The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-09-27
Anecdotes of DR.. Abernethy,

]
!, Anecdotes of DR.. Abernethy.
From Ieflersons Book about Dociors,n latel,
published by Rudd Il Carleton. New York;
Abernothy is by word for rudoncss anL
oven brutality of nannor but he was as
3 tonder and generous as n man ought to DO
as a man oil great Intelligence usually is
The stories current about Abernothv arc
nearly all hcIions of tho Imagination; or
: whore thoy bavc any foundation in fact
relate to events that occurred long before
Tue hero to whom thoy arc tacked by unec
dote-mongers, had appeared on tho stage
lie was eccentric, but bis occon,rcities AL
ways TOOK tho direction of common sense
whereas tho cxtravaguncics attributed TO
MN Dy popular gossip are frequently those
OF a heartcss butfoon. His time was precious.
aud ho rightly considered that his business
was SGT to his patients in tho way OF rccovor-
ing their lost hoaIIh--not to listen to thoir
ia,uous prosiugs about their maladies.
| lilo was, therefore. prompt and decided
III chccking the egolistic garrulity of yaletu.
dlnarIans. This candid expression of his
ulsiIko 20 unnecessary talk bud one good
result. People who came to consult him
took care not to otfond him by bootlcss
pia'Ing. lady on o:.o occasion entered
ms consulting room, aud put before him an
injured finger, without saying word. Iu
silence Abernothy dressed tho wound, when
instantly and silently the1ady put tho usual
fee on tho table aud retired In few days
she called again. aud offered hur iiugor for
inspection.
"Bcttor :" asked tho surgeon.
"Bcttcr, answered tho lady, speaking to
him for tho first time.
No: another word followed during the rest
ot tho interview. Three or four similar
visits were mado, at the last of which tho
patient hold out hor finger froe from banda
ges, and perfectly healed.
"Well:' was Abornothy's monosy Liable
inquiry.
WELL" was the lady's equally bricf au.
swer.
Upon my soul, madam" exclaimed tho
delighted surgeon, "yOu are tho most ration.
al woman l over met with !"
To curb his tongue, however, out of re.
spoct to Abernothy's humor, was Az i'm. =.
| possibility to John Philpo. Curran. Eight
times Curran personally unknown to All.
ernothy) had called on tho great surgeon,
and eght times Aberuelhy had looked at
tho orators tongue, Ceiling him; by.the-by,
that IL was tho mos: uucloan and utterly
abominabio tongue in the world J had curtly
advised him to drink loss, aud not abuse
his stomach with gormandzing, had takon
guinoa. and had bowed him out of tho
room. On the ninth visit, Just as he WIS
about to DO dismissed in tho same summary
fashion, Curran, with u flash of his daIk eyo,
fixed on the surgeon, said:
MIR. Aberuethy, have boon here on eght
different days, and l havo paid you eight
dlluront guineas; but you have never vet
listened to tho symptoms of my complaiut.
! am resolved, sir, not TO leave tho room till
you satisfy mo by doing so"
With II good naiured laugh, Abernethy,
half suspecting that ho had 10 deal with
mndman. fell back in his chair and said:
"Oh very well, sir; am ready to hear
you out. Go on, give tho wholo--your
birth, parentage and education. wait your
pleasure Pray DO as minute aud tedious
as you can."
| With perfect gravity Currsn began:
"Sir. my name is John Philpot Curran.
My parents were poor, but believe honest
people, of tho province of Munster, county of
;, Cork, in the yoar ono thousand, seven hun
drod and fifty. My father, boing employed
to collect tho rents Of a Protestant gentle
man Of small fortune IN that neighborhood,
procured my admission in ono of the Prot.
first rudimenis of education. was next
enabled to enter Trinity College, Du5!in, in
tho humblo sphere Of sizar-'
| And SO ho wont steadily on, until he had
/ thrown his auditor into commissions of laugh
! ter.
| Aboruothy was worry careful not to tako
foes from patients if he suspected them to
be in INDECENT circumstances. MIR. George
Slaciiwain, in his instructive and agreeable
"Memoirs of John Abernethy," mentions a
case where an old officer OF parsimOnious
habits, but not of impoverished condition,
could not induce Abornethy to accent his
fee, and consequently forbOro from again
consulting him. On another occasion,
when haIfpay Lieutenant wished to pay
him for long aud laboriOus attendance,
Abernotby replied: swat till You're a
general then como and see me, and wo'II
talk about fees"
To a gentleman Of small means who con-
suited him. after having in vain had re-
course to other surgeons, he said: "Your
recovery will be slow. If you don't feel
much pain, depend upon it you are grad.
ualiy getting round; if you do feel much
pain, then como again, but not else. don't
want your money"
To hospital student (of great promise
and Industry, but in narrow crcumstances)
who became his dresser, he returned tho
customary foo of sixty guineas, and request
cd him to spend them in tho purchase of
books and securing othor means of improve.
| ment.
To poor widow lady (who consulted him
about her child) he on saying goodbye in
friendly letter, returned all the fees he
J had taken from her, under tho Impression
that she was in good circumstances, and
added 600 to the sum, begging hor to OK
pend 1t in giving her child a daily ride in
the fresh air. Ho was often brusque and
harsh, aud more than once was properly
reeProyed for bis bastiness and want of con-
sideration.