Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-08-20

and terrible remedies.
We must not forget TO enroll among our
doctors the poetdoctor, Akenside, who, at
the age of twenty-three, wrote the "Pleas-
ures of the Imagination" a poem which
Pope admired and eulogized. Akenslde is
described by one of his best biographers as
bundle of contradictions. "By turns he
was placid, irritable-simple, Affected
gracious, Enlightenment, benevolent
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, 10 drive back the
crowd. The poets classical tastes were
ridiculed by Smollett in "Peregrine Pick
lie ;" nor can we wonder at Smolletrs ridi-
Guile when we read the stories of Akenside's
sournoss and arrogance. II he bullied his
poorest patients as we are told he did, we
can only rejoice at tho modification he
must have felt when one of the Governors
of st. Tho mass plainly told him: "Know
thou art servant of this charity"
Among eccentric physicians we cannot
select a better instance than Garrick'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 Newmarket, from an
apoplectic attack. In London, he became
the friend of Sir Robert Walpole.
GLOW is it," said Sir Robert, "that no
one will beat me at billiards, or contradict
me, but DR.. Monsey?"
"Other people," said Monsey, "get places.
get a dinner and praise"
One of Monsey's oddities was his way of
extracting teeth. He would sometimes
fasten bullet to piece of catgut, which
he fastened 10 the guilty tooth. He then
loaded pistol with the bullet, and fired.
He once prevailed on a friend TO try this
strange opera ton but when all was ready
the patient repented, and bawled out TO
Monsey TO stop.
"Stop, stopi I've changed my mind"
"But haven't, and you're a fool and n
cowardr' said the doctor, pulling the trig-
ger, with malicious speed. Monsey in old
age became a miser and there is a story
told of his returning from journey TO find
his servants at a tea-party, and just pre-
pairing 10 light fire in CRATE where he
had hidden gold and notes TO q large
amount. Monsey died in his ninety -fiflh
year, and left mis- body to be dissected.
His fortune-more than sixteen thousand
pounds-went to his only daughter.
Talking of DOCTORS fees, reminds us oil
Sir Ashley Cooper and his fifteen thousand
pou nds year. His largest fee was thrown
him in night cap by an old West India
patient. An operation had been perform
ed, and the two physicians had received
three hundred guineas each.
"But you SIR" said the old man TO SiI
Ashley, "shall have something better take
that p and he flung the night cap at Sill
Ashley.
"Sir," replied Sir Ashley, "I'll pockeI
the atlrontp' The cap contained draft
for thousand gulneas.
Nor let us, in this cluster of doctors Of The
olden times, forget that amiable friend o.
Pope-Gartb, the enemy Of apothecaries
VIII ON he sacrificed in his poem "The Dis.
pensary." Arbuthnot is another of the
| old physicians who was friend of Pope's
The son of a poor Scotch clergyman
Arbuthnot, failing to get living at Dor
chester, came to London and turned doc
tor. Gradually his practice increased, and
he was appointed physictn-in-ordlnary tC
Queen Anne. He died at last of asthma
and melancholy.
Perhaps no physician CT eminonce wa
ever SO cruelty set upon by the wits a
Garth's abomination, Sir Richard Black
more, a conscientious but rather dull poet
whom Dryden had condescended to maui
That Sir Richard had once kept schoo
was the chief charge pressed home agans
him. Nevertheless he seems 10 have beer
worthy man, whom William the III
knighted, and made physician of the house
hold.
Among the last of the clever but eccen
trio class of doctors, was Scott, of Bromley
who fiourished within the present century
Crowds flocked TO him from London FOL
his advice, although aware that they nigh
meet with some unpleasant rebuff. Scott
like some other shrewd physicians, trusted
more 10 dietetics and general habits than
medicine for his cures. He usually at {
glance saw what was wrong-oyerfeeding
drinking, sedentary employment, late din
ners, snuff taking, and so on. In few
words, he peremptorily ordered a change
in these respects. A gentleman having
gone TO consult him, was told TO dine early
on mutton chop, drink no more beer
and give up taking snuff The injunction
was hard and only to limited extent
obeyed. The patient some time anerward,
returned 10 say that he was not getting
well. Scott in an instant detected the dis
obedience of his orders. "You still take
snuff, sir ?" Eyes" "Then, go away anC
die; why trouble me?' This time the or
der was obeyed in all IFS integrity. The
patient got completely well, and lived tC
be nonagenarian. { Chambers Journal