sleep　and　watching；　motion　and　rest；　the　retentions　and　excretions；　and　the　affections　of　the　mind；he　was；　as　I　have　said；　of　the　school　of　sensible　practitioners；　in　distinction　from　that　vast　community　of　quacks；　with　or　without　the　diploma；　who　think　the　chief　end　of　man　is　to　support　apothecaries；　and　are　never　easy　until　they　can　get　every　patient　upon　a　regular　course　of　something　nasty　or　noxious。　Nobody　was　so　precise　in　his　directions　about　diet；　air；　and　exercise；　as　Dr。　Jackson。　　He　had　the　same　dislike　to　the　a　peu　pres；　the　about　so　much；　about　so　often；　about　so　long；　which　I　afterwards　found　among　the　punctilious　adherents　of　the　numerical　system　at　La　Pitie。
  He　used　to　insist　on　one　small　point　with　a　certain　philological　precision；　namely；　the　true　meaning　of　the　word　〃cure。〃　　He　would　have　it　that　to　cure　a　patient　was　simply　to　care　for　him。　　I　refer　to　it　as　showing　what　his　idea　was　of　the　relation　of　the　physician　to　the　patient。　　It　was　indeed　to　care　for　him；　as　if　his　life　were　bound　up　in　him；　to　watch　his　incomings　and　outgoings；　to　stand　guard　at　every　avenue　that　disease　might　enter；　to　leave　nothing　to　chance；　not　merely　to　throw　a　few　pills　and　powders　into　one　pan　of　the　scales　of　Fate；　while　Death　the　skeleton　was　seated　in　the　other；　but　to　lean　with　his　whole　weight　on　the　side　of　life；　and　shift　the　balance　in　its　favor　if　it　lay　in　human　power　to　do　it。　　Such　devotion　as　this　is　only　to　be　looked　for　in　the　man　who　gives　himself　wholly　up　to　the　business　of　healing；　who　considers　Medicine　itself　a　Science；　or　if　not　a　science；　is　willing　to　follow　it　as　an　art；the　noblest　of　arts；　which　the　gods　and　demigods　of　ancient　religions　did　not　disdain　to　practise　and　to　teach。
  The　same　zeal　made　him　always　ready　to　listen　to　any　new　suggestion　which　promised　to　be　useful；　at　a　period　of　life　when　many　men　find　it　hard　to　learn　new　methods　and　accept　new　doctrines。　　Few　of　his　generation　became　so　accomplished　as　he　in　the　arts　of　direct　exploration；　coming　straight　from　the　Parisian　experts；　I　have　examined　many　patients　with　him；　and　have　had　frequent　opportunities　of　observing　his　skill　in　percussion　and　auscultation。
  One　element　in　his　success；　a　trivial　one　compared　with　others；　but　not　to　be　despised；　was　his　punctuality。　　He　always　carried　two　watches；I　doubt　if　he　told　why；　any　more　than　Dr。　Johnson　told　what　he　did　with　the　orange…peel；but　probably　with　reference　to　this　virtue。　　He　was　as　much　to　be　depended　upon　at　the　appointed　time　as　the　solstice　or　the　equinox。　　There　was　another　point　I　have　heard　him　speak　of　as　an　important　rule　with　him；　to　come　at　the　hour　when　he　was　expected；　if　he　had　made　his　visit　for　several　days　successively　at　ten　o'clock；　for　instance；　not　to　put　it　off；　if　be　could　possibly　help　it；　until　eleven；　and　so　keep　a　nervous　patient　and　an　anxious　family　waiting　for　him　through　a　long；　weary　hour。
  If　I　should　attempt　to　characterize　his　teaching；　I　should　say　that　while　it　conveyed　the　best　results　of　his　sagacious　and　extended　observation；　it　was　singularly　modest；　cautious；　simple；　sincere。　Nothing　was　for　show；　for　self…love；　there　was　no　rhetoric；　no　declamation；　no　triumphant　〃I　told　you　so；〃　but　the　plain　statement　of　a　clear…headed　honest　man；　who　knows　that　he　is　handling　one　of　the　gravest　subjects　that　interest　humanity。　　His　positive　instructions　were　full　of　value；　but　the　spirit　in　which　he　taught　inspired　that　loyal　love　of　truth　which　lies　at　the　bottom　of　all　real　excellence。
  I　will　not　say　that；　during　his　long　career；　Dr。　Jackson　never　made　an　enemy。　　I　have　heard　him　tell　how；　in　his　very　early　days；　old　Dr。　Danforth　got　into　a　towering　passion　with　him　about　some　professional　consultation；　and　exploded　a　monosyllable　or　two　of　the　more　energetic　kind　on　the　occasion。　　I　remember　that　that　somewhat　peculiar　personage；　Dr。　Waterhouse；　took　it　hardly　when　Dr。　Jackson　succeeded　to　his　place　as　Professor　of　Theory　and　Practice。　　A　young　man　of　Dr。　Jackson's　talent　and　energy　could　hardly　take　the　position　that　belonged　to　him　without　crowding　somebody　in　a　profession　where　three　in　a　bed　is　the　common　rule　of　the　household。　　But　he　was　a　peaceful　man　and　a　peace…maker　all　his　days。　　No　man　ever　did　more；　if　so　much；　to　produce　and　maintain　the　spirit　of　harmony　for　which　we　consider　our　medical　community　as　somewhat　exceptionally　distinguished。
  If　this　harmony　should　ever　be　threatened；　I　could　wish　that　every　impatient　and　irritable　member　of　the　profession　would　read　that　beautiful；　that　noble　Preface　to　the　〃Letters；〃　addressed　to　John　Collins　Warren。　　I　know　nothing　finer　in　the　medical　literature　of　all　time　than　this　Prefatory　Introduction。　　It　is　a　golden　prelude；　fit　to　go　with　the　three　great　Prefaces　which　challenge　the　admiration　of　scholars；Calvin's　to　his　Institutes；　De　Thou's　to　his　History；　and　Casaubon's　to　his　Polybius；not　because　of　any　learning　or　rhetoric；　though　it　is　charmingly　written；　but　for　a　spirit　flowing　through　it　to　which　learning　and　rhetoric　are　but　as　the　breath　that　is　wasted　on　the　air　to　the　Mood　that　warms　the　heart。
  Of　a　similar　character　is　this　short　extract　which　I　am　permitted　to　make　from　a　private　letter　of　his　to　a　dear　young　friend。　　He　was　eighty…three　years　old　at　the　time　of　writing　it。
  〃I　have　not　loved　everybody　whom　I　have　known；　but　I　have　striven　to　see　the　good　points　in　the　characters　of　all　men　and　women。　　At　first　I　must　have　done　this　from　something　in　my　own　nature；　for　I　was　not　aware　of　it；　and　yet　was　doing　it　without　any　plan；　when　one　day；