Editorial Coininent. 3<>3 
A Mortuary Bittkr-Swket. 
It is gathered from a recent obituary memoir that its siilijeet 
in his youth was a good boy at school : neat and tidy ; that lie 
had a handsome forehead, lips well proportioned, and was crowned 
with fine hair ; that he liad a natural and very modest demeanor ; 
that he was born to l:)e a naturalist ; that loyalty to truth and in- 
genuousness were shining features of his nature (sic) : that he had 
the rare experience of living nearly sixty-eight years Avithout 
making an enemy ; that he proved himself an eligdile candidate 
for a professorial chair; that he was elected "without compe- 
tition '■ to the chair of president of an institution of Natural 
Sciences, which his biographer had held for a number of years 
before ; and that at a meeting held after his death "ample testi- 
mon}' was adduced that he had attained distinction." This is the 
bright side of the picture, and all of it, except that which the 
writer puts in quotation marks as cited from other sources. But 
oh ! how different it is with the other side ! We learn that in 
youth he was distinguished for disobedience of his parents and 
plaj'ing truant ; his early medical career was soon closed on ac- 
count of neglect of duty and medical incompetency. It is fur- 
ther distinctly inferred, although not absolutely stated, that the 
pristine glory of the professorship of anatomy in the institution in 
which he filled that otflce was dimmed by his appointment. Even his 
father thought a good sign painter was spoiled to make a poor 
doctor. He was honored by being appointed a delegate of his uni- 
versity at two national meetings, without accomplishing anything 
for the credit of the institution. He delivered lectures to students 
on scientific subjects, seldom giving them the means of making 
useful application of his teachings in surgery and medicine; and 
he lectured and wrought for his university as a means of self 
maintenance, and because it was the principal source of his liveli- 
hood. He was a member of an important committee and a trus- 
tee of an important fund without attending to his duties. 
A lady of social influence made him a lion and he had the temer- 
ity to resemble some of the paintings of his l)iograplier's Saviour. 
At the age of sixty-five work andconvivialit}' had abated his phys- 
ical and mental powers, and he even wrote aline from which tiie 
interpretation could be extorted that he Ix'lievedin the possession 
of an unknown power by a suspected charlatan. His works are 
})rincipally anatomical and of little interest to others than votaries 
