164 ANXrVEESAEY ADBRESS 



an entity — a thing added to the body, as a poison requiring an 

 antidote, or a demon to be exorcised ; but as a condition, a state 

 to be understood and to be treated according to the ordinary laws 

 of Mature. Diseases may be placed in two divisions — necessary 

 and unnecessary. The necessary diseases are those that we must 

 more or less submit to in carrying out the law of circular motion. 

 "We must get our teeth, and lose them, and undergo many changes 

 to reduce us to the grave. 



" Nascentes moriraiir finisque ab origine pendet." 



It is a common saying, " Once a man, twice a child," or, as our 



poet puts it : 



" Last scene of all, 

 That ends this strange, eventful history, 

 Is second childishness, and mere oblivion : 

 Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything." 



But the greater number of diseases are avoidable. The diseases of 

 the young are in great part preventible. Epidemics carry off a 

 large proportion of the healthy members of the community. The 

 numerous diseases that arise from the abuse of alcohol are unneces- 

 sary. Accidents and military casualties should be placed here ; 

 for although war seems now the normal state of man, yet a state 

 of society might be conceived by those gifted with imagination, in 

 which war, and the accidents attending the water, the rail, and 

 the mine, might be avoided. A number of diseases are produced 

 by our acting contrary to the laws of nature. Nature will have 

 her own way, and if we act contrary to her we must fall in the 

 contest. If we wish to succeed we must obey ; for we can only 

 conquer Nature by obeying her. 



I will not detain you longer on this subject. I will only glance 

 at a few instances which seem to illustrate the law of perpetual 

 circular motion. Dr. Elam says: "Evil is not eternal, nor disease; 

 it has its natural history, its rise, its decay, and its disappearance." 

 And again : "As in all national departures from original types, 

 due to special causes, there is a constant tendency to return to the 

 type when the disturbing influences are removed, lapse of time or 

 a succession of generations may purify the organisation, and then 

 the curse may be removed." Sir William Gull says : " Diseases 

 are but perverted life processes, and have for their natural history 

 not only a beginning, but a period of culmination and decline." In 

 common inflammatory afilictions this is now admitted to be an 

 almost universal law. Time, and rest, that innate vis medicatrix, 



" Which hath an operation more divine 

 Than breath or pen can give expression to," 



