TRUTH, PATHOLOGY, AND PUBLIC. 153 



our social relations we influence others and are in- 

 fluenced. We must also take into consideration 

 that when we analyse the characters of individual 

 men, we find that no man is wise in everything, and 

 that most are wise in reference to things within a 

 very limited compass. Yet, as it is the property of 

 truth to keep ever sapping the domain of error, 

 there is an always increasing number of truths and 

 half-truths which gain the assent of the majority of 

 men. From such considerations as these, it arises 

 that public opinion is 'often the foolish offspring of 

 passion and prejudice, especially with regard to 

 mere passing events ; and yet, with regard to per- 

 manent matters, it keeps slowly and lumberingly, 

 but very surely, moving on at a respectful distance 

 behind the heels of wisdom. We are bound, there- 

 fore, in those professional matters with regard to 

 which it would be better for the public to be 

 liberated from prejudice, and be more fully in- 

 formed, we are bound to keep hopefully pointing 

 out the things which our training brings specially 

 under our notice, and so endeavour by the one thing 

 in which we are wise to make up for the many in 

 which we are foolish. 



As to the propriety of the public affording facili- 

 ties to medical men to do their duty in the matter 

 of making certain the cause of death in every case, 



