ool　where　he　bore　so　important　a　part。　　There　is　no　exemption　from　the　common　doom　for　him　who　holds　the　shield　to　protect　others。　　The　student　is　called　from　his　bench；　the　professor　from　his　chair；　the　practitioner　in　his　busiest　period　hears　a　knock　more　peremptory　than　any　patient's　midnight　summons；　and　goes　on　that　unreturning　visit　which　admits　of　no　excuse；　and　suffers　no　delay。　　The　call　of　such　a　man　away　from　us　is　the　bereavement　of　a　great　family。　　Nor　can　we　help　regretting　the　loss　for　him　of　a　bright　and　cheerful　earthly　future；　for　the　old　age　of　a　physician　is　one　of　the　happiest　periods　of　his　life。　　He　is　loved　and　cherished　for　what　he　has　been；　and　even　in　the　decline　of　his　faculties　there　are　occasions　when　his　experience　is　still　appealed　to；　and　his　trembling　hands　are　looked　to　with　renewing　hope　and　trust；　as　being　yet　able　to　stay　the　arm　of　the　destroyer。
  But　if　there　is　so　much　left　for　age；　how　beautiful；　how　inspiring　is　the　hope　of　youth！　　I　see　among　those　whom　I　count　as　listeners　one　by　whose　side　I　have　sat　as　a　fellow…teacher；　and　by　whose　instructions　I　have　felt　myself　not　too　old　to　profit。　　As　we　borrowed　him　from　your　city；　I　must　take　this　opportunity　of　telling　you　that　his　zeal；　intelligence；　and　admirable　faculty　as　an　instructor　were　heartily　and　universally　recognized　among　us。　　We　return　him；　as　we　trust；　uninjured；　to　the　fellow…citizens　who　have　the　privilege　of　claiming　him　as　their　own。
  And　now；　gentlemen　of　the　graduating　class；　nothing　remains　but　for　me　to　bid　you；　in　the　name　of　those　for　whom　I　am　commissioned　and　privileged　to　speak；　farewell　as　students；　and　welcome　as　practitioners。　　I　pronounce　the　two　benedictions　in　the　same　breath；　as　the　late　king's　demise　and　the　new　king's　accession　are　proclaimed　by　the　same　voice　at　the　same　moment。　　You　would　hardly　excuse　me　if　I　stooped　to　any　meaner　dialect　than　the　classical　and　familiar　language　of　your　prescriptions；　the　same　in　which　your　title　to　the　name　of　physician　is；　if；　like　our　own　institution；　you　follow　the　ancient　usage；　engraved　upon　your　diplomas。
  Valete；　JUVENES；　artis　medicae　studiosi；　valete；　discipuli；　valete；　filii！
  Salvete；　VIRI；　artis　medicae　magister；　Salvete　amici；　salvete　fratres！
  MEDICAL　LIBRARIES。
  ＇Dedicatory　Address　at　the　opening　of　the　Medical　Library　in　Boston；　December　3；　1878。＇
  It　is　my　appointed　task；　my　honorable　privilege；　this　evening；　to　speak　of　what　has　been　done　by　others。　　No　one　can　bring　his　tribute　of　words　into　the　presence　of　great　deeds；　or　try　with　them　to　embellish　the　memory　of　any　inspiring　achievement；　without　feeling　and　leaving　with　others　a　sense　of　their　insufficiency。　　So　felt　Alexander　when　he　compared　even　his　adored　Homer　with　the　hero　the　poet　had　sung。　　So　felt　Webster　when　he　contrasted　the　phrases　of　rhetoric　with　the　eloquence　of　patriotism　and　of　self…devotion。　　So　felt　Lincoln　when　on　the　field　of　Gettysburg　he　spoke　those　immortal　words　which　Pericles　could　not　nave　bettered；　which　Aristotle　could　not　have　criticised。　　So　felt　he　who　wrote　the　epitaph　of　the　builder　of　the　dome　which　looks　down　on　the　crosses　and　weathercocks　that　glitter　over　London。
  We　are　not　met　upon　a　battle…field；　except　so　far　as　every　laborious　achievement　means　a　victory　over　opposition；　indifference；　selfishness；　faintheartedness；　and　that　great　property　of　mind　as　well　as　matter；inertia。　　We　are　not　met　in　a　cathedral；　except　so　far　as　every　building　whose　walls　are　lined　with　the　products　of　useful　and　ennobling　thought　is　a　temple　of　the　Almighty；　whose　inspiration　has　given　us　understanding。　　But　we　have　gathered　within　walls　which　bear　testimony　to　the　self…sacrificing；　persevering　efforts　of　a　few　young　men；　to　whom　we　owe　the　origin　and　development　of　all　that　excites　our　admiration　in　this　completed　enterprise；　and　I　might　consider　my　task　as　finished　if　I　contented　myself　with　borrowing　the　last　word　of　the　architect's　epitaph　and　only　saying；　Look　around　you！
  The　reports　of　the　librarian　have　told　or　will　tell　you；　in　some　detail；　what　has　been　accomplished　since　the　21st　of　December；　1874；　when　six　gentlemen　met　at　the　house　of　Dr。　Henry　Ingersoll　Bowditch　to　discuss　different　projects　for　a　medical　library。　　In　less　than　four　years　from　that　time；　by　the　liberality　of　associations　and　of　individuals；　this　collection　of　nearly　ten　thousand　volumes；　of　five　thousand　pamphlets；　and　of　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　journals；　regularly　received；all　worthily　sheltered　beneath　this　lofty　roof；　has　come　into　being　under　our　eyes。　　It　has　sprung　up；　as　it　were；　in　the　night　like　a　mushroom；　it　stands　before　us　in　full　daylight　as　lusty　as　an　oak；　and　promising　to　grow　and　flourish　in　the　perennial　freshness　of　an　evergreen。
