Quotes by William Osler

“The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head. Often the best part of your work will have nothing to do with potions and powders, but with the exercise of an influence of the strong upon the weak, of the righteous upon the wicked, of the wise upon the foolish.”

“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease”

“It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than what sort of a disease a patient has.”

“There are, in truth, no specialties in medicine, since to know fully many of the most important diseases a man must be familiar with their manifestations in many organs.”

“We have to ask ourselves whether medicine is to remain a humanitarian and respected profession or a new but depersonalized science in the service of prolonging life rather than diminishing human suffering”

“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity”

“Care more for the individual patient than for the special features of the disease. . . . Put yourself in his place . . . The kindly word, the cheerful greeting, the sympathetic look -- these the patient understands.”

“The young physician starts life with 20 drugs for each disease, and the old physician ends life with one drug for 20 diseases.”

“The Scots are the backbone of Canada. They are all right in their three vital parts -- head, heart and haggis.”

“For some reason, a glaze passes over peoples faces when you say Canada.”

“Canada is the only country in the world that knows how to live without an identity”

“In any world menu, Canada must be considered the vichyssoise of nations - its cold, half French, and difficult to stir”

“Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants.”

“The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism”

One special advantage of the skeptical attitude of mind is that a man is never vexed to find that after all he has been in the wrong.

In seeking absolute truth we aim at the unattainable and must be content with broken portions.

The value of experience is not in seeing much, but in seeing wisely.

The future belongs to Science. More and more she will control the destinies of the nations. Already she has them in her crucible and on her balances.

Shut out all of your past except that which will help you weather your tomorrows.

The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism.