are　rooted　in　human　wants　and　weakness；　and　die　hard。　　The　oaks　of　Dodona　are　prostrate；　and　the　shrine　of　Delphi　is　desolate；　but　the　Pythoness　and　the　Sibyl　may　be　consulted　in　Lowell　Street　for　a　very　moderate　compensation。　Nostradamus　and　Lilly　seem　impossible　in　our　time；　but　we　have　seen　the　advertisements　of　an　astrologer　in　our　Boston　papers　year　after　year；　which　seems　to　imply　that　he　found　believers　and　patrons。　　You　smiled　when　I　related　Sir　Kenelm　Digby's　prescription　with　the　live　eel　in　it；　but　if　each　of　you　were　to　empty　his　or　her　pockets；　would　there　not　roll　out；　from　more　than　one　of　them；　a　horse…chestnut；　carried　about　as　a　cure　for　rheumatism？　　The　brazen　head　of　Roger　Bacon　is　mute；　but　is　not　〃Planchette〃　uttering　her　responses　in　a　hundred　houses　of　this　city？　　We　think　of　palmistry　or　chiromancy　as　belonging　to　the　days　of　Albertus　Magnus；　or；　if　existing　in　our　time；　as　given　over　to　the　gypsies；　but　a　very　distinguished　person　has　recently　shown　me　the　line　of　life；　and　the　line　of　fortune；　on　the　palm　of　his　hand；　with　a　seeming　confidence　in　the　sanguine　predictions　of　his　career　which　had　been　drawn　from　them。　　What　shall　we　say　of　the　plausible　and　well…dressed　charlatans　of　our　own　time；　who　trade　in　false　pretences；　like　Nicholas　Knapp　of　old；　but　without　any　fear　of　being　fined　or　whipped；　or　of　the　many　follies　and　inanities；　imposing　on　the　credulous　part　of　the　community；　each　of　them　gaping　with　eager；　open　mouth　for　a　gratuitous　advertisement　by　the　mention　of　its　foolish　name　in　any　respectable　connection？
  I　turn　from　this　less　pleasing　aspect　of　the　common　intelligence　which　renders　such　follies　possible；　to　close　the　honorable　record　of　the　medical　profession　in　this；　our　ancient　Commonwealth。
  We　have　seen　it　in　the　first　century　divided　among　clergymen；　magistrates；　and　regular　practitioners；　yet；　on　the　whole；　for　the　time；　and　under　the　circumstances；　respectable；　except　where　it　invoked　supernatural　agencies　to　account　for　natural　phenomena。
  In　the　second　century　it　simplified　its　practice；　educated　many　intelligent　practitioners；　and　began　the　work　of　organizing　for　concerted　action；　and　for　medical　teaching。
  In　this；　our　own　century；　it　has　built　hospitals；　perfected　and　multiplied　its　associations　and　educational　institutions；　enlarged　and　created　museums；　and　challenged　a　place　in　the　world　of　science　by　its　literature。
  In　reviewing　the　whole　course　of　its　history　we　read　a　long　list　of　honored　names；　and　a　precious　record　written　in　private　memories；　in　public　charities；　in　permanent　contributions　to　medical　science；　in　generous　sacrifices　for　the　country。　　We　can　point　to　our　capital　as　the　port　of　entry　for　the　New　World　of　the　great　medical　discoveries　of　two　successive　centuries；　and　we　can　claim　for　it　the　triumph　over　the　most　dreaded　foe　that　assails　the　human　body；a　triumph　which　the　annals　of　the　race　can　hardly　match　in　three　thousand　years　of　medical　history。
  THE　YOUNG　PRACTITIONER
  ＇A　Valedictory　Address　delivered　to　the　Graduating　Class　of　the　Bellevue　Hospital　College；　March　2；　1871。＇
  The　occasion　which　calls　us　together　reminds　us　not　a　little　of　that　other　ceremony　which　unites　a　man　and　woman　for　life。　　The　banns　have　already　been　pronounced　which　have　wedded　our　young　friends　to　the　profession　of　their　choice。　　It　remains　only　to　address　to　them　some　friendly　words　of　cheering　counsel；　and　to　bestow　upon　them　the　parting　benediction。
  This　is　not　the　time　for　rhetorical　display　or　ambitious　eloquence。　We　must　forget　ourselves；　and　think　only　of　them。　　To　us　it　is　an　occasion；　to　them　it　is　an　epoch。　　The　spectators　at　the　wedding　look　curiously　at　the　bride　and　bridegroom；　at　the　bridal　veil；　the　orange…flower　garland；　the　giving　and　receiving　of　the　ring；　they　listen　for　the　tremulous　〃I　will；〃　and　wonder　what　are　the　mysterious　syllables　the　clergyman　whispers　in　the　ear　of　the　married　maiden。　But　to　the　newly…wedded　pair　what　meaning　in　those　words；　〃for　better；　for　worse；〃　〃in　sickness　and　in　health；〃　〃till　death　us　do　part！〃　　To　the　father；　to　the　mother；　who　know　too　well　how　often　the　deadly　nightshade　is　interwoven　with　the　wreath　of　orange…blossoms；　how　empty　the　pageant；　how　momentous　the　reality！
  You　will　not　wonder　that　I　address　myself　chiefly　to　those　who　are　just　leaving　academic　life　for　the　sterner　struggle　and　the　larger　tasks　of　matured　and　instructed　manhood。　　The　hour　belongs　to　them；　if　others　find　patience　to　listen；　they　will　kindly　remember　that；　after　all；　they　are　but　as　the　spectators　at　the　wedding；　and　that　the　priest　is　thinking　less　of　them　than　of　their　friends　who　are　kneeling　at　the　altar。
