The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-08-17


Nv, till his lecture at the hospital was
over. The point ON which Abernetby
most insisted was The stomach, and
through that important organ he declared
all diseases could be cured, The cele.
brated biscuits which he used to cat, and
recommended, we're not so called from
him, but from the baker who invented
them. That there was kindness in Aber-
nethy, who can deny, who remembers the
story Of how he returned all his fees to
poor widow who had consulted him, .aud
added fifty pounds, to enable her to give
her sick child a daily ride ? He had a
horror Of operations, and rejoiced when
the evil could be averted without such
rough and terrible remedies
We must not forget to enroll among
our doctors the poet. doctor, Akeuside,
who, at The age Of twenty. three wrote the
"Pleasures Of the Imagination a poem
which Pope admired and eulogized.
Akensde is described by one Of his best
biographers as a bundle Of contradictions.
"By turns he was placid, irritable-sim.
pie, affected-gracious, haughty-mean,
benevolcnt-kind and brutal" He is
described as thin, pale, and lame. He
was rough to women, and sometimes
paced the hospital preceded by porters
with brooms, to drive back the crowd
The poets classical tastes we're ridiculel
by Smollett in "peregrino Picklc;" nor
can we wonder at Smollett's ridiculo whon
we read the stories of Akensidea sourness
and arrogance. If he bullied his poorest
patients, as we are told he did, we can
only rejoice at the modification he must
have felt when one Of the governors of
st, Thomass plainly told him: "Kuow
that thou art servant of ihis charity"
Among eccentric physicians we cannot
select better instance than Garrick's
enemy, the factious DR., Monsey A poor
doctor at Bury St. Edmunds, he obtained
a patron by saving Lord Godolphin, who
was on his way to Newmarket from an
apoplectic attack. In London, he became
the friend of Sir Robert Walpole.
"How is it," said Sir Robert, "thai 40
one will beat me at billiards, or contra.
dict me, but DR.. Monsey ?"
Other people," said Monsey, "get
places | get dinner and praise
One of Monseys oddities was his way
of extracting teeth. He would sometimes
fasten bullet to a piece of catgut, which
he fastened to the guilty tooth. He theu
loaded pistol with the bullet, and fired
He once prevailed 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 l havn't you're fool and
coward ~ said the doctor, pulling the
trigger, with malicious speed. Monsey
in old age became a miser and there is
ney to find his servants at a tea party, aud
just preparing to light fire in CRATE
where he had hidden gold and notes to
large amount Monsey died in his pine
ty.ffth year, and left his body to be dis
sectcd. His fortune-more than sixteen
thousand pounds-went to his only aaugb-
ter.
Talking of doctors fees, reminds US Of
Sir Ashley Cooper and his fifteen thou
sand pounds year His largest fee was
thrown him in night cap By an old
West India patient An operation had
been performed, and the two physicians
had received three hundred gnineas each
"But you sir" said the old man to
Sir Ashley, "shall have something better
take that" and he flung the night cap at
Sir Ashley.
Sir" replied Sir Ashley, an pocket
the afiront - The cap contained draft
for thousand guineas.
Nor let US, in this cluster Of doctors OF
the oldcn times, forget that amiable friend
Of Pope-Garth, the enemy of apotheca
ries, whom he scarifed in his poem "The
Dispensary." Arbuthnot is another OF
the old physicians who was q friend of
Pope's. The son ofa poor Scotch cler.
gyman, Arouthnot failing to get living
at Dorchester, came to London, and turn
ed doctor. Gradually his practice in-
creased, and he was appointed physician
in.ordnary to Queen Anne. He died at
last of asthma and melancholy.
Perhaps no physician of eminence was
ever so cruelty set upon by the wits as
Garths abomination, Sir Richard Black
more, conscientious but rather dull
poet, whom Dryden had condescended to
maui. That Sir Richard had once kept
school was the chief charge pressed
home against him. Nevertheless he seelns
to have been worthy man, whom vii.
liam III knighted, and made physi-
clan of the household.
Among the last of the clever but &c.
centric class of doctors, was Scott, OF
Bromley, who hourshed within the pres
ent century. Crowds hocked to him from
London for his advice, although aware
that they might meet with some unpleas-
ant rebuff Scott, like some other shrewd
physicians, trusted more to dietetics aud
general habits than medicine for his cures.
He usually at glance saw what was
wrong-overfeedipg, drinking, sedentary
employment. late dinners, snutf taking,
and so on. In few words. be peremp-
torily ordered a change in these respects
A gentleman having gone to consult him,
was told to diue early on mutton chop,
drink no more beer, and give up taking
snuff. The injunction was hard, and on
y to a limited extent obeyed. The patient
some time afterwards returned to say that
he was not getting well. Scott in an ia
slant detected the disobedience of his or
ders. You still take snuff, sir ?' "Ies -
Then % away and die; why trouble me2'
This time the order was oboyed in all its
integrity. The patient got completely
we'll, and lived to be nonegensrian -
ChamberS JourRal.
A certain physician when he visited
his rich aud luxurious patients Away