witness must lose his time, nor because of any proprietary right he may have in the facts within his knowledge, for the law recognizes no proprietary right to facts.

It can not be a question of making "the professional man give up his skill or knowledge," but a question as to whether, being possessed of certain skill and knowledge, whereby he has ability to do a certain thing, he shall be paid for doing it.

It is not a question as to whether he shall be paid for knowledge, but for services valuable because of the knowledge. Call his knowledge "capital stock," or by what other name you will, in the language of Judge Stuart, "His professional services are no more at the mercy of the public, as to remuneration, than the goods of a merchant, or the crops of a farmer, or the wares of the mechanic." But as to facts, the same rule governs one as the other. There can be no rule that will excuse any witness from stating any fact he may know that will not apply with equal force to any other witness, and to any and every other fact within the whole realm of human knowledge.

It is not a question as to stating facts, nor even opinions that are common to any business or profession, nor of property in such facts or opinions, but a question as to whether, when facts are submitted to a witness and an opinion asked as to the proper conclusion to be drawn therefrom, any service is rendered in arriving at such a conclusion as will enable the witness to give an intelligent opinion, upon which the right of compensation can be made to depend.

HARMONY AND ASSOCIATED ACTION

IN CONNECTION WITH STATE MEDICINE.

J. D. GATCH, M. D., LAWRENCEBURGH, ind.

Man, at best, like the wise king of Israel, when he surveys the prospects of the future, or gropes in retrospective the mazy labyrinths of the past, must arrive at the conclusion that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit." In relation to the world around him, he is a creature of circumstances; feeble and dependent as the ephemera of a summer's day, fragile and transient as a passing shadow. He shudders at the realities of the startling picture, and instinctively feels and admits that all his sources of pleasure, of happiness, of interest, whether mental or physical, are closely blended and inseparably interwoven with those of his fellow-beings around him; that the adverse pressure of the external world is such that it would be the height of folly and the desperation of a madman to attempt to stem the storms and tide of adversity unaided and alone.

The great and all-important inquiry, how shall I best add to my comforts and smooth the rugged path of life, and combat successfully the storms and frowns of fickle fortune? is a problem he most anxiously seeks to solve. It is clear that in the constitution of his nature he is essentially dependent and measurably helpless. It is clear that he is constitutionally and pathologically social and wonderfully sympathetic. Hence we infer that in order to promote his happiness, develop his resources of enjoyment, and accomplish the end of his being, it is essential that social and intellectual compacts should be formed, the domestic relations exist, families, communi

ties, neighborhoods, states and nations. The arts and sciences lend their aid to contribute to his physical comforts and enjoyments; ethics and revelation come with their mighty sanctions to mold, modify and direct his propensities and elevate his sentiments. He easily learns and readily admits that the precepts inculcated in the moral code, whether with relation to his God or to his fellow-man, are self-evident axioms, and that his own happiness essentially depends upon and is interwoven with that of his fellow in the same journey of life; but, unhappily, the regulations of society, moral and municipal, are so general and so broad that they become most lamentably too inefficient and feeble to accomplish the end desired. Hence the necessity of associations based upon reciprocity and community of interest. It is a fact to be deplored, yet not the less true, that the holiest and finer feelings of our nature-those which adorn frail humanity-generally have their beginning and date their existence in self-love, the ruling passion of all. This arises more from the conventional rules and regulations of society, which separate by their laws the interest of all in everything which affords an incentive to action, than to the perverse organization of man. It follows that whatever has a tendency to break down this barrier, by blending the interest of man in relation to all subjects that call into active existence the sleeping virtues of his nature, is productive of great good to the individual, and confers a lasting benefit upon the world at large.

In a world full of the means of enjoyment, overflowing, as it were, with the resources of almost universal happiness and prosperity, it does seem strange that disease and general misery should prevail. Yet the reason is obvious. We have perverted good in such numerous ways till it has become to us an evil, and thus converted intended blessings into innumerable curses.

