Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-12-24

with John Hunter" he says, "wben he must
have greatly interested any one, who duly ap'
preciated the result Of his talents and labonrs,
or who had any sympathy for the highly sus-
ceptib!e mind Of genius, rendered still more SO
by excess Of exer,ion, and The persuroed teehng
incident to bodily disease. he seemed TO me
conscious Of his own desert, OF the insuthciency
and uncertainty Of his requirements, and OF MS
own inability to communicate what ne kae"
and thought. He felt irritated with the OPP
position he had met with in establishing his
opinions, and .till more by finding, when he had
.srmcunted this difficulty, that those opinions
were, by the malice Of mankind, ascribed to
others. All which, think, may be inferred
from a single sentence, which he one day ad'
dressed 20 me 81 know, know, said he, am
but pigmy in knowledge, yet feel as giant
when compared with these men, l, interested
me to find among his manuscripts long e1'
tract from a Preach author, who Was SAID 10
have taught the same opinions relative 10 ao
sorp,ion before him Mr.. Hunter had made
his own commentary upon severa! OF the pas
saees; and, as il seemed to him, that by nothing
short oil a new construction OF words and sem
fences, could any resemblance OF opinion be
made 10 appear, he was induced TO add-This
reminds me Of a dispute which took place be-
tween zealous convert TO the Newlonian PHI
Iosophy, and Hu,chinsonian, in which the
latter having, by garbling and Transporting cer>
tain passages from the scriptures, seemingly
made good very absurd proposition, the tor
mer retorted, yea, bu: il is also written, Judas
wen, out and hanged HIMSELF moreover, il is
added, Go thou and do likewise Those who
were acquainted with Mr.. Hunter knew full
well that he had great deal Of drollesy in his
composition"
In such school as this, and with such a mo-
del for init ation--with mind, moreover, SO
we'll calculated ID search out the hidden won-
ders Of science, and having found them, to con.
vert them into source of ex eps!ve utility
John Aberne,hy became very speedily eminent,
though young, in his profession. He was the
first man who was bold enough TO discard thai
patchwork system with which surgery had hi
thereto BEEN disgraced. His enlarged views Of
Natures operations, both in heolth and in dis
ease, enabled him 10 discover the uncertainty Of
all those empirical plans which marked the
practice Of hi. brethren, old and your &, eminent
or obscure; and without regarding their con-
yeniencc, or even their reputation, the young
ply siologist, having but one duty to perform,
and that an honest one, gave his opinion openly,
boldly, and Justly. independence, the most un-
compromising independence, characterized, and
still characterizes the practice Of MIR. Aberne>
thy; and 10 nope of retaining rich patient
no by-pIay or intriguing Of a brother prac.i>
toner, could ever induce him to depart from
that line IF conduet which he considers the du-
~ of an honest man to follow. "The education
aud course Of life OF medical men," he says, in
ore of his lectures, ",end TO make them sober
minded, moral, and benevolent; and their pro-
fess.ona' avocations equally require that theS
should possess such characters and dispositions.
On no other terms can they be admitted with
confidence into the bosoms OF those families
which may require their medical aid. Who's
ever, therefore, inculcates opinions tending 10
subvert morali'v, bent Violence. and the social
interests Of mankind, deserves the severesi re-
probation from every member Of our profess
sion''
Independence, when we'll directed and con-
sistent, must find favor with liberal minded
public; and Mr.. Abernethr's upright conduct
soon rendered him distinguished object Of
public patronage. His splendid talents had
now full scope for exercise; end those, TOO,
br fought him into notice, and made him an Oh.
jeci IF requisitiou among his professional bre-
threp, which we take to be The best proof pos
sible that those talents were no, mert,ricious.
OF his independence and siric, vensralion Of
what is right, we have many examples. A
mong others, the following is characteristics
A certain noble parsonage, now enjoying stu
alton Of great responsibility in the Sister King
dom, had been waiting for long time in the
Surgeons an'i-room, when, seeing those who
had arrived before him, successfully called in,
he became somewhat impatient, and sent his
card in. No notice was taken Of the hint; he
sent another-another-and anoiher still no
answer. AT length he gained admission in his
turn; and, full Of choler he asked, rather aris-
tocratically, why he had been kept waiting so
lopg?"-"Wh-ew!" responded the Professor;
"because you didn't come sooner, to be sure
And now, if your Lordship will sit down, will
hear what you have TO say"
After all, now, that age and much bodily suf-
ferins have soured his disposition, Mr.. Aber>
nethy is a strange compound Of sccentricity,
iilhumor, benevolence and talent. His chur.
lishness-we must say much exaggerated--is
familiar TO all, and various Causes have been
assigned for its existence. Those Who know
Mr.. Abernethy best, attribute it in some mea-
sure to affeciatiun, and to an impatient ill hu-
NOR, induced by study and illness. He is GER
ainlv not enthusias tic allv ar hcd IN he ,v.,r