Success and Faddery

IT is an interesting occupation to view an audience of doctors, either from the platform or a balcony. They vary in their physique, their physiognomy, and their apparel. Some look like healthy gardeners, a few like successful tradesmen, some like professional gentlemen, and a small minority even resemble prosperous bookmakers. Sometimes in contemplating a medlical audience, I try to appreciate why one doctor is rated a success and another as being only of indifferent professional ability-the successful one may have been a moderate student, passing his exams indeed with some hesitations, reaching and conquering the final with an effort; whereas he who is regardedl as only a mediocre doctor by most, and a good doctor by but a few, had a "brilliant medical career." I do not know the answer, nor have I met an honest observer who can say in a few words why one has been favoured by success, whereas it seems to evade others. Andl, indeed, if an answer were forthcoming, it would be necessary to define success. Is success the accumulation of monetary wealth? Or should it be gauged by the magnificence of the doctor's residence and furniture and the possession of an expensive car; or by the extravagence of his hospitality? Or should it be measured by popular esteem? No, not by any or all of these, but by the personal satisfaction which one's conscience grants of work wvell done. The French have a saying-somewhat worldly, I admit-that the three essentials of success are: " a little knowledge, much tact, and a fair amount of advertisement." But we remember that Dr. Johnson's opinion that the ultimate object of all ambition was "happiness at home." Osler says:-"While living laborious days, happy in his work, happy in the growing recognition which he is receiving from his colleagues, no shadow of doubt haunts the mLnd of the young physician, other than the fear of failure; but I warn him to cherish the days of his freedom, the days when he can follow his bent,. untrammelled, undisturbed and not as yet in the coils of the octopuis. In a play by Oscar Wilde, one of his characters remarks, 'there are only two great tragedies in life, not getting what you want and getting it !' and I have known physicians whose treadmill life illustrated the bitterness of this and whose great success at sixty did not bring the comfort …