Oliver Wendell Holmes

“ Though his world-wide fame was based on his prose and poetry, he was an eminent leader in medicine. Many—too many years ago I would often assign Holmes' "Medical Essays" to a medical student whose sharp edges of science needed some rounding-off with a touch of humanity. I have no longer the privilege of assigning anything to anybody, yet encourage any of you, especially any who may be physicians, to read the thoughts of a family doctor of the early 1800's.
A misprint kills a sensitive author Absolute, peremptory facts are bullies Advised every literary man to have a profession. ”

“ Smiling at present follies So long as a woman can talk, there is nothing she cannot bear So much woman in it,—muliebrity, as well as femineity So much must be pardoned to humanity Society is a strong solution of books Society of Mutual Admiration Sold his sensibilities Some people that think everything pitiable is so funny Some people think that truth and gold are always to be washed for Somebody had been calling him an old man Something she is ashamed of, or ought to be Something better than flowers ”

“ Saturation-point of each mind differs from that of every other Saying one thing about it and believing another Scientific certainty has no spring in it Scientific knowledge Second story projecting See if the ripe fruit were better or worse Self-assertion, such as free suffrage introduces Self-love is a cup without any bottom Self-made men? ”

“ Every person's feelings have a front-door and a side-door Extra talent does sometimes make people jealous Facts always yield the place of honor, in conversation Fall silent and think they are thinking Few, if any, were ruined by drinking Flash terms for words which truly characterize their objects. ”

“ We are all theological students We carry happiness into our condition We don't read what we don't like We never tell our secrets to people that pump for them. Wedded, faded away, threw themselves away Wedding-ring conveys a right to a key to this side-door Weeded their circle pretty well of these unfortunates What a satire, by the way, is that machine What are the great faults of conversation? Whether anything can be conscious of its own flavor?? ”

“ Whether gifted with the accident of beauty or not While she is silent, Nature is working for her Who is in advance of it or even with it Wholesale professional dealers in misfortune Why authors and actors are ashamed of being funny? ”

“ Provincial conceit, which some of us must plead guilty to. Pseudo-science Pseudological inanity Public itself, which insists on being poisoned Pun is prima facie an insult Put coppers on the railroad-tracks Qu'est ce qu'il a fait? What has he done? Quackery and idolatry are all but immortal Question everything Racing horses are essentially gambling implements Rapidity with which ideas grow old in our memories Rather meet three of the scowlers than one of the smilers. ”

“ Brute beasts of the intellectual domain Bury in it beliefs, doubts, dreams, hopes, and terrors But we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. But it was in talking of Life that we came most nearly together Called an old man for the first time Character is distinctly shown at the age of four months. Cigar Clairvoyance which sees into things without opening them Code of finalities is a necessary condition of profitable talk Cold shower-bath the world furnishes gratis Comfort is essential to enjoyment Commerce is just putting his granite foot upon them Common sense, as you understand it. ”

“ Didn't know Truth was such an invalid Differ on the fundamental principles Dishwater from the washings of English dandyism Disputing about remainders and fractions Do wish she would get well—or something Do you know how important good jockeying is to authors? Do you ever wonder why poets talk so much about flowers? ”