Thomas Trotter, M.D / by Sir Humphry Rolleston.

  • Rolleston, Humphry Davy, Sir, 1862-1944.
Date:
[1919?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Thomas Trotter, M.D / by Sir Humphry Rolleston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    By Sir Humphry Rolleston, K.C.B., M. D. (Camb.), F.R.C.P. (Lond.) Emeritus Physician St. George’s Hospital, London; President of the Royal Society of Medicine THE peculiar interest in the lives of those who have striven and deserved but have not attained success as ordinarily estimated may be prompted by various reasons; partly by speculation as to the causes of this failure and partly by sym¬ pathy with the want of the arts of success and with betrayal by the fickle Goddess, for according to Samuel Butler in “Hudibras” Success, the mark no mortal wit, Or surest hand, can always hit. The man who fails to achieve the reputation or recognition which he considers his due may according to his disposition be thus either embittered or stimulated by divine discontent to outdo his former efforts. There is indeed something to be said in favour of triumph deferred and specially of not attaining the supreme ambition, for when this is done the restless energy that inspired activity may be met by the question what farther object is there for life and labour. Examples of collapse and death soon after, and possibly favoured by, the advent of the prize long awaited would not be difficult to quote. The manner in which success or failure is borne is an index of character, and though it may be true that suc¬ cess is more difficult to bear than the reverse, the problems involved by apparent failure are the more interesting. But here we can hardly avoid the question, What is true success? Shall we agree with Macbeth that it is the possession of ‘‘honour, love, obedience, troops of friends,” or that it turns on the verdict of posterity such as may be very roughly estimated by inclusion in the Dictionary of National Biography, which may indeed be merely evidence of notoriety, or that it is something higher though less tangible and suggested in a negative fashion by the reflection “What shall it Reprinted from “Contributions to Medical and Biological Research, dedicated to Sir William Osier, in Honour of His Seventieth Birthday, July 12, 1919, by his Pupils and Co-workers.”