Literary work was a pastime with Holland, and both in the Quarterly and the Edinburgh Reviews he delighted to show his extensive reading, and his enlightened yet very unrevolutionary views. His more interesting reviews have been published as “Scientific Essays,” and “Chapters on Mental Physiology;” while his “Medical Notes and Reflections” constitutes almost all his practical contribution to medical science. Interesting “Fragmentary Papers” were published posthumously. In the “Medical Notes” certain current questions were philosophically discussed in a most pleasing style, and some questions of practice treated with some originality if not with boldness. Two chapters may be especially alluded to as valuable, namely, those “On the Abuse of Purgative Medicines,” and “On Bleeding in Affections of the Brain.” Many of his chapters on Mental Physiology show wide observation and kindly insight into the relations of mind and body. But after all it is by his “Recollections of Past Life” that Holland will be most known, his sketches of the leading personages, politicians, wits, and scientific and literary men having a charming vividness and truthfulness about them, making every one regret that so many limitations were imposed by the author upon himself when he might have easily furnished so much more material for history. Holland was of the middle height, spare in appearance, but very active; with a countenance not indicative of the highest mental power. CHAPTER XIV. _SIR WILLIAM FERGUSSON AND CONSERVATIVE SURGERY._ The association of the word “conservative” with operative surgery, so strongly identified in the popular mind with the removal of portions of the body, needs some explanation to the non-professional reader. In former times inflammation with denudation of bone was commonly believed to necessitate amputation; and diseased joints, especially the elbow, knee and ankle, with ulceration of cartilages, were generally considered incurable, except by removal of the limb. As Fergusson said, the ways of surgery get grooved; they are hallowed in the estimation of some. The man who steps from the groove is held to be rash and is called to account. How much this was the case will be seen by the reception accorded to conservative surgery, which aspired to do away with many of the radical proceedings of the past.