Page:The Hunterian oration, for the year 1819.djvu/58

 blished rules of practice without cogent reasons for his conduct. This I mention from being aware, that if we presume on our knowledge of the nature and treatment of diseases, we may, like the ancient dogmatists, do mischief. Mr. Hunter’s constant saying was, “we are but beginning to learn our profession.” That he was conscious of the importance of his investigations, that he saw by anticipation the good effects that might result from them, cannot be doubted; yet I have heard him declare, and I know he was accustomed to say, that he was not conscious of possessing any peculiar talent, and that if he had promoted professional knowledge, it seemed to him chiefly to have arisen from his disposition to distrust opinions and to examine every subject for himself.

Mr. Hunter was, moreover, a man of very considerable humour. His views of subjects in general were quick and peculiar, and when so disposed he could place them in very ludicrous points of view. I have known him to exert his talents in this way in a very entertaining manner; but though I could produce abundant proofs of my present