Page:The Harveian oration, 1893.djvu/43

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impostor or medical charlatan quote Harvey to console him under merited censure.

II. Of Harvey's writings, the second, and by far the longer treatise, is that upon Generation. This formed the subject of a valuable criticism in the Harveian Lecture by the late Sir Arthur Farre. It is full of interest and contains many valuable observations that remain true for all times, many acute criticisms, and a few broad and true generalizations, such as the famous dictum—"Omnia animalia ex ovo progigni.' Some passages show that Harvey was not without the faculty of humour, which, as Dr. Arnold remarked, few great men have lacked. Such is the account of the accomplished parrot who was Mrs. Harvey's pet, and through a long life maintained the masculine character, until in one unguarded moment she lost it and her life together.[1]


  1. A parrot, a handsome bird and a famous talker, had long been a pet of my wife's. He be same so tame that he wandered freely through the house, called for his mistress when she was abroad, greeted her with