The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-01 00:00:00

Slit ASTLEY COOPER.

The following particular; respecting this celebrated
Surgeon, we copy from the Medical Gazette:—
In 1787 he spent the winter in attendance on the me-
dical clAsses in Edinburgh ; and in 1792 he went to
Paris, having prcriously married Miss Cock, a connection
cf Mr. Cline, by whom he bad one daughter—his only
child, who died in her second year.
During his residence in the Freneta capital he attended
ch•e{ly to the lectures and practice of Desault, at that
time the most distinguished surgeon in France, and of
whose instructions he entertained a very high opinion.
Here Sir Astley was present during some of the horrors
of the revolution, and among other things was a witness
of the celebrated Sltrzipk upon the Tuileries, and the mas-
sacre of the Swiss Guards, On the 10th August, 1792.
On bis return from Paris, Sir Astley permanently set-
tled in practice. In 1800 he became surgeon to Guy's
Hospital—an appointment which he retained 01 1826,
when he was created consulting-surgeon.

Sir Astley's first house was in -Jeffrey'e-square, St.
Mary Axe—not a very fashionable part of the town cer-
tainly, but whore he was content to sojourn not less
than six }ears. Hs then removed to New Broad-street,
where he remained for se rentcon years in very extensive
practice, and in daily increising reputation. His inoorno
was cirtainly at one time greater than that of any other
medical man of the present day, having, we believe, on
more occasions than one, exceeded 20,000/. w;thin a year.
In 1815, when at the height of his reputation, he re-
moved to Spring Gardens; and he was ma of the few with
whom the migration from the city to the west-end has
proved fully successful. A few years afterwards he was
employed professionally by George IV, to remove a
small
tumor from the scalp—an operation which he performed
with all his wonted coolness and dexterity.
Soon aftir this (in 1821) he was creased a baronet,
the patent extending to his nephew and name-sake, Ast•
ley Poston Cooper, fourth sou of his brother—the present
holder of the title. From this time till 1827 he continued
to enjoy an excellent practice, and to make a very large
income. He then; in the full zenith of his fame, volun-
tarily retired into the country to enjoy the riches he had
accumulated, and spend the remainder of his days in the
dignified repose of a country gentleman. But Sir Astley
was not made for the °atone:az dignilate, and a very short
time saw him bask again in the merrapolis, where, on
more than one occasion, he publicly r,. fir; ed to the period
of his seclusion, rind declared that if he had remained
idle he should certainly have banged himself. His nephew,
Mr. Bransby Cooper, having been installed in his ald re-
sidence in New-street, Spring-gardens, Sir Astley took a
house in Conduit-street, where be gave a seios of con_
versazioni, which were attended by nearly all the medicalworld in London, and which were intended apparently to
convince his brethren of the reality of his ie:urn. He
o of what
brought with him his great name and unblemished repu-
tation, but never had, and probably never desired to have,
possessionirement; of and
ers , ofe ta id
the same immense business as before his temporary re-
tscarcelyac inferior note,
rtion, p had gained
had before been almost exclusively his own.
retained
As an operator we need scarcely say that he was bold,
rapid, and skilful, almost without parallel,--qualities
which tended greatly to enhance his own reputation, and
to heighten the character of English surgery. We well
remember having been present at a converizazione at
M. Maunoir's in 1817, attended by most of the s.c'entifie
men in Geneva, when the fact was communicated of
SirMiley having cut down upon and tied the aorta in the