Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-04-27

ulHerent uays, anu nave paiu you eight
different guincas but you have never yet
listened to the symptoms of my complaint.
| am resolved, sir, not to leave the room
till you satisfy me by doing So" With a
good -natured laugh, Abernethy, half sus
pecting that he had to deal with madman
fell back in his chair and said-"Oh 1!
very well, sir; am ready to hear you
out Go on, give me the whole-your
birth, parentage and education. 1 wait
your pleasure. Pray be as minute and
tedious as you can" With perfect gravi-
ty Curran began-"Sir, my name is John
Philpot Curran. My parents were poor,
but | believe honest people, of the province
Of Munster, where also was born, at
Newmarket, in the county of Cork, in the
year one thousand seven hundred and fifty.
My father being employed to collect the
rents Of Protestant gentleman of small
fortune, in that neighborhood, procured
my admission into one of the Protestant
free schools, where, obtained the first
rudiments of my education. 1 was next
enabled to enter Trinity College, Dublin,
in the humble sphere of silar--" And
so he went steadily on, till he had thrown
his auditor into convulsions of laughter.
Abernethy was very careful not to take
fees from patients if he supposed them to
be In indigent circumstances. Mr.. George
MaciIwain, in his instructive and agreeable
"Memoirs of John Abernethy," mentions
case where an old officer of rarsimonious
habits, but not of impoverished condition,
could not induce Abernethy to accept his
fee, and consequently forebore from again
consulting him.
On another occasion, when a half-pay
lieutenant wished to pay him for long
and laborious attendance, Abernethy re-
piled, swat till you are general; then
come and see me, and then we'll talk about
fees" To a gentleman of small means
who consulted him, after having in vain
had recourse to other surgeons, he said
"4our recovery will be slow. If you don I
feel much pain, depend upon it you are
gradually getting round; if you do feel
much pain, then come again, but MT else
don't want your money" 70 hospita
student (of great promise and industry but
in narrow circumstances who became hi,
dresser, he returned the customary fee OF
sixty guincas, and requested him to expend
them in the purchase of books and secu
ring other means of improvement. To q
poor widow lady (who consulted him abou,
her child he, on saying good bye in a
friendly letter, returned all the fees he
had taken from her under the impression
that she was in good circumstances, and
added sol. to the sum, begging her to
expend it in giving her child a daily ride
in the fresh uir He was often brusaue
and harsh, and more than once was pro.
pery reproved for his hastiness and wan
Of consideration.
81 have heard of your rudeness before
l came, SIR one lady said, taking his
prescription, "but l was not prepared for
such treatment. What am 1 to do with
this p
"Anything you like the surgeon an
swered roughly. "Put it on the fire, il
you please
Taking him at his word, the lady put
her fee on the table, and the prescription
on the fire; and, madlrg a bow, left the
room. Abernethy followed her into the
hall, apolosizing and begging her to take
back the fee or let him write another pre-
scription, but the lady would not yield her
vantage ground.
OF operations Abernethy had most
unsurgcon-like horror-''lik Cheselden
and Hunter, regarding them as the re-
proach of the profession" 81 hope, sir
it will not be long," said poor woman,
suffering under the knife. "No, ildeed,'
earnestly answered Abernethy, "that
would be too horrible" This humanity
on a point of which surgeons are popular.
ly regarded as being devoid of feeling, is
very general in the profession
William Cooper, Sir Astley's uncle, wal
like Abernethy, a most tender-heartot
man. He was about to amputatc a mani
leg, in the hospital theatre, when the poo
fcl ow, terrified at the display of instru'
meuts and apparatus, suddenly jumped of
the table, and hobbled away. The stu
dents burst out laughing, and the surgeon
much pleased at being excused from tn
performance of painful duty, exclaimed
by God, I'm glad he's gone!'
The treatment which one poor felloN
racoivad from, Abnrnetby NAV or fret sioh