12 INTEODUCTION. 



and prepared to acquit himself of his just responsibilities ; and, 

 indeed, it is in this assumption by him, with the conceded assent 

 of the owner, that the virtue of the contract lies, which binds the 

 two parties with equal force, moral and legal. 



This point, being understood and settled, should be looked 

 upon as furnishing the best preparation which the owner can ac- 

 quire, and he wiU need no other when he is thus made to under- 

 stand that he must have full confidence in the skill which he has 

 called into requisition, and must be guided by its impUed guar- 

 antee that every possible precaution will be taken to carry the 

 patient through his trouble; and that if accidents of any nature 

 should occur, when not incurred through carelessness or error, 

 the risk is the owner's, and he alone must assume it. Such an 

 understanding on the part of the owner will impose upon the 

 honorable surgeon an imperative sense of the conscientious care 

 with which his task should be performed, while at the same time 

 it will relieve his mind from the pressure of a possibly embarrass- 

 ing anxiety while engaged in his work, and it cannot fail to be of 

 advantage in various ways to all the parties concerned. 



Minor matters, such as the condition of the weather, the 

 time of day, the selection of a place, the position which the oper- 

 ator must assume for himself, with that which he assigns to the 

 patient — these are poiats which are also to be carefully taken into 

 consideration. They have, one and aU, more or less influence on 

 the facilities of execution of an operation, and perhaps also on the 

 results that may follow it. 



