IamafraidthatitisagoodplantogetridofoldProfessors，andIamthankfultohearthatthereisamovementformakingprovisionforthosewhoareleftinneedwhentheylosetheirofficesandtheirsalaries。IrememberoneofourancientCambridgeDoctorsonceaskedmetogetintohisricketychaise，andsaidtome，halfhumorously，halfsadly，thathewaslikeanoldhorse，——theyhadtakenoffhissaddleandturnedhimouttopasture。Ifearthegrasswasprettyshortwherethatoldservantofthepublicfoundhimselfgrazing。IfImyselfneededanapologyforholdingmyofficesolong，IshouldfinditinthefactthathumananatomyismuchthesamestudythatitwasinthedaysofVesaliusandFallopius，andthatthegreaterpartofmyteachingwasofsuchanaturethatitcouldneverbecomeantiquated。
Letmebeginwithmyfirstexperienceasamedicalstudent。IhadcomefromthelessonsofJudgeStoryandMr。AshmunintheLawSchoolatCambridge。Ihadbeenbusy，moreorless，withthepagesofBlackstoneandChitty，andothertext-booksofthefirstyearoflegalstudy。Moreorless，Isay，butIamafraiditwaslessratherthanmore。ForduringthatyearIfirsttastedtheintoxicatingpleasureofauthorship。Acollegeperiodical，conductedbyfriendsofmine，stillundergraduates，temptedmeintoprint，andthereisnoformoflead-poisoningwhichmorerapidlyandthoroughlypervadesthebloodandbonesandmarrowthanthatwhichreachestheyoungauthorthroughmentalcontactwithtype-metal。Quiabu，boira，——hewhohasoncebeenadrinkerwilldrinkagain，saystheFrenchproverb。Sothemanorwomanwhohastastedtypeissuretoreturntohisoldindulgencesoonerorlater。InthatfatalyearIhadmyfirstattackofauthors’lead-poisoning，andIhavenevergotquiteridofitfromthatdaytothis。ButforthatImighthaveappliedmyselfmorediligentlytomylegalstudies，andcarriedagreenbaginplaceofastethoscopeandathermometeruptothepresentday。
WhatdeterminedmetogiveupLawandapplymyselftoMedicineIcanhardlysay，butIhadfromthefirstlookeduponthatyear’sstudyasanexperiment。Atanyrate，Imadethechange，andsoonfoundmyselfintroducedtonewscenesandnewcompanionships。
IcanscarcelycreditmymemorywhenIrecallthefirstimpressionsproduceduponmebysightsafterwardsbecomesofamiliarthattheycouldnomoredisturbapulse-beatthanthecommonestofevery-dayexperiences。Theskeleton，hungaloftlikeagibbetedcriminal，lookedgrimlyatmeasIenteredtheroomdevotedtothestudentsoftheschoolIhadjoined，justasthefleshlessfigureofTime，withthehour-glassandscythe，usedtoglareuponmeinmychildhoodfromthe“NewEnglandPrimer。“ThewhitefacesinthebedsattheHospitalfoundtheirreflectioninmyowncheeks，whichlosttheircolorasIlookeduponthem。Allthishadtopassawayinalittletime；Ihadchosenmyprofession，andmustmeetitspainfulandrepulsiveaspectsuntiltheylosttheirpowerovermysensibilities。
TheprivatemedicalschoolwhichIhadjoinedwasoneestablishedbyDr。JamesJackson，Dr。WalterChanning，Dr。JohnWare，Dr。WinslowLewis，andDr。GeorgeW。Otis。OfthefirstthreegentlemenIhaveeitherspokenelsewhereormayfindoccasiontospeakhereafter。ThetwoyoungermembersofthisassociationofteacherswerebothgraduatesofourUniversity，oneoftheyear1819，theotherof1818。