MEDICAL PROFESSION IN MODERN THOUGHT. 343 



which has been going on through past ages irregularly and blindly. 

 The time, in fact, has come when mankind should awake to the mo- 

 mentous reflection how great is the power which it may exert over its 

 own destiny, and to the resolution methodically to use it. In ful- 

 filling this paramount duty, upon whom will the function of inquiry 

 and instruction immediately rest, but upon those who make the laws 

 of vital development and function their study, and the application of 

 the knowledge to further the well-being and development of the or- 

 ganism their work? Clearly, the medical investigator need not lapse 

 into despair because he has no new conquests to make. 



You will not be long in practice before you will have many occa- 

 sions to take notice how little people ever think of the power which 

 they have over their own destiny and over the destiny of those who 

 spring from them how amazingly reckless they show themselves in 

 that respect. They have continually before their eyes the fact that 

 by care and attention the most important modifications may be pro- 

 duced in the constitution and character of the animals over which 

 they have dominion that by selective breeding an animal may almost 

 be transformed in the course of generations; they perceive the strik- 

 ing contrast between the low savage with whom they shrink almost 

 from confessing kinship and the best specimens of civilized culture, 

 and know well that such as he is now such were their ancestors at one 

 time; they may easily, if they will, discover examples which show 

 that by ill living peoples may degenerate until they revert to a de- 

 graded state of barbarism, disclosing their former greatness only in 

 the magnitude of their moral ruins ; and yet, seeing these things, 

 they never seriously take account of them, and apply to themselves 

 the lessons which lie on the surface. They behave in relation to the 

 occult laws which govern human evolution very much as primeval 

 savages behaved in relation to the laws of physical Nature of which 

 they were entirely ignorant are content with superstitions where 

 they should strive to get understanding, and put up prayers where 

 they should exert intelligent will. They act altogether as if the 

 responsibility for human progress upon earth belonged entirely to 

 higher powers, and not at all to themselves. How much keener sense 

 of responsibility and stronger sentiment of duty they would have if 

 they only conceived vividly the eternity of action, good or ill ; if they 

 realized that under the reign of law on earth sin and error are inexo- 

 rably avenged, as virtue is vindicated, in its consequences; if they 

 could be brought to feel heartily that they are actually determining 

 by their conduct in their generation what shall be predetermined in 

 the constitution of the generation after them ! For assuredly the cir- 

 cumstances of one generation make much of the fate of the next. 



In the department of medical practice in which my work mainly 

 lies I have this amazing recklessness strongly impressed upon me ; for 

 it occurs to me, from time to time, to be consulted about the propri- 



