THE CULTIVATION OF MEDICAL SCIENCE. 775 



Congress. Surely, whatever a multitude and diversity of minds can 

 in a few days do for the promotion of knowledge, may be done here. 



But it is not proposed to leave the work of the Congress to what 

 would seem like chances and disorder, good as the result might be ; 

 nor yet to the personal influences by which we may all be made fitter 

 for work, though these may be very potent. In the stir and contro- 

 versy of meetings such as we shall have, there can not fail to be useful 

 emulation ; by the examples that will appear of success in research, 

 many will be moved to more enthusiasm, many to more keen study of 

 the truth ; our range of work will be made wider, and we shall gain 

 that greater interest in each other's views and that clearer apprehen- 

 sion of them which are always attained by personal acquaintance and 

 by memories of association in pleasure as well as in work. But as it 

 w411 not be left to chance, so neither will sentiment have to fulfill the 

 chief duties of the Congress. 



Following the good example of our predecessors, certain subjects 

 have been selected which will be chiefly though not exclusively dis- 

 cussed, and the discussions are to be in the sections into which we shall 

 soon divide. 



Of these subjects it would not be for me to speak even if I were 

 competent to do so ; unless I may say that they are so numerous and 

 complete that together with the opening addresses of the presidents 

 of sections they leave me nothing but such generalities as may seem 

 commonplace. They have been selected, after the custom of former 

 meetings, from the most stirring and practical questions of the day ; 

 they are those which must occupy men's minds, and on which there is 

 at this time most reason to expect progress, or even a just decision, 

 from very wide discussion. They will be discussed by those most 

 learned in them, and in many instances by those who have spent 

 months or years in studying them, and who now offer their work for 

 criticism and judgment. 



I will only observe that the subjects selected in every section in- 

 volve questions in the solution of which all the varieties of mind and 

 knowledge of which I have spoken may find their use. For there are 

 questions, not only on many subjects, but in all stages of progress 

 toward settlement. In some the chief need seems to be the collection 

 of facts well observed by many persons. I say by many, not only 

 because many facts are wanted, but because in all diflScult research it 

 is well that each apparent fact should be observed by many ; for things 

 are not what they appear to each one mind. In that which each man 

 believes that he observes, there is something of himself ; and for cer- 

 tainty, even on matters of fact, we often need the agreement of many 

 minds, that the personal element of each may be counteracted. And 

 much more is this necessary in the consideration of the many questions 

 which are to be decided by discussing the several values of admitted 

 facts and of probabilities, and of the conclusions drawn from them. 



