Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-10-16

slMllaF riFcMuss samces, had the follow.
sa8 clause asserted ia her will I: aCon-
<safed Of the injury that nv unfoFsu-
este accident viii occasion ID the nm
4arpF surgeon who i the cause OF NV
] seth. bequeath 10 him life-annuitv
= Two hnndred ducafss secured by my
estate. and forgive his mistake from nv
h4art wish this may indemnify him
IaK The discredit which nv sorrowful
.essFophe vii bring upon him.
'ssalng n shoss dsYE, Boa nIlh Etand-
garded as almost : sovereign remedy
Tor present ills, and an antidote against
prospective ones. A good story is told
Of Lord Chesterfield, and friend Of hIs,
Lord Radnor, who was fond Of acting
the surgeon as far as bleeding was con-
eerned. We will give II in Mr.. Jeaf-
freson's own words, from whose inter-
esting Book about Doctors we have OBJ
tanned portion Of our information. 80
"LoFd Chesterfield wanting an addI-
tional vote for coming division in the
House OF Peers, called on Lord Radnor,
and after little Introductory converse
ton, complained OF distressing head
ache.
"'You ought to lose blood, then,
said Lord Radnor.
" Cad do you indeed think so ;
Then, my dear lord, do add to the SER
vice OF your advice by performing the
operation; know you are most skill
| fll surgeon.
Delighted at the compliment, Lord
Radnor in trice pulled out his lancet
case and opened q vein in his friends
arm.
" 'By-the-bye,' asked the patient, as
his arm was being adroitly bound up,
do you go down. to the House to-day z
"'I had not intended going answer
ed the noble operator, mot being sufi-
ciently informed on the question which
is 10 be debated. But you who have
considered it, which side will you vote
ons
"In reply, Lord Chesterfield unfold
ed his view of the case; and Lord Rad
nor was so delighted with the reason
| ing Of the man who held his surgical
powers in such high estimation, that he
forthwith promised TO support the willy
earl's side in the division.
"'I have shed my blood for the good
Of my country said Lord Chesterfield,
that evening, to a party OF friends
Amongst the doctors who have lived
In this century, Abernethy perhaps
| figured most conspicuously. Though
many of the stories related ofhis brusque
manners and sometimes rude speech are
said 10 be false or exaggerated, suffi-
cient are authenticated to leave no doubt
Of his eccentricity. He had, however,
under a rough exterior a kind heart.
! He often refused or returned his fees ii
he discovered his patients were poor.
In one well-known instance widow
lady, whose child had been under his
care, received from him, in friendly
letter, all the fees he had taken from
her under the impression that she was
well able TO pay-he had learned that
her means were straitened-and in ad-
dition City pounds, which be begged
her to spend in giving her child daily
| ride in the fresh air. To the honor oi
| the profession be il said that instances
of kind consideration and true generos-
ity are far from rare amongst medical
men.
II is difficult to imagine how Aber-
nethy could act with such kindness
and delicacy Of feeling toward one lady,
and yet give such ofense to another
that she exclaimed: 81 have heard oI
your rudeness before came, SIR, but |
was not prepared for such treatment.
What am TO do with this p she added,
meaning the prescription he had given
her.
"Anything you like" the surgeon
roughly answered: "put it on the FIRE il
you please"
He had met bis match. The lady
took him at his word. placed his fee on
the table, and his prescription on Che
Ere; then, with bow, lefl him. Aber-
nethy instantly followed into the hall,
apologized. and begged her either to
take the fee back or allow him TO re-
write the prescription; but all to no pur-
pose; the lady would not yield.
On another occasion the doctor was
forced TO own that he had the worst oI
it. The story runs thus. He was senI
for one day in great haste BY an inn-
keeper, whose wife had in a quarrel
scratched his face with her nails TO such
an extent that The poor man was bleed
ing and much disfgured. Abernethy
shonght this an opportunity not 10 be
lost for admonishing the offender, and
said Madam. are you not ashamed ol
yourself 10 treat your husband thus
the husband who is the head of all
yonr head, in fact -
"ETelI, doctor" iercely returned the
virago, ''and may not scratch my own
head 7"
A gentleman once asked Abernethy
IL he thought the moderate use Of snuff
would ''inIure the brain"
"No, Sir" was the doctors prompi
reply; sfor no man with q single ounce
Of brains would ever think OF taking
snuff"
At the end Of the last century, and
extending far into this, there aourishet
in Lancashire, England. family Of the
name of Taylor, the male members. o
which for two or three generations were
known as the "Whitworth Doctors.
Indeed, some of their descendants MAJ
| possibly be stIll in the profession
Though plain Of speech and possessing
little refinement, the Whitworth Doc
tors were great provincial celebrities
especially IS surgeons; but their fame
extended far beyond their own region