INTRODUCTORY LECTURE. 
G01 
desirous to assist the inquiring and anxious mind? It is 
true he has gone further into the recesses of the mine than 
you have, so as to disclose its riches, but this is for your gain. 
Were it not so, you would have no confidence in him, nor 
go to him for information and advice. Go, then, and be 
assured it will afford him pleasure to be your counsellor and 
guide ; and gratifying to him to be instrumental in helping 
you to remove that which might have appeared almost an 
impossibility, and pressed upon you like an incubus. 
This brings me to speak of the choice of your associates. 
But before I do so, allow me to state I could have wished to 
have been able to add a sixth aid, namely, laboratory practice 
or manipulations. When I know that in almost all medical 
schools, and even in agricultural colleges, students are 
practically taught in the laboratory, I do think that this 
ought not to be neglected here. The time, however, cannot 
be far distant, when this will be added to your curriculum. 
All these additions, it is true, will lead to an extension of the 
period of your study, but in the end the advantage will be 
yours ; while through you the profession, as a body, and the 
public will be benefitted. 
In reference to your associates I would say, — Let your 
more intimate companions be those who are wiser than yourself, and 
whose conduct has been and is consistent ; for as ce Evil commu- 
nications corrupt good manners,” so association with wise 
men leads to the possession of wisdom. “ Show me the 
company a man keeps, and I will tell you the character of 
the man,” is a saying no less trite than true. The ancient 
Jews had a proverb, that those who had lain among onions 
would smell of them. Equally as apposite, but far more 
beautiful, is the apologue of the Persian moralist Saadi. It 
runs thus: <C A friend put into my hand a piece of scented 
clay. I took it, and said to it, e Art thou musk or ambergris, 
for I am charmed with thy perfume?’ It answered : 6 1 was 
a despicable piece of clay, but I have kept for some time the 
company of the rose, and the sweet quality of my companion 
has been communicated to me, or I should still have been 
what I appear to be — only a bit of clay.’” 
Thus, gentlemen, have I offered you an outline of your 
studies, with the aids you will receive while prosecuting 
them ; and I have interwoven some few words of advice, so 
that you may avoid the impending rocks, and not make 
shipwreck of your expectations. Those among you who 
have made some progress in them, will pardon this mere 
elementary matter. You need not that I should stimulate 
you to exertion, for you know full well the solid satisfaction 
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