by the gentler sex. He is totally unknown out of his own especial sphere.

The next is the LITERARY DOCTOR, who attends medical and scientific meetings-accompanies deputations to government-edits periodicals— makes speeches-dabbles in medical politicswrites for the medical press—and occasionally sends articles to the daily papers, the monthly journals, or the quarterly reviews. He is rarely a practical man, and seldom has much practice: he is the mouthpiece of the profession, and defends it with his pen. He often affects eccentricity of dress -occasionally patronises moustache and beard

sometimes luxuriates in long and uncombed hair-is generally negligent of appearances.

The next class which I shall mention is the PHILOSOPHICAL DOCTOR, who, although educated expressly for the practice of medicine, does not always pursue it. He sometimes takes chemistry under his especial charge- sometimes natural philosophy, or other branches of science. He acquires eminence, and sometimes European fame.

He contributes greatly to the advancement of medicine, by giving his individual attention to those collateral subjects which the man engaged in practice cannot give. Science is much indebted to those men who have made invaluable discoveries the last few years.

F

I shall now briefly notice the common DOCTOR, properly so called, who signs M.D., and in doing so it will be merely to show how completely the public deceive themselves with those talismanic initial letters, M.D. They really represent, even at their highest value, only so much theoretical knowledge, at their lowest value they are something less than worthless-for they may be purchased without even examination. They are usually the great ambition of young men, who acquire them before commencing practicethey therefore do not represent practical knowledge, but simply a few months' study of books and plates, and the outlay of a few pounds. The only degree recognised by the profession, as implying the possession of superior attainments, is the M.D. degree of the London University, which is a credit to this or any other country. The College of Physicians is a respectable degree, and the Edinburgh and Dublin Colleges also rank well.

How foolishly do the public dupe themselves by paying tribute to such worthless signs!—they will run away from an intelligent, experienced man, to put themselves under an M.D., who perhaps never underwent any examination at all.

The College of Surgeons and Apothecaries'

Hall diplomas are unquestionably the best guarantee for ability, when combined, but if the M.D. of the London University be superadded, no better qualification can be had in the world. Never place any faith in the mere letters M.D., unless appended to some better title.

As a proof of what I say, let me instance the following case, which was told to me some years ago. A Wesleyan teacher, anxious to become a local preacher, submitted himself to the necessary examination, but was rejected as radically ignorant. In two years after, this disciple of John Wesley, by some means or other, obtained the title of M.D., and practised in the very same village in which, he was rejected as uneducated and incompetent for the cure of souls. It is notorious that the inferiorities of a family are selected for the church-but here is an instance of the rejected of the church being the accepted of a medical college. (?) Here is a man who, with two years' smattering of knowledge, establishes himself as a doctor, and even takes precedence in public estimation of experienced and qualified men. What shall we have

next?

With men so variously educated and reared— differing in their mental qualities as much as in their physical constitution—practising a science

reduced to no fixed rules, and governed by no fixed laws-how can we wonder at differences of opinion existing among them? With things ever varying as seen through different media, how can we affirm that one is right and another wrong? Hence the old adage

"Who shall decide when doctors disagree?"

Nothing admits of such varieties of opinion as a scientific subject-look at Palmer's trial, to wit. Here the lights of science clashed in the most remarkable manner. Men, whose unsupported testimony, a few short weeks before, would have consigned the prisoner to the fatal drop, themselves stood charged with error or with wilful blundering,—and that, too, by scientific men. But with men brought up from the inferior grades of society-moving in different spheres-educated differently, taught to look upon things differently, and upon each other indifferently-we must expect discordant views and opinions, and the public should take these circumstances into consideration before condemning.

While speaking of the classes of doctors, I will take the opportunity to notice a very remarkable physiological feature in medical men, viz. the selection of their wives. The wife of a

medical man is as distinct a species of her sex as the doctor is of his own. She is generally not remarkable for her beauty, and makes no attempt to set herself off to the best; she dresses plainly ―limply—and rather dowdily, as if she had lost the last spark of pride on entering upon her share of professional troubles. She has, poor thing! a careworn, disappointed countenance, as if she had shared all her husband's trials, privations, and sorrows. She is very little known, and appears cold, distant, and reserved; she approaches a stranger with an air of doubt, timidity, and hope-as if he might be either a new patient-or the tax-gatherer—or the friend of a patient, come to announce the fact that one of her husband's best clients had called in another doctor or that Mrs. Smith could wait no longer, and had sent for some one else. In this stifling atmosphere of hope, fear, sorrow, and disappointment, do these amiable and devoted creatures spend a great portion of their lives.

They are often educated ladies-accustomed to the best society, and the enjoyment of every luxury. Doomed to early cares and trials, they soon become the depositaries of their husband's secrets, the participators in all his sorrows, and the media through which all bye-blows are dealt at him. By reason of their position, they neces