We have erred egregiously in considering the evils of life as our misfortunes, whereas they are usually our faults. Many of those who assume to lead the public mind are perpetually talking about "the ills that flesh is heir to," as though such inheritance of evil was wholly arbitrary, unconditional and unavoidable. This is a sad mistake and leads to deplorable results, for it makes us in one sense practical atheists. Imagining certain evils to come or go according to the caprice of certain undefinable good or evil geniuses,

without reference to any cognizable law or relation to any rational cause, we never think of averting or preventing them by intelligent conduct, and only endeavor to mitigate their violence when they actually overtake us.

In this way we blindly bow down submissively to, and become no better than worshipers of, the god Chance. Nearly all the sickness, pains, diseases and premature deaths which afflict humanity, and a vast majority of those accidents and misfortunes in life usually denominated "bad luck," are the direct consequences of our own errors, recklessly or ignorantly committed. They are the inevitable results of infractions of laws as fixed, as unalterable and as demonstrable as the law of gravitation. When human beings find their constitutional relation to these laws, which constitute the general Providence of the universe, they will have a remedy in their own hands for most of the ills of life. And to this end. should we, as members of the noblest profession of the age, direct our energies and endeavor to educate the masses, to awaken energy and decided action in this matter, that furnishes him with knowledge which is to be used to a good purpose, that regulates the mind and accomplishes the man in such a manner that the business of life to which he is destined or which he has chosen is pursued with good to himself and good to others. This is the education which we consider the people require, as identified with our profession, and which, in our view, is to shed around us the blessings of professional physical and national prosperity.

Throughout the whole of the Creator's works we behold the most beautiful display of harmony. In every department of nature, whether animal or mineral, whether terrestrial or celestial, we find the principle prevails. From the smallest microscopic insect that lives and moves, to the largest world that rolls in the telescopic regions of space the laws of harmony extend. It is true that storms. sometimes arise, and dark and angry clouds roll furiously up the heavens muttering wrath and vengeance and spreading confusion and terror around. But soon the lightnings are quenched, the thunder ceases, the clouds disperse, the sun shines, the rainbow appears and the storm ceases. Thus is exhibited to us the evidences that the storm, the lightning and the thunder are all in harmony to the Creator's attributes. If, then, harmony pervades all the works

of creation; if it be an attribute of the divine character, and the source from whence creation derives its order and beauty, how essential it is that it should be cultivated by man; that it should be exhibited by him, not only in his private deportment, but in his intercourse with the world. Let harmony of thought and harmony of action ever characterize our lives. Without it we shall be unable to carry out the great objects of our profession.

But it is not in the familiar intercourse of life that the beauties and importance of this harmony alone can be seen. Its merits and excellence shine out most strongly when called into exercise by the unsparing hand of disease and death. Man, in full and vigorous health, when the tide of life courses ardently and proudly through his veins, does not lack for companionship; his resources are furnished him by the God of nature and his sanguine temperament . laughs at despondency. But when the hand of the spoiler is upon him, when nature is overpowered by disease, he feels his utter helplessness and dependence. It is then that the kindly duties of the physician are felt and appreciated. Can this responsibility and attention be afforded with that pleasure and willingness which will reach the heart of the sufferer if there should be aught of unkindness or ill-feeling between himself and his patient? Then how important it is to cultivate the good will and harmony which we are required to preserve; important not only that we, as a profession, present an unbroken front to the world, but that we may also fulfill the sacred duties it falls to our lot to discharge.

The necessities and weaknesses of man, if not the very instinct of his nature, have led him in every age to seek the aid of his fellows, in order to overcome, by a combined effort, the difficulties insurmountable to a single arm. This necessity and weakness originated the principle of associations, or at least gave opportunity for the development of the natural instinct in which it has its foundation. By them it has been sustained, perpetuated and enlarged in the sphere of its operation until it has become the "lever that moves the world." Individuals found themselves involved in difficulties or beset with dangers which, single or alone, they could not resist or overcome, and they were thus led to form alliances with others for interest or defense.

Having found it easy, by a united effort, to overcome an enemy