I take this my first public opportunity of thanking the Patron of the Morisonian Lectureship on Insanity, for the honour of nominating me to the appointment of lecturer. Permit me also to say that I feel very highly gratified and honoured in addressing the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians in their own hall. This gratification is, however, alloyed with a very strong conviction of my inability to do justice to my subject or myself in this course of lectures. It would be absurd in me to give to you a systematic course of lectures upon insanity, the subject being one with which you are all, as physicians, more or less familiar. The duty devolving upon me is, I presume, that of giving you any special opinions I may have formed from my point of view, and from my long-continued and very large opportunities of observation.