It would be a simple matter of justice to these young men if some plan could be devised for weeding out those who are manifestly unfitted for the practice of medicine before they have wasted their time and money on medical instruction. So long as such a plan is lacking it becomes the duty of the individual to assume this responsibility himself. The mere desire to become a physician should 37not satisfy the aspirant for medical lore. He should question himself closely as to his fitness. His character may be the best, his ability to acquire the necessary knowledge unlimited, but unless Nature has equipped him as previously outlined, the most he can hope to attain in the medical profession is mediocrity so far as actually helping the sick, and obtaining prestige and wealth are concerned. There are men, it is true, of high standing in the profession, who do not possess these qualifications, but they are few in number and, as a rule, are consulting, rather than practicing physicians. Other doctors call upon them for advice because of their recognized skill and learning. They give this advice wisely and well, but in the sick room would fall far short of obtaining the same results which other men, more favored by Nature, obtain by acting upon the advice they give. Time was when the word “physician,” conveyed the idea of a man with a beard. The two were intimately connected in the public mind. In many parts of the country, especially in remote districts where modern ideas and knowledge of the germ theory have not penetrated, this relationship still exists. In such places a full beard is an efficient badge of the doctor’s calling, and is essential in establishing his professional identity among the people. Despite the widespread knowledge of the fact that beards are nothing more nor less than nests and hatching beds in which millions of disease germs find shelter, there are to-day numerous localities in which doctors as well as the laymen cling stubbornly to the belief that a physician without a beard is “no good.” 38“Go on, neighbor, don’t try to fool me. That man’s no doctor. How do I know? Why, he ain’t got no beard.” This is no uncommon statement to encounter in rural regions, and even in some fair-sized towns. Even the doctors themselves do not appear to recognize the fact that it is possible to separate their beards from their profession, and that it would be to the benefit of their patients and the advancement of their own reputations in the end to do so.