THE PHYSICIAN OF THE FUTURE. 641 



prayers where they should exert intelligent will." This may be true, 

 but it is certainly less true than formerly, and the physician of the 

 future is to see to it that it becomes wholly untrue. If man can ever 

 reach a time when epidemic diseases shall be of rare occurrence, when 

 all zymotic diseases shall be confined within narrow bounds, and be 

 speedily eradicated within these, he must remember with profound 

 gratitude those to whom he owes his happy estate. Is there any other 

 way in which the physician can so alleviate suffering and so help man- 

 kind as by striving to bring to pass such a blessed state of things ? 

 Is this too much to hope for ? Possibly, but we may approach it 

 much more nearly than we have as yet. Even in its beginning pre- 

 ventive medical science is far from a failure. Epidemic diseases that 

 once raged as the pestilence are now largely prevented ; others, once 

 objects of unspeakable terror, are robbed of much of their virulence. 

 Life-insurance statistics show us that human life in England is more 

 than thirty per cent longer to day than it was one hundred and fifty 

 years ago, and the end is not yet reached. 



The relief of suffering, which is commonly thought to be the chief 

 mission of the physician, is indeed a great and noble work, but I believe 

 that he may do a higher and grander work. There are a pathology and 

 a morbid anatomy, not of the body only, but of the moral nature as 

 well. Many physical disorders are also moral and mental, and can only 

 be rightly treated as this is understood. If it be true that men are 

 not only more comfortable and happy when well than when ill, but 

 that they are better morally, a new and most important field of use- 

 fulness is opened before the physician. If a well man, other things 

 being equal, is a better man than a sick one, more certain to act wisely, 

 to judge candidly and fairly, and live rightly if a well man is of 

 more worth in every way than a sick one then all that has been said 

 of the need and the value of hygienic instruction has added force. I 

 do not for a moment forget the many heroic natures that have been 

 grand enough to rise above bodily pain and feebleness, and with 

 pathetic earnestness have sought to do some good work for the world, 

 and have sent forth from their chambers of suffering golden words, 

 melodious, heart-stirring verses, helpful soul-inspiring thoughts. And 

 yet we need to recognize the fact that good is more certain to come 

 from health than from disease. Pain may have its mission, physical 

 and moral, and may bring out the richness and sweetness of a char- 

 acter as nothing else can, but in and for itself it is not desirable, and it 

 can not be doubted that a community that is sound physically will be 

 more sound morally than it could be if harassed by pain and weak- 

 ness. I believe that there is such a thing as sin in the world, and I would 

 not call it a disease for which man is not responsible; but none the less 

 do I believe that physical disorder, that sickness and pain, morbid con- 

 ditions of the body* causing morbid conditions of the mind, may and 

 do lie at the foundation of very much that we call crime. A man 



TOL. XXI. 41 



