JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 21 
INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 
DELIVERED BY T. W. REYNOLDS, M. D., PRESIDENT, 
NOVEMBER 9TH, 1899. 
Ladies and Gentlemen : 
As President of the Hamilton Scientific Association it is my 
main duty now, strictly speaking, to call the members together with 
a view to considering how we can best carry on our work this winter, 
At the same time, though, it is my privilege to extend to our 
visitors a hearty welcome to our headquarters, not only on this 
occasion, but at all other meetings. There are, however, certain 
obligations incumbent upon me of which the first is to thank you 
most sincerely for the consideration you have shown me in extend- 
ing, as you have already done to my predecessors, a second term as 
your President. Another obligation is that of preparing and pre- 
senting an acceptable Inaugural Address. As last year I spoke of 
our Association’s history and its objects, and dwelt particularly upon 
the value of devoting our spare time to work such as that carried on 
by our Scientific Sections, I think it would be as well this year to 
take up another branch. 
I propose therefore, to devote my remarks to a consideration 
of some lines of thought in connection with our Literary work. 
This might be taken up in many ways, and as the professional 
work of a man is liable to influence his fads, I might naturally look 
at Literature from a medical standpoint, and dilate on its value as 
a food or a medicine. For although I must admit that I have not 
reached that point of culture attained by the man who said that when 
he was low-spirited he always found refreshment in Browning, still, 
I think that for different mental conditions there is much benefit to 
be derived from various books, even if we exclude religious ones. 
Birrell in one of his essays, says that ‘‘ Literature exists to please— 
to lighten the burden of men’s lives; to make them for a short while 
forget their sorrows and their sins, their silenced hearths, their dis- 
