icular instances, often gave me a grip of the evil, and enabled
me, by dealing with the generating cause, to strike at its immediate
manifestation. My axiom was that in the human subject mind is king; the
mind commands, the body obeys. From this follows the corollary that the
really great doctor, however trivial the complaint, should always begin
by trying to understand the mind of his patient, to follow the course of
its workings, and estimate their results upon his physical nature.

Necessarily there are many cases to which this rule does not seem to
apply, those of contagious sickness, for instance, or those of surgery,
resulting from accident. And yet even there it does apply, for the
condition of the mind may predispose to infection, and to recovery
or collapse in the instance of the sufferer from injuries. But these
questions of predisposition and consequence are too great to argue here,
though even the most rule-of-thumb village practitioner, with a black
draught in one hand and a pot of ointment in the other, will agree that
they admit of a wide application.

At least it is to these primary principles over and above my technical
skill that I attribute my success while I was successful. That at any
rate was undoubted. Day by day my practice grew, to such an extent
indeed, that on making up my books at the end of the second year, I
found that during the preceding twelve months I had taken over 900
pounds in fees and was owed about 300 pounds more. Most of this balance,
however, I wrote off as a bad debt, since I made it a custom never
to refuse a patient merely because he might not be able to pay me. I
charged large fees, for a doctor gains nothing by being cheap, but if I
thought it inexpedient I did not attempt to collect them.

After this matter of the inquest on Major Selby the relations between
Sir John Bell and myself were very strained--in fact, for a while
he refused to meet me in consultation. When this happened, without
attempting to criticise his action, I always insisted upon retiring from
the case, saying that it was not for me, a young man, to stand in the
path of one of so great experience and reputation. As might be expected
this moderation resulted in my triumph, for the time came when Sir
John thought it wise to waive his objections and to recognise me
professionally. Then I knew that I had won the day, for in that equal
field I was his master. Never once that I can remember did he venture
to r