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William Osler

William Osler Quotes

Physician

William Osler was a renowned Canadian physician, considered one of the founders of modern medical education. Born on July 12, 1849, he passed away on December 29, 1919. Osler made significant contributions to the fields of pathology, clinical medicine, and medical education.

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Famous William Osler Quotes

“Varicose veins are the result of an improper selection of grandparents.”

“To have a group of cloistered clinicians away completely from the broad current of professional life would be bad for teacher and worse for student. The primary work of a professor of medicine in a medical school is in the wards, teaching his pupils how to deal with patients and their diseases.”

Would Be School Deals Teacher Groups Teaching Students Disease Medicine Patient Currents Medical Primaries Broads Professors Pupils Professional Life Medical School Clinicians

Book:The educational essays

Source: The educational essays

“It is not as if our homeopathic brothers are asleep: far from it, they are awake - many of them at any rate - to the importance of the scientific study of disease.”

Ifs Age Dark Study Brother Disease Importance Rate Medical Awake Dark Ages Homeopathy

Book:Aequanimitas

Source: Aequanimitas

“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.”

Heart Art Practice Calling Trade Medicine Medical Practice Of Medicine

Book:Osler's

Source: Osler's

“I desire no other epitaph - no hurry about it, I may say - than the statement that I taught medical students in the wards, as I regard this as by far the most useful and important work I have been called upon to do.”

May Has Beens Important Desire Education Students Taught Regard Medical Statements Epitaph Important Work

Book:Aequanimitas

Source: Aequanimitas

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

Disease Treats Medicine Patient Medical Physicians Practice Of Medicine Medical Education Treating Patients

Author:William Osler

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

Knows Important Health Disease Medicine Patient Medical Diseased Practice Of Medicine Medical Education

Author:William Osler

“He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.”

Doe Book Study Sea Medicine Patient Medical Sail Sailing Uncharted Practice Of Medicine

Author:William Osler

“One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.”

Firsts Healing Education Health Duty Mass Medicine Medical Educate Physicians Medical Care Modern Medicine Practice Of Medicine

Author:William Osler

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

Water Common Medical Common Sense Soap Best Medical Soap And Water

Author:William Osler

“Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.”

Art Science Medicine Medical Uncertainty Probability Medical Science Uncertainty Of Life Best Medical

Book:The Quotable Osler

Source: The Quotable Osler

“The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals.”

Men Desire Animal Health Exercise Healthy Medicine Medical Features Diets Practice Of Medicine Best Medical

Author:William Osler

“Now of the difficulties bound up with the public in which we doctors work, I hesitate to speak in a mixed audience. Common sense in matters medical is rare, and is usually in inverse ratio to the degree of education.”

Matter Science Speak Common Education Audience Hard Work Degrees Doctors Difficulty Medicine Bounds Medical Common Sense Ratios Inverse

Book:Aequanimitas

Source: Aequanimitas

“The hardest conviction to get into the mind of a beginner is that the education upon which he is engaged is not a college course, not a medical course, but a life course, for which the work of a few years under teachers is but a preparation.”

Years Mind Courses Teacher College Conviction Educational Medical Hardest Preparation Engaged Beginners College Courses

Book:Osler's

Source: Osler's

“It is not... That some people do not know what to do with truth when it is offered to them, But the tragic fate is to reach, after patient search, a condition of mind-blindness, in which. The truth is not recognized, though it stares you in the face.”

People Knows Mind Faces Fate Conditions Health Truth Is Medicine Patient Medical Staring Tragic Blindness Tragic Fate

Book:Osler's

Source: Osler's

About the Author

Born: July 12, 1849
Died: December 29, 1919
Known for: Physician
Quotes: 135

Related Topics

Men Medicine Disease Medical Patient Practice Of Medicine Health Knows Life Science Mind Physicians Way May Wells Art Heart Humans Practice Doctors

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Books & Sources

The Quotable OslerRelated source material

Osler'sRelated source material

AequanimitasRelated source material

The educational essaysRelated source material

The philosophical essaysRelated source material

Aequanimitas, and Other Papers that Have Stood the Test of Time. [With an Introd. by Paul Dudley White]Related source material

Men and books: collected and reprinted from the Canadian Medical Association JournalRelated source material

A Way of LifeRelated source material

Bibliotheca Osleriana: A Catalogue of Books Illustrating the History of Medicine and ScienceRelated source material

The Treatment of diseaseRelated source material

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