The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-02 00:00:00

THE LATE MR. ABERNETHY.

(From the Metropolitan Magazine.)
Mr. Abernethy, although amiable and good-
natured, with strong feelings, possessed an irrit-
able temper, which made him very petulant and
impatient at times with his patients and medical
men who applied to him for his opinion and ad-
vice on cases. When one of the latter asked
him once whether he did not think that some

plan which he suggested would not answer, the
only reply he could obtain was, " Aye, aye,
put a little salt on a bird's tail and you'll be
sure to catch him." When consulted on a case

!)y the ordinary medical attendant he would fre-
quently pace the room to and fro with his hands
in his breeches' pockets, and tuhistle all the
lime, and not say a word, but to tell the practi-
tioner to go home and read his book. " Reed _
mg book," was a very frequent reply to his
patients also, and he could seldom be prevailed
upon to prescribe or give an opinion if the case
was one which appeared to depend upon im-
proper dieting. A country farmer of immense
weight came from a distance to consult him,
and having given an account of his daily meals,
which showed no small degree of addiction to
animal food, Mr. Abernethy said, " Go away,
Sir, I won't attempt to prescribe for such a hog.'
He was particular in not being disturbed during
meals ; and a gentleman having called after
dinner, he went into the passage, put his hands
upon the gentleman's shoulders, and turned him
out of doors. He would never permit his
patients to talk to him much, and often not at
all ; and he desired them to hold their-tongues
and listen to him, while he gave a sort of clinical
lecture upon the subject of the consultation. A
loquacious lady having called to consult him, he
could not succeed in silencing her without re-
sorting to the following expedient :—" Put out
`•our tongue, madam." The lady complied.
" Now keep it there till I have done talking."
Another lady brought her daughter to him one
day, hut he refused to hear her or to prescribe,
advising her to make the girl take exercise
When the guinea was put into his band, he re-
called the mother and said, " Here, take the

shilling back, and buy a skipping-rope for your
daughter as you go along." He kept his pills
in a bag, and used to dole them out to his
patients, and on doing so to a lady who stepped
out of a corouetted carriage to consult him, she
declared they made her sick, and she could never
take a pill. " Not take a pill ! what a fool you
must be," was the courteous and conciliatory re-
ply to the Countess. When the late Duke of
York consulted him, he stood whistling with his
hands in his pockets, and the Duke said, I
suppose you know who I am." The uncourtly
reply was, " Suppose 1 do—what of that ?
His pithy advice was, " Cut off the supplies, as
the Duke of Wellington did in his campaigns,
and the enemy will leave the citadel." When he
was consulted for lameness following disease or
accidents, he seldom either listened to the
patient or made any inquiries, but would walk
about the room imitating the gait peculiar to dif-
ferent injuries, for filo general instruction of the
patient. A gentleiran consulted him for an ul-
cerated throat, and, on asking him to look into
it, he swore at him, and demanded how he dared
to suppose that he would allow him to blow his
stinking foul breath in his face ? A gentleman
who could not succed in making Mr. Abernethy
listen to a narration of his case, and having had
a violent altercation with him on the subject,
called next day, and, as soon as he was ad-
mitted, he locked the door, and put the key.
into his pocket, and took out a loaded pistol.
The professor, alarmed, asked if he meant to rob
or murder him. The patient, however, said he
merely wished him to listen to his case, which
he had better submit to, or he would keep him a
prisoner till he chose to relent. The patient and
the surgeon afterwards became most friendly
towards each other, although a great many oaths
passed before peace mas established between
hem.