Am.  Jour.  Pharra.l 
November,  1903.  / 
Editorials. 
527 
own  country  we  have  witnessed  a  more  striking  illustration  of  this 
tendency  in  the  treatment  of  Admiral  Dewey  by  his  countrymen. 
While  perhaps  it  is  not  best  to  go  to  extremes  in  either  our  praise 
or  blame  of  our  fellow  men,  I  think  it  can  safely  be  said  of  Charles 
Rice  that  he  was  not  only  a  unique  figure  in  our  profession,  but  a 
remarkable  character  among  men.  If  we  try  to  estimate  his  quali- 
ties by  considering  his  published  papers,  his  inventions  or  his  dis- 
courses, we  cannot  but  find  many  who  are  his  equal  and  even  his 
superior.  It  is  Rice  the  man  who  attracts  us,  and  not  the  tangible 
works  which  he  has  left  us.  In  other  words,  he  was  greater  than 
his  works. 
He  was  the  master  of  a  large  number  of  languages  ;  he  was 
familiar  with  the  methods  and  technic  of  a  very  large  number  of 
the  sciences  and  arts ;  he  had  a  presence  and  a  voice  as  sympathetic 
and  magnetic  as  that  of  any  speaker  I  ever  heard,  and  yet  all  these 
accomplishments  were  freely  given  that  the  work  of  others  might 
be  perfected.  He  went  as  diligently  over  a  young  author's  book  or 
paper  as  he  would  that  of  his  own.  He  spared  neither  time  nor 
money  in  the  prosecution  of  researches  which  were  to  benefit  those 
who  applied  to  him  for  his  counsel ;  and  it  seemed  to  be  his  special 
mission  to  harmonize  the  differences  between  the  various  factions 
of  men  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
The  character  of  Rice  sheds  a  new  light  on  the  meaning  of  life ; 
he  compels  us  to  pull  off  the  mask  of  achievement,  material  posses- 
sion and  so-called  success,  and  to  see  that  these,  as  they  affect  the 
life  of  the  individual,  are  but  impediments  to  his  true  progress  and 
development,  and  ultimately  a  hindrance  to  his  fulfilling  the  nobler 
purposes  of  life. 
Dr.  Rice's  well-balanced  life  and  the  harmonizing  influence  which 
he  exerted  on  the  lives  of  others  remind  us  of  the  words  of  the 
Chinese  sage  Tsze-sze,  who  says :  "  Let  the  state  of  equilibrium  and 
harmony  exist  in  perfection  and  a  happy  order  will  prevail  through- 
out heaven  and  earth,  and  all  things  will  be  nourished  and  flourish." 
And,  furthermore,  from  the  philosophy  of  Tsze-sze  it  would  appear 
that  he  had  attained  those  qualities  which  made  him  an  exemplar 
among  men,  that  is,  one  "  who  shows  himself  quick  in  apprehension, 
clear  in  discernment,  of  far-reaching  intelligence  and  all-embracing 
knowledge,  fitted  to  exercise  rule ;  magnanimous,  generous,  benign, 
and  mild,  fitted  to  exercise  forbearance ;  impulsive,  energetic,  firm, 
