THE LA.TE SIR ANDREW CLARK.
, To THE EDITOR OF THE "Brxotkroa."] follawing brief communication, from a person who had some friendly and professional acquaintance with the great physician who has recently left us, will be read with deep interest. The patient referred to in the letter subjoined was examined by Sir Andrew Clark gratuitously, at the request of an honorary secretary of the Charity Organisation Society. In the midst of absorbing occupation, he found time to describe the results of his examination and to generalise therefrom "DEAR —,--There are two things about all patients which help us to discover their maladies,—what is found by the physi- cian and what is felt by the patient. What is felt helps us very little ; what is found, for the most part settles our judgment. What is felt by Mr. — amounts to a great deal. Various dis- turbances of digestion, weakness, inaptitude for work, recurring faintnesses, malaise, and the feeling of getting worse and worse. What I found amounts to very little Every organ that I can reach is free from obvious structural disease ; and as the patient has suffered for years in this way and nothing has come of it, it is reasonable to say that there is no structural disease. Mr. —, therefore, is ailing, and perhaps suffering, but -not in the ordinary sense ill ; furthermore, I think that he is intro- spective, morbidly nervous, and occupied with himself. He cannot at present be made well ; but he may reach his best by a simple, regular diet, by self-effacement (dying to live), by light, regular daily occupation, by the resolution to give a deaf ear to his trying sensations, and by a determined fighting and struggling to lose
himself in outward things To do nothing would be to go backwards and downwards. True, he may suffer if he works ; nevertheless, it is best to work. Hundreds suffer to work. I have always suffered to work ; but work keeps me where I am ; I have to wrestle with it, but thus my antagonist becomes my best helper. —Yours sincerely, ANDREW CLARK, "
Comment on the above few , sentences would seem oat of place. Readers capable of profiting by them will, I believe, agree that words more characteristic or more valuable were never written. Truly, he being dead, yet speaketh.—I am,
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