30 



of this oration, Sir Edward Sieveking and Dr. 

 George Johnson, combatted the claim that has 

 been put forward on behalf of Cesalpino, and 

 maintained the position of Harvey. 



Science prepares the ground for the exercise of 

 art. The one — science — is concerned with know- 

 ledge as knowledge ; the other, with the application 

 of it to a practical end. Our art — our raison d'itre 

 as members of the medical profession — is to apply 

 the knowledge of medical science to the prevention 

 of, cure or mitigation of, and alleviation of the 

 suflferings from, disease — to secure, in fact, for man 

 as natural a passage through life as happens to 

 be attainable. We cannot prevent death. Lord 

 Bacon, in his essay " De Morte," said — 



"^que enim est naturale hominibus mori, ac nascL" 



True — it is as natural to die as to be born ; and, 

 nature's laws must be complied with. Our aim is 

 to avert premature death. A certain power, given 

 to us at starting upon our existence, carries us on, 

 under exposure to the proper conditions or in- 

 fluences for keeping this power going. But, in the 



