"TOO OLD AT SIXTY."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 5

"TOO OLD AT SIXTY."

; SOMETHING ABOUT DR. OSLER. It. is reported: from America, that Dr. William Osler,-,of"too, old at. forty" fame, was. recentlyasked to'attend..,/a : birthday celebration party.. of;. two; old geritlemeii of sixty; arid reply sent theni a ' bottle. of chloroform'as- a : birthdaypresent I 'This,of course, may . be' an exaggeration, j but • it' will interest lady .' readers . >to'- <: know ' : that -Dr. Osier'is not quite so harsh on them as lie is on members of ,Ins own sex. '"After sixty," lie : once said, ;"a woman's -influence;,on her sox .'may,-be .most helpful, '.'particularly if aided 'by -those charming cap and-a fichu." Tlio .'doctor'sown • mother lived to 'the,: great agei of -101, and/was > a source of great comfort-to those-around her to.tlio last,. •- -

' Dr.; Osier once told the following amusing stoi-y to'illustrate-the- importance, of medical men being very; precise their "directions'to 1905, lie' was: appointed Regius . Professor of Medicine' at Oxford,. and he has' been a volu : hiinous.writer:W-medical subjects. I .He is. usually regarded as one of the most'original of living-professors, his speeches being noted for- .tlieir-;Uilcouventioriality.He ■is -a firm believer- in- ; Shakespeare's,, -.famous- advice: "Throw physic to tho. dogs','-*'' arid"his own rules ■'. of ■ life •; are, :of. the - simplest. ■ "The master'word -is Work,"' ho has declared, "and noiono can accuse him of neglecting his own prescription;. ~ ;:' ; Dr; .-Osier ■ once told the ' following amusing . .storj', -to ' illustrate' the .importance ;of : medical, men ."'being ' veryi preci.se. in ' their.' ■' : '-'direction's './ 'to' -patient's.. -A ■ young foreigner - consulted -,'a djjetor about- his health one' day, arid ; vised '.-.by- the -;medico ' 1 't0... drink ; .-.,-hot; water ah"'} hour.:'bef(jre':" breakfast .©very morning." The : patient: took! his leavo arid-' the- doctor thought no more/about it. A week afterwards, -. however;, tlio young l man camo back again,. and- complained of: feeling -much worse.. "That's curious," said the doctor, "did you ■ follow ;my ■ advice and drjnk. 'hot water' an hdur-'before breakfast every morning?", "I did riiy best,' sir," was tho.re'piy, "but-; r:couldn't :keep 1 it; up' for , more than ten minutes at a time!"—"M. A; P."