San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-12-30
A FAMOUS SURGEON.
Anecdotes of the Eccentric Abernethy-
His Rudeness to a Lady-A Crate
full Patient.


it won't do for us, gentlemen; for Sir
Ralph Abercromby received a ball in
the thick part of his thigh, and it buried
itself deep, deep, and it got among inn
portant parts, and it couldn't be left;
but, surgeons, nothing daunted, CROPPED,
and CROPPED, and CROPPED, and - Sir
Ralph died"
Abernethy was noted among other
things for his mental abstraction. 1t is
related of him that once when he came
forward to lecture he was received as
usual with great applause, but seemed
quite Indifferent to it; he quietly cast
his eyes over the assembly, and burst
out in a tone of deep feeling with a
God help you all! What is to become
of youp'
Maclwain, in his memoirs of the
great surgeon, has left many records of
his power as lecturer, and of his pecu-
liar ability to speak as if addressing
every individual, and of bringing his
discourse home to every one of his au-
dience. In private practice he had the
reputation of being rough and hasty,
but it is said that he was only so when
annoyed-to judge by the number Of
anecdotes, that must have been pretty
often. We have already gwen two or
three; here are few more:
An indolent and luxurious citizen
came to him one day and said:
pray, Mr.. Abernethy, what is a cure
for goutP"
The answer was prompt and concise:
Si
it."
The duke of York went to consult him
one day, and Abernethy, in his usual
way, received him whiStling. with his
hands in his pockets.
II suppose" said the astonished duke,
'.you know who amp"
Suppose l do" said Abernethy,
"what of thatP"
Then, after hearing the dukes COM
plant, his prescription was:
"Cut off the supplies, as the duke of
Wellington did in his campaigns, and
the enemy will leave the citadel"
Once he was so brusque with lady
patient that she said:
81 had heard of your rudeness before,
bui did not expect this"
When he handed her the prescription,
she asked:
what am to do with thisP"
Anything YOU like" he said, "put it
in the fire, if you please"
The lady took him at his word, threw
the prescription on the fire, laid down
the fee, and walked off.
Sir Ashley Cooper is said to have
protited much by Abernethy's rudeness,
receiving many patients who were Of
Tended by the manner of tn other. But
to his hospital patients Abernethy was
uniformly kind and gentle.
In illustration of this story is told
by Mr.. Stowe, who accompanied him
one day through the wards, where a
poor Irishman jumped out of bed and
threw himself at Abernethy's feet. Then
he jumped up and fourished limb,
crying:
That's the leg, yer honnorl Glory
be to Godl Yer honnor's the boy for
doing it! May the heavens be your bed!
Long life TO yer honnorn etc,
This was man who had been brought
in with diseased ankle, for which am
putation had been ordered. But Aber-
uCInJ luOuSuG uO COulu cure III. SUOpDeu
the amputation, and put the man under
constitutional treatment The result
was perfect cure and an ecstasy of
thankfulness on the part of poor Pat.
The opportunity was seized by Aber-
nethy for giving a clinical lecture, every
point of which was illustrated by Pats
emphatic "Thrue yer honor; divvil lie
in it." Every reference to the leg
brