REVIEWS. 
303 
THOUGHTS OF A PHYSICIAN.* 
A PHYSICIAN Las in this little volume expanded^ or rather added to, 
the essays which he some time ago published under the title of Even- 
ing Thoughts.” How are we to describe the character of his reflections 
As deeply philosophical ? No, they are not that ^ they are the expression 
of thought, associated with a tolerable experience of men and things,” a 
patient disposition, a kindly tendency to look on the bright side of human 
nature, and a Christian 'feeling towards his fellows. A Physician ” is 
never deep in his descent into the analysis either of mind or of social laws, 
and yet he is impressive. He savours of wisdom, and indeed he is wise, but 
it is that wisdom which we find in the old, who have felt the cares of life, 
and have gone through the weary journey of existence buoyed by a belief 
in a glorious hereafter. Many of his generalisations could be cut to pieces 
by a sceptic of even ordinary penetration, for they are logical only so far as 
they are based upon premisses whose claims are inadmissible. He is the 
Christian of precept, not the denunciating firebrand of the schools. He is 
the Christian gentleman of the old times, when, as Mr. Eeade somewhat 
satirically observes, even Christians loved one another.” Hence, through 
his gentle kindliness of tone, and his sound practical advice, we listen to 
him with respect, though we by no means assent to all his conclusions. 
However, we can commend his collection of essays to all our readers, as 
something out of the common herd of good books ” — that dreadful category 
of all that embraces intolerant doctrine, narrowness of thought, and bad 
English. ^^A Physician’s” thoughts on the ‘^Inheritance of Diseases,” 
“Some Delations of the Will to the Brain,” and on “Words without 
Thoughts,” have much in them of force, truth, and earnestness. 
MAN’S OEIGIN AND DESTINY.t 
T O talk of putting a girdle round the earth in forty minutes is as nothing 
compared with the task which the author of this work has set himself, 
and has assuredly not performed. Just think of the subject — “Man’s 
Origin,” to say nothing at all of the in mibihus proposition as to his Destiny 
as a race. There is something trans- Atlantic in the audacity of the effort 
to embrace within the scope of a small octavo volume a series of problems, 
which may perhaps be solved in some future century, but which we are 
certainly not prepared to enter upon in this year of grace. It indeed re- 
minds us^ of the Yankee’s geographical description of America — that it was 
“ bounded on the east by the rising sun, and on the west by the day of 
judgment.” Mr. Lesley’s subject is limited in a somewhat similar fashion, 
and yet he confidently sets about reducing the whole of it to a few simple 
sketches, extending over less than 400 pages. Of his aim we can form little 
I 
I 
* “ Thoughts of a Physician.” London : Van Voorst. 1868. 
t “ Man’s Origin and Destiny, sketched from the Platform of the 
Sciences.” By J. P. Lesley. London : Triibner. 1868. 
