190 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



in speaking he attracted the attention of his hearers no less by the 

 matter of his remarks than by his personal appearance. 



" During his asylum career, Dr. Bucke evinced wonderful ability in 

 the management of the insane, his constant endeavour being to care for 

 the interests confided by the Province to his charge intelligently, faith- 

 fully and economioally. As an administrator he had few superiors, and 

 those who knew him will ever bear witness to his singularly clear 

 Judgment in all relating to hospital affairs. He had long been regarded 

 as one of the leading authorities on the subject of mental disease, and 

 his services as an expert were sought in most important cases where 

 sanity was in question. In these his wide knowledge of medicine and 

 of human nature always showed to advantage, his opinions always com- 

 manding the attention and respect alike of judge and jury." .... 

 " Sadly shall we miss the sight of his picturesque, WTiitmanic garb, 

 and face full of strong character, the sound of his bluff, cheery voice, 

 and the hearty grasp of his hand — and not one of us but will fervently 

 echo the wish — '0, for the touch of a vanished hand, and the sound 

 of a voice that is still.' " 



"By his demise Canada has lost one of her foremost minds, this 

 Association one of its most valued members, and, saddest of all, his 

 family a devoted husband and father. Peace to his ashes." " He rests 

 from his labours, and his works do follow him." 



In a paper published in the American Journal of Insanity, Dr. 

 Burgess adds : " It is impossible to judge him by ordinary' standards, 

 so great a part did individuality play in his make-up .... 

 Whatever this remarkable man did, he did with his whole soul, and no 

 one ever dreamed of attacking his sincerity of purpose, no matter how 

 violently they differed from his conclusions .... In daily life 

 he was simple, direct and honest, and loved nature as such a man is 

 likely to do. The happiest days of each year were those spent at his 

 summer retreat at Gloucester Pool in Muskoka." 



33. 



Traubel mentions a conversation with Whitman, in which the latter 

 described Bucke's optimism in the following words: 



" Bucke has an immense faith in the people at large — immense — 

 in civilization, in modern mechanical devices — miracles of power." 

 " Do you say," asked Traubel, " that Bucke ° has more faith in the 

 people than you have?" "I think he has," was the reply, "Bucke 

 is an optimist — thoroughly so, without qualification or compromise — 

 so are you — but I could hardly call myself that in the strictest sense 

 of the word." 



