VISIT TO VIENNA. 131 



this exception, the only discomfort to a for- 

 eigner here, if he is unaccustomed to it, is 

 that of being obliged to abstain from all crit- 

 icism of affairs in public places ; still more 

 must he avoid commenting upon persons. I 

 am especiaUy satisfied with my visit from a 

 scientific point of view. I have learned, and 

 am still learning, the care of the eyes and how 

 to operate upon them ; as to medicine, the phy- 

 sicians, however good, do not surpass those I 

 have already known ; and as I do not believe 

 it important that a young physician should 

 familiarize himself with a great variety of 

 curative methods, I try to observe carefully 

 the patient and his disease rather than to re- 

 member the medicaments applied in special 

 cases. Surgery and midwifery are poorly pro- 

 vided, but one has a chance to see many inter- 

 esting cases. 



During the last fortnight I have visited the 

 collection of natural history often, generally 

 in the afternoon. To tell you how I have 

 been expected there from the moment I was 

 known to be here, and how I was received on 

 my first visit, and have been feted since (as 

 Ichthyologus primus seculi, so they say), 

 would, perhaps, tire you and might seem ego- 

 tistical in me, neither of which do I desire. 



