A famous surgeon and university professor, immediately after cutting short an operation that was not in itself difficult because he had suddenly lost his nerve and had to leave the completion of the operation to his assistant, was then not frank about it, either to the public or to the patient when she had regained consciousness, insofar as he was not honest enough to admit the real facts of the case but permitted the patient to congratulate him on the success of the operation. Not to speak of the excessively valuable gifts, including a gold pocket watch that Napoleon I is supposed to have worn, which he accepted from his patient without more ado. We do not know how many famous surgeons lose their nerve every day and cut short operations and leave their assistants to continue the operations and then permit themselves to be congratulated and showered with presents, but their number is supposed to be almost as great as the number of famous surgeons. And the number of unknown and unthanked assistants who can never allow themselves to lose their nerve is just as high. We have always preferred to be operated on by the assistants of famous surgeons who are also always famous medical professors, and not by these surgeons and professors themselves. And we have always come out of it very well and alive.