Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-01-25
ABERNETHY.

In ADernetny we couo " oue va 'uose AoN5o'
eccentric physicians, of whose kindness lnuu-
merable good stories are told. Like DR.. John
son, he had warm heart under rough ex
terror. Though be could be absolutely brutal
to fine ladies and affected misses, he IS SAID to
have been an aniable man, beloved OF his
family and friends. But to tlresome patients
and malades imaginalres he was at ilmes Inc
persouation of rudeness: "Sir, that's enough;
90 home aud read my book. To lady who
com pained uf lew spirits he would say, Don
come to me; 60 aud buy sklpplng-rope.
Sometimes, however, be met his match. Cur
ran one day came to consult him, and was
rather diffuse in describing his symptoms. :,
Sir" said Abernethy, you had better tell
me your whole life" Upou which Curran sat
down, and seriously began: Il was born IN the
wear -, in the equity OF - Ireland:
and Abernethy burst into laugh, and entered
properly into the case. A lady, determined to
be brief, and 10 humor the tyraut, Que day CO.
tered his consulting room, and, thrusiiug out
an Injured hand, merely said: My thumb,
sir. You, madam be exclaimed in ad mi
ration, ''are the oily sensible woman | ever had
for patient.
A gentleman. equally determined, being
roughly interrupted, locked the door, put he
key in his pocket, and insisted on belug heard.
Abernethy smiled, aud complimeued the patti
cnt on his resolution. To gentleman who
gave him twenty pounds to reattend his wife,
he said "Are you the tool who gave me TWEEN.
ty pounds the other day? Go bone and tell
YOUR wife to diue earlier and eat less; and do
you keep your money 10 your pock ket, for no
doctors advice is worth twenty pounds. 10
lady, he said severely: Go nome and tell
your husband he will not have wife this day
six months"
Abernethy was 90 respector of persons. Poor
or rich, his patients had to submisslvely take
their turns, or they might 60 elsewhere. 40
angry nobleman once broke into his room, aud
stated his rank and titles in full, and asked
Abernethy if he knew who he was. To this
Abernethy replied: Aud |, sir, am John
Abernethy, Surgeou-leclurer Of St. Bartholo-
news Hospital, &C.; and ifyou wish 10 con-
suit me, | am now ready to hear what you
have to say, 10 return, sir" The Duke OF
Wellington, angry at having to wait his turn,
abruptly entered his room. Aberuethy asked
him how he had entered, "By the door, sill"
Then" said the rascible doctor, Il recon-
meod you to make your exit the same way,
He is also said to have refused to attend
George w. till bis lecture at the hospital Was
over. The point on which Abernethy most
insisted was the stomach, aud through that i'm
poraut organ he declared all diseases could be
cured The celebrated biscuit which be usel
to eat aud recommend were not SO called trom
him, but from the baker who first Invented
them. That there was klndness In Abernethy
who can deny, who remembers the story CT
how he returned all his fees to p1or widow
who had consulted him, and added fifty pounds
to enable her to give her sick child daily ride?
He bad horror Of operations, and rejoiced
L. - ,l ,,,ho h
rough and terrible remedies - Chambers S Jour.
HOUSES The modern house is, except 10
few special instances colder place to live 10
than the houses Of century ago. The reason
of this is obvious enough. A cold house al
most always means badly built house. Eli her
the walls are too thin, or the woodwork does
not fit properly, or the doors and windows are
badly arranged or the 6replaces are not con-
structed so as to give out enough heat. Ut
these defects the first aud last are the most
universal and the most important, The last
persoa consulted in building house is usually
the mau who has to live in it. ln a great ma
iority of cases, at all events 10 towns, the occu
pier knows potbing about the construction of
bis house. 1t was built before his time, and
as all the houses look pretty much alike when
they have once been inhabited, he has 10
means of informing himself upon the subject
Even when he has the means, be is not mate
rally better off He can, it is true, 60 and ex
anime halt t-built house with view of taking
it when it is flushed but when he discovers,
as be certainly will, that the walls have not
the thickness that will enable them to resist
extremities of weather, he has really the op-
ton of refusing it. If he does not take that
house, he must take another iu which the de-
foiency is equally great. There is, virtually,
no competition among builders. ~ -
Houses are too costly things to besbuilt ex-
cept when there is a fair certainty that they
will be let. Take it or leave it, is almost every
where the alternative proposed by the builder
to the tenant, and if the latter elects to leave
1t, be usually finds it is only to incur the obli-
CATION of choosing whether to take or leave
something exactly similar few streets off.
Consequently there is no motive for Que builder
TO provide better houses than another, except
such as may be supplied by prudent desire
to make the first outlay 90 as far as possible.