  To　whom　does　our　profession　owe　this　already　large　collection　of　books；　exceeded　in　numbers　only　by　four　or　five　of　the　most　extensive　medical　libraries　in　the　country；　and　lodged　in　a　building　so　well　adapted　to　its　present　needs？　　We　will　not　point　out　individually　all　those　younger　members　of　the　profession　who　have　accomplished　what　their　fathers　and　elder　brethren　had　attempted　and　partially　achieved。　　We　need　not　write　their　names　on　these　walls；　after　the　fashion　of　those　civic　dignitaries　who　immortalize　themselves　on　tablets　of　marble　and　gates　of　iron。　　But　their　contemporaries　know　them　well；　and　their　descendants　will　not　forget　them；the　men　who　first　met　together；　the　men　who　have　given　their　time　and　their　money；　the　faithful　workers；　worthy　associates　of　the　strenuous　agitator　who　gave　no　sleep　to　his　eyes；　no　slumber　to　his　eyelids；　until　he　had　gained　his　ends；　the　untiring；　imperturbable；　tenacious；　irrepressible；　all…subduing　agitator　who　neither　rested　nor　let　others　rest　until　the　success　of　the　project　was　assured。　　If；　against　his　injunctions；　I　name　Dr。　James　Read　Chadwick；　it　is　only　my　revenge　for　his　having　kept　me　awake　so　often　and　so　long　while　he　was　urging　on　the　undertaking　in　which　he　has　been　preeminently　active　and　triumphantly　successful。
  We　must　not　forget　the　various　medical　libraries　which　preceded　this：　that　of　an　earlier　period；　when　Boston　contained　about　seventy　regular　practitioners；　the　collection　afterwards　transferred　to　the　Boston　Athenaeum；　the　two　collections　belonging　to　the　University；　the　Treadwell　Library　at　the　Massachusetts　General　Hospital；　the　collections　of　the　two　societies；　that　for　Medical　Improvement　and　that　for　Medical　Observation；　and　more　especially　the　ten　thousand　volumes　relating　to　medicine　belonging　to　our　noble　public　city　library；too　many　blossoms　on　the　tree　of　knowledge；　perhaps；　for　the　best　fruit　to　ripen。　　But　the　Massachusetts　Medical　Society　now　numbers　nearly　four　hundred　members　in　the　city　of　Boston。　　The　time　had　arrived　for　a　new　and　larger　movement。　　There　was　needed　a　place　to　which　every　respectable　member　of　the　medical　profession　could　obtain　easy　access；　where；　under　one　roof；　all　might　find　the　special　information　they　were　seeking；　where　the　latest　medical　intelligence　should　be　spread　out　daily　as　the　shipping　news　is　posted　on　the　bulletins　of　the　exchange；　where　men　engaged　in　a　common　pursuit　could　meet；　surrounded　by　the　mute　oracles　of　science　and　art；　where　the　whole　atmosphere　should　be　as　full　of　professional　knowledge　as　the　apothecary's　shop　is　of　the　odor　of　his　medicaments。　　This　was　what　the　old　men　longed　for；the　prophets　and　kings　of　the　profession；　who
  〃Desired　it　long；　　　　　　But　died　without　the　sight。〃
  This　is　what　the　young　men　and　those　who　worked　under　their　guidance　undertook　to　give　us。　　And　now　such　a　library；　such　a　reading…room；　such　an　exchange；　such　an　intellectual　and　social　meeting　place；　we　be　hold　a　fact；　plain　before　us。　　The　medical　profession　of　our　city；　and；　let　us　add；　of　all　those　neighboring　places　which　it　can　reach　with　its　iron　arms；　is　united　as　never　before　by　the　commune　vinculum；　the　common　bond　of　a　large；　enduring；　ennobling；　unselfish　interest。　　It　breathes　a　new　air　of　awakened　intelligence。　　It　marches　abreast　of　the　other　learned　professions；　which　have　long　had　their　extensive　and　valuable　centralized　libraries；　abreast　of　them；　but　not　promising　to　be　content　with　that　position。　　What　glorifies　a　town　like　a　cathedral？　　What　dignifies　a　province　like　a　university？　What　illuminates　a　country　like　its　scholarship；　and　what　is　the　nest　that　hatches　scholars　but　a　library？
  The　physician；　some　may　say；　is　a　practical　man　and　has　little　use　for　all　this　book…learning。　　Every　student　has　heard　Sydenham's　reply　to　Sir　Richard　Blackmore's　question　as　to　what　books　he　should　read；　meaning　medical　books。　　〃Read　Don　Quixote；〃　was　his　famous　answer。　But　Sydenham　himself　made　medical　books　and　may　be　presumed　to　have　thought　those　at　least　worth　reading。　　Descartes　was　asked　where　was　his　library；　and　in　reply　held　up　the　dissected　body　of　an　animal。　But　Descartes　made　books；　great　books；　and　a　great　many　of　them。　　A　physician　of　common　sense　without　erudition　is　better　than　a　learned　one　without　common　sense；　but　the　thorough　master　of　his　profession　must　have　learning　added　to　his　natural　gifts。
  It　is　not　necessary　to　maintain　the　direct　practical　utility　of　a