  I　speak　more　directly　to　you；　then；　gentlemen　of　the　graduating　class。　　The　days　of　your　education；　as　pupils　of　trained　instructors；　are　over。　　Your　first　harvest　is　all　garnered。　　Henceforth　you　are　to　be　sowers　as　well　as　reapers；　and　your　field　is　the　world。　　How　does　your　knowledge　stand　to…day？　　What　have　you　gained　as　a　permanent　possession？　　What　must　you　expect　to　forget？　　What　remains　for　you　yet　to　learn？　　These　are　questions　which　it　may　interest　you　to　consider。
  There　is　another　question　which　must　force　itself　on　the　thoughts　of　many　among　you：　〃How　am　I　to　obtain　patients　and　to　keep　their　confidence？　　〃You　have　chosen　a　laborious　calling；　and　made　many　sacrifices　to　fit　yourselves　for　its　successful　pursuit。　　You　wish　to　be　employed　that　you　may　be　useful；　and　that　you　may　receive　the　reward　of　your　industry。　　I　would　take　advantage　of　these　most　receptive　moments　to　give　you　some　hints　which　may　help　you　to　realize　your　hopes　and　expectations。　　Such　is　the　outline　of　the　familiar　talk　I　shall　offer　you。
  Your　acquaintance　with　some　of　the　accessory　branches　is　probably　greater　now　than　it　will　be　in　a　year　from　now；much　greater　than　it　will　by　ten　years　from　now。　　The　progress　of　knowledge；　it　may　be　feared；　or　hoped；　will　have　outrun　the　text…books　in　which　you　studied　these　branches。　　Chemistry；　for　instance；　is　very　apt　to　spoil　on　one's　hands。　　〃Nous　avons　change　tout　cela〃　might　serve　as　the　standing　motto　of　many　of　our　manuals。　　Science　is　a　great　traveller；　and　wears　her　shoes　out　pretty　fast；　as　might　be　expected。
  You　are　now　fresh　from　the　lecture…room　and　the　laboratory。　　You　can　pass　an　examination　in　anatomy；　physiology；　chemistry；　materia　medica；　which　the　men　in　large　practice　all　around　you　would　find　a　more　potent　sudorific　than　any　in　the　Pharmacopceia。　　These　masters　of　the　art　of　healing　were　once　as　ready　with　their　answers　as　you　are　now；　but　they　have　got　rid　of　a　great　deal　of　the　less　immediately　practical　part　of　their　acquisitions；　and　you　must　undergo　the　same　depleting　process。　　Hard　work　will　train　it　off；　as　sharp　exercise　trains　off　the　fat　of　a　prize…fighter。
  Yet；　pause　a　moment　before　you　infer　that　your　teachers　must　have　been　in　fault　when　they　furnished　you　with　mental　stores　not　directly　convertible　to　practical　purposes；　and　likely　in　a　few　years　to　lose　their　place　in　your　memory。　　All　systematic　knowledge　involves　much　that　is　not　practical；　yet　it　is　the　only　kind　of　knowledge　which　satisfies　the　mind；　and　systematic　study　proves；　in　the　long…run；　the　easiest　way　of　acquiring　and　retaining　facts　which　are　practical。　There　are　many　things　which　we　can　afford　to　forget；　which　yet　it　was　well　to　　learn。　　Your　mental　condition　is　not　the　same　as　if　you　had　never　known　what　you　now　try　in　vain　to　recall。　　There　is　a　perpetual　metempsychosis　of　thought；　and　the　knowledge　of　to…day　finds　a　soil　in　the　forgotten　facts　of　yesterday。　　You　cannot　see　anything　in　the　new　season　of　the　guano　you　placed　last　year　about　the　roots　of　your　climbing　plants；　but　it　is　blushing　and　breathing　fragrance　in　your　trellised　roses；　it　has　scaled　your　porch　in　the　bee…haunted　honey…　suckle；　it　has　found　its　way　where　the　ivy　is　green；　it　is　gone　where　the　woodbine　expands　its　luxuriant　foliage。
  Your　diploma　seems　very　broad　to…day　with　your　list　of　accomplishments；　but　it　begins　to　shrink　from　this　hour　like　the　Peau　de　Chagrin　of　Balzac's　story。　　Do　not　worry　about　it；　for　all　the　while　there　will　be　making　out　for　you　an　ampler　and　fairer　parchment；　signed　by　old　Father　Time　himself　as　President　of　that　great　University　in　which　experience　is　the　one　perpetual　and　all…　sufficient　professor。
  Your　present　plethora　of　acquirements　will　soon　cure　itself。　Knowledge　that　is　not　wanted　dies　out　like　the　eyes　of　the　fishes　of　the　Mammoth　Cave。　　When　you　come　to　handle　life　and　death　as　your　daily　business；　your　memory　will　of　itself　bid　good…by　to　such　inmates　as　the　well…known　foramina　of　the　sphenoid　bone　and　the　familiar　oxides　of　methyl…ethylamyl…phenyl…ammonium。　　Be　thankful　that　you　have　once　known　them；　and　remember　that　even　the　learned　ignorance　of　a　nomenclature　is　something　to　have　mastered；　and　may　furnish　pegs　to　hang　facts　upon　which　would　otherwise　have　strewed　the　floor　of　memory　in　loose　disorder。
  But　your　education　has；　after　all；　been　very　largely　practical。　　You　have　studied　medicine　and　surgery；　not　chiefly　in　books；　but　at　the　bedside　and　in　the　operating　amphitheatre。　　It　is　the　special　advantage　of　large　cities　that　they　afford　the　oppor