Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-03-11

ter tell me your wbole 4 ~
which Curran sat down, O SSly
began: II was born in ths
in the county of -, Irs III
Abernethy burst into . lAnG -
tered properly into ms G.
determined to be brief, a. -
the tyfant, one day entere6 -
ing.room, and thrusting ou1 md
hand, merely said: sAy Sfx.s's
"You, madam" he exclaimo 1mi>
ration, ''are the only senaih i
ever had for patient" ii
A gentleman, equally det1 ~
ing roughly interrupted, :
s|!j go, As
thy smiled, and complimented tie pa
| tient on his resolution. TO . gentle
man, who gave him twenty pounds to
re-attend his wife, be said: "Are you
the fool who gave me twenty pounds
the other day? Go home and tell your
wife to dine earlier and eat less; and do
keep your money In your pocket, for no
doctors advice il worth twenty pounds"
To lady, he said severely go home
and tell your husband he win not have
wife this day six months."
Abernethy was no respecter Of per-
sons. Poor or rich, his patients had to
submissively take their turns, or they
might 60 elsewhere. An angry noble
man once broke into his room, and sta
ted his rank and titles in full, and ask
ed Abernethy if he knew who he was.
To this Abernethy replied: "And !, sir,
am John Abernethy, lecturer of St. Bar
tholomew's Hospital, &C.; and if you
wish to consult me, am now ready to
hear what you have to say, in return,
sir" The Duke of Wellington, angry
at having to wait his turn, abruptly en-
tered his room. Abernethy asked him
how be had entered. "By the door.
sir" ''Then," said the irascible doc
tor, 81 recommend you to make your
exit the same way" He is also said to
have refused to attend George " till
his lecture at the hospital was over
The point on which Abernethy most in
sisted was the stomach, and through
that important organ he declared all
diseases could be cured. The celebra-
ted biscuits which he used to eat and
recommend were not SO called from
him, but from the baker who FIRST in
vented them. That there was kindness
in Abernethy, who can deny, who re-
members the story of how he returned
all his fees to a poor widow who had
consulted him, and added fifty pounds,
to enable her to give her sick child q
daily ride? He had horror of opera
tions, and rejoiced when the evil could
be averted without such rough and ter.
rible remedies.
We must not forget to enroll among
our doctors the poet-doctor, Akenside,
who, at the age of twenty three, wrote
the Pleasures Of the Imagination, poem
which Pope admired and eulogised.-
Akenside is described by one of his
best biographers as bundle Of contra
dictions. "By turns he was placid,
irritable-simple, affected-graeious,
haughty-mean, benevolent-kind and
brutal" He is described as thin, pale
and lame. He was rough to women,
and sometimes paced the hospital pre-
ceded by porters with brooms, to drive
back the crowd. The poets classical
tastes were ridiculcd by Smollctt in
PereSrine Pickle; nor can we wonder at
Smolle't ridicule when we read the
stories of Akenside's sourness and ar
rogance. If he bullied his poorer pa
tients, as we are told he did, we can
only rejoice at the modification he
must have felt when one of the gov.
ernors at st. Thomas's plainly told
him: "Know thou art a servant of this
charity"
Among eccentric physicians we can
not select better instance than Gar
rick's enemy, the facetious DR.. Monsey.
A poor doctor at BURY st. Edmunds,
he obtained patron by saving Lord
Godolphin, who was on his way to New
Market, from an apopletic attack. In
London, he became the friend of Sir
Robert Walpole.
"How is it," said Sir Robert, 'that
nobody will beat me at billiards., or con-
tradict me, but DR.. Monsey?"
"Other people," said Monsey, "get
places; l get dinner and praise"
One of Monsey's oddities was his way
of extracting teeth. He would some
times fasten q bullet to piece of cat
gut, which he fastened to the guilty
tooth. He then loaded a pistol with
the bullet and fired. He once pre-
vailed on friend to try this strange
operation; but when all was ready, the
patient repented, and bawled out to
Monsey to stop.
Stop! stop! I've changed my mind !"
But havn't, and you're fool end
coward !" said the doctor, pulling the
trigger with malicious speed. Monsey
in old age became q miser; and there
is a story told ef his returning from
a journey to find his servants at tea
party, and just preparing to light q fire
in crate where he had hidden gold
and notes to n large amount. Monsey
died in his ninety-fifth year, and left
his body to be dissected- His fortune
more than sixteen thousand pounds
went to his only daughter.
Talking Of doctors fees, reminds IN
of Sir Astly Cooper and fifteen thous.
and pounds year. His largest fee wa.
thrown him in = nightcap by an old
West India patient. An operation had
been performed, and the two physician,
had received three guineas each.
"But you, SIR" said the old man I.
Sir Astley, ''shall have something bet
ter; take that" and he flung his night
, cap at Sir Ashley.
:.S;r." replie.i Sir AstIev. aI'u rock