l that saved me from the
catastrophes which overtook so many who started with me.

To begin with, there was no supervision of our lives whatever. We were
flung into a coarse and evil environment, among men who too often
took pride in their shame, just to sink or swim. Not one soul cared
which you did. I can still remember numerous cases where it simply
meant that men paid quite large sums for the privilege of sending the
sons they loved direct to the devil. I recall one lad whom I had known
at school. His father lavished money upon him, and sincerely believed
that his son was doing him credit and would soon return to share his
large practice, and bring to it all the many new advances he had
learned. The reports of examinations successfully passed he fully
accepted; and the non-return of his son at vacation times he put down
to professional zeal. It was not till the time came for the boy to get
his degree and return that the father discovered that he had lived
exactly the life of the prodigal in the parable, and had neither
attended college nor attempted a single examination of any kind
whatever. It broke the father's heart and he died.

Examinations for degrees were held by the London University, or the
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, never by the hospital
schools. These were practically race committees; they did no teaching,
but when you had done certain things, they allowed you to come up and
be examined, and if you got through a written and "viva voce"
examination you were inflicted on an unsuspecting public "qualified to
kill"--often only too literally so.

It is obvious on the face of it that this could be no proper criterion
for so important a decision as to qualifications; special crammers
studied the examiners, their questions, and their teachings, and luck
had a great deal to do with success. While some men never did
themselves justice in examinations, others were exactly the reverse.
Thus I can remember one resident accoucheur being "ploughed," as we
called it, in his special subject, obstetrics--and men to whom you
wouldn't trust your cat getting through with flying colours.

Of the things to be done: First you had to be signed up for attending
courses of lectures on certain subjects. This was simply a matter of
tipping the beadle, who marked you off. I personally attended only two
botany lectures during the whole course. At the first some practical
joker had spilled a solution of carbon bisulph