MEDICAL PROFESSION IN MODERN THOUGHT. 177 



MEDICAL. 



MEDICAL PROFESSION IN MODERN THOUGHT. 



You will not be long in practice before you will have many occasions to- 

 take notice how little people ever think of the power which they have over 

 their own destiny and over the destiny of those who spring from them— 

 how amazingly reckless thej^ show themselves in that respect. They have 

 continually before their eyes the fact that by care and attention the most 

 important modifications may be produced in the constitution and character 

 of the animals over which they have dominion — that by selective breeding 

 an animal may almost be transformed in the course of generations ; they 

 perceive the striking contrast between the low savage with whom they 

 shrink almost from confessing kinship and the best specimens of civilized 

 culture, and know wsU that such as he is now, such were their ancestors at 

 one time; they may easily, if they will, discover examples which show that 

 by ill living peoples may degenerate until they revert to a degraded state 

 of barbarism, disclosing their 'former greatness only in the magnitude of 

 their moral ruins; and yet, ueeing these things, they never seriously take 

 account of them, and apply to themselves the lessons whieh lie on the sur- 

 face. They behave in relation to the occult laws which govern human 

 evolution very much as primeval savages behaved in relation to the laws of 

 physical nature of which they were entirely ignorant — are content with 

 superstitions where they should strive to get understanding, and put up 

 prayers where they should exert intelligent will. They act altogether as if 

 the responsibility for human progress upon earth belonged entirely to 

 higher powers, and not at all to themselves. How much keener sense of re- 

 sponsibility and stronger sentiment of duty they would have if they only 

 conceived vividly the eternity of action, good or ill ; if they realized that 

 under the reign of law on earth sin and error are inexorably avenged, as 

 virtue is vindicated, in its consequences ; if they could be brought to feel 

 heartily that they are actually determining by their conduct in their gener- 

 ation what shall be predetermined in the constitution of the generation af- 

 ter them ! For assuredly the circumstances of one generation make much 

 of the fate of the next. 



In the department of medical practice in which my work mainly lies I 

 have this amazing recklessness strongly impressed upon me ; for it occurs 

 to me, from time to time, to be consulted about the propriety of marriage by 

 persons who have themselves suffered from insanity, or whose families are 

 strongly tainted with insanity. You will not be surprised to hear, I daresay, 

 that I don't think any one who consults me under such circumstances ever 

 takes my advice except when it happens to accord with his inclination. The 

 anxious inquirer comes to get, if he can, the opinion which he wishes for, 



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