406 
THE CONCLUSION OF 
“ Ag’ain, with respect to doses of medicine. There is no dose 
which is always proper. There are many medicines given in 
an inefficient manner as to quantity. Many give them inef¬ 
ficiently as to time, not continuing them long enough ; but others 
give them inefficiently as to quantity. We are told that such a 
thing has been tried, but it did no good ; but we are not told how 
long it was tried, or how great the quantity. There is no rule 
for a dose of medicine at all. It is right to commence w ith the 
smallest established doses in chronic cases, but if you find it 
does not produce the good you wish, and yet does not produce 
any ill effect—for both circumstances must be considered—then 
you must increase the quantity steadily, and watch it. As a 
simple rule, you may effect all the purposes you wish with one or 
two minims of prussic acid; in other cases six or eight are re¬ 
quired. Of the carbonate of iron, half a drachm three times 
a-day will often accomplish your purpose, but in other cases you 
must give half an ounce. This is the same principle on which 
you act in other cases. Suppose an individual constipated in the 
bowels, and you give him a strong dose of physic, and it will not 
answer; what do you dol You give him a stronger dose, and 
you go on till, in nine cases out of ten, you effect your purpose. 
But with respect to other medicines, they are often given in the 
most inefficient manner. 
“ Two things are required in a medical man—the one is know - 
ledge , the other is a sort of moral energy, A man may be most 
learned, be well read in his profession, be quite aware of every 
thing, and yet, when he comes to its real use, have no perse¬ 
verance, no energy, no courage to do what is necessary. On the 
other hand, if you have courage to do all that is required, if you 
have energy, yet, if you have not knowledge, then such a man 
is one of the most dangerous of characters. No person can too 
strongly condemn energy without knowledge. Two things are 
thus requisite to perfect the medical character; the one is a full 
knowdedge of his profession, which is to be acquired by reading, 
by lectures, but more especially by observation, witnessing what 
you have read and heard lectured about; but the other is that 
which can only be acquired by practice, and must, after all. 
