(source)
|
John Shaw Billings
(12 Apr 1838 - 11 Mar 1913)
American surgeon and librarian who modernized the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office of the Army. It became the core of the National Library of Medicine collection.
|
Science Quotes by John Shaw Billings (1 quote)
Statistics are somewhat like old medical journals, or like revolvers in newly opened mining districts. Most men rarely use them, and find it troublesome to preserve them so as to have them easy of access; but when they do want them, they want them badly.
— John Shaw Billings
'On Vital and Medical Statistics', The Medical Record, 1889, 36, 589.
See also:
- 12 Apr - short biography, births, deaths and events on date of Billings's birth.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
