70 CRITIQUES AND ADDRESSES. [in. 



be taxed to keep yon thoroughly up to what is wanted 

 for your medical career. 



I entertain a very strong conviction that any one 

 who adds to medical education one iota or tittle beyond 

 what is absolutely necessary, is guilty of a very grave 

 offence. Gentlemen, it will depend upon the knowledge 

 that you happen to possess, upon your means of 

 applying it within your own field of action, whether 

 the bills of mortality of your district are increased or 

 diminished ; and that, gentlemen, is a very serious con- 

 sideration indeed. And, under those circumstances, the 

 subjects with which you have to deal being so difficult, 

 their extent so enormous, and the time at your disposal 

 so limited, I could not feel my conscience easy if I did 

 not, on such an occasion as this, raise a protest against 

 employing your energies upon the acquisition of any 

 knowledge which may not be absolutely needed in your 

 future career. 



