The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-28 00:00:00

REWARDS OF PHYSICIANS.

Erasistratus, son of Aristotle's daughter, hay-
ine. cured King Antiochus, received a hundred
talents from Ptolemy, father of that Prince;
which was equal to fifteen thousand pounds of
our currency. Pliny has given this account, and
has also informed us that Cassio, Calpiano
Aruntio, Albutio, and Rubio, who were suc-
cessively State Physicians at Rome, received
250 sesterses annually, a sum equal to 1,5621.
British. Thaddiens, a Florentine, would not
leave the city for less than fifty crowns a day.
Having been sent for to Rome to cure Pope
I ononus, he returned home with 10,000 crowns
for a short attendance. Phalaris gave Polycletus
four vials of pure gold, two craters of silver of
ancient workmanship, ten pair of Thericlian
cups, and 50,000 Attic crowns. He also pre-
sented him with the salaries of Admiral and
Captain of the Army, and complimented him
further by observing, " he was not able to pay
what the obligation of curing him merited."
When Melampus had cured the daughters of
Prmtus, the King of the Argives, he received a
third of that Monarch's' kingdom, a third was
also bestowed on his brother, and each was pre-
sented with one of the Princesses in marriage.
The Great Mogul, who reigned ia India about
the seventeenth century, allowed his physician
one hundred thousand crowns a year. Nysa
Mollueus, King of India, gave Garcias, a Por-
tuguese physician, 12,000 pardoes, which were
then estimated equivalent to so many ounces of
silver. Philip 11. of Spain, gave 6,000 crowns
for a short attendance, to his physician, Valle-
sius. Louis XI. of France gave his physician,
Coctiere, 10,000 crowns a month, the Bishop-
ric of Amiens (which contained 498 parishes)
to his nephew, and many offices of profit to
himself and friends. Numerous other examples
of the immense rewards bestowed on physicians
might be mentioned ; but allusion shall be made
only to those common in this country. During
the early part of the hist reign the State Physi-
cians, Sergeant Surgeons, and Surgeons, re-
ceived
2,000/, a year each : and there is the
strongest presumption that the present State
Medical Officers are as amply, if not even more
bounteously, rewarded by the most magnificent
and magnanimous Monarch who has swayed the
British Empire since the days of Alfred. It is
impossible to estimate the immense emoluments
conferred by the private generosity of the Sove-
reign, and the patronage necessarily attached to
the distinguished station of Court Physician and
Surgeon. On a recent occasion his Majesty
presented Mr. O'Reilly, surgeon at Windsor,
with 1,000 guineas for a few days' attendance,
and was graciously pleased to appoint him his
Domestic Surgeon, at a salary of '2,0001. a year.
—Medical Journal.

CHAMPAONE.—An alarming sensation has
been produced in the south of Scotland, by the sev, re and
sudden illness which affected the members of a recent dim-
ner party in genteel life. The dinner was given by a
person of some rank at a country house, not his usual re-
sidence, and Where there were few servants in attendanoe.
The party consisted of the gentleman himself, his lady,
and four friends, near relations of each other. The symp-
tof
antipoiso iting w experieneed by each of the
party great anxiety and
ntddistress ensued ;—yet suspi-
cion was without any rational object. It was thought ne-
cessary, however. to examine the viands and liquors that
had been used ; and it has now been found, upon analysis
by Dr. CHRISTISON, that the Champagne, which the
plrty had at dinner, containcd half a prain of arsenic
per ounce measure of wine ! The party hive escaped—
not without severe iilnes—lnit the suddenness of the at-
tach saved their lives ; since there is little doubt that, had
another glass of Champagne been taken, death would have
I been the confluence... scoisni an.