XXX11 



which were presented to him, of which characteristic a strong instance 

 is supplied by his bringing at once into practical application in this 

 country the powerful aid to diagnosis in diseases of the chest afforded 

 by the stethoscope, whose value he had full opportunity of appreciat- 

 ing during his student career at Paris, as a pupil of Laennec. The 

 frankness of his character is well shown in his treatment of different 

 misunderstandings with professional brethren and others in the pages 

 of his autobiography. He lays as much stress on what makes against 

 himself as on the favourable points, so that where the impartial reader 

 may hold that he was in the wrong he almost disarms hostile criticism 

 at the moment when he arouses it. This frankness may very likely 

 have been the outcome of deep religious conscientiousness, for the 

 whole book, and especially the final chapter, gives evidence of his 

 character in this respect. He knew how to do justice to others as 

 well as to himself. 



The reforming instinct of Dr. Williams found material to work 

 upon in the constitution and bye-laws of the Royal Society and the 

 Royal College of Physicians. With respect to the Royal Society, he 

 endeavoured to introduce extensive changes by removing the limit 

 put on the number of Fellows elected annually, and laid much stress 

 on his conviction that, whereas the Royal Society was founded for the 

 promotion of natural science, it had become a kind of club for the 

 segregation of the creme de la creme among scientific men from the 

 general mass. But, though a special committee was appointed to con- 

 sider his proposals for reform, they reported in favour of the status 

 quo. 



The changes which he proposed in the case of the College of Physi- 

 cians were of a very sweeping character, as he was eager that all 

 physicians of good repute should be able, without difficulty or delay, 

 to obtain the Fellowship as the full completion of the membership. 

 He wanted the College to take a more commanding position — to 

 become a national institution, fairly entitled to stand at the head of 

 the Medical Corporations of the country and to acquire the authority 

 and influence in the State that should properly belong to it ; and he 

 considered that, in order to attain this position, it was necessary for 

 the College to include within its roll of membership many who did not 

 belong to it, though fully qualified, because the privileges of mere 

 membership were small, especially in the case of provincial physicians. 

 But in this case, also, Dr. Williams found no adequate support for his 

 views among the governing body of the institution. 



His references to his family exhibit throughout many signs of n 

 very affectionate nature, and one is glad to think that during his later 

 years of ease and retirement such a man had fuller opportunities for 

 enjoying domestic family life than among the bustle and engagements 

 of a successful physician's mid-career. 



