himself on the altar of humanity; but what shall the individual gain to himself? Medicine is not a lucrative business; the same capital, invested in almost any other, would bring a more sure, more speedy and better return. Its gains are tardy and uncertain, and the life-time labors of many worthy men bring them nothing but a humble subsistence. As a class of men, the physicians in the United States are poorly rewarded for their services. This may be partially owing to the plethoric condition of the profession, but the great patronage and support that is everywhere given to quackery is the principal cause. If all the money that is annually paid for nostrums, and the services of quacks, were given to the members of the regular profession, they would be amply paid and society greatly benefited. No one who values his liberty and personal comfort should look for it in this profession. The physician lives an unsteady, irregular and precarious life. He is certain of nothing; he can have no established hours of labor or rest; his physical and intellectual exercises, and even his devotions, are the sport of the winds. He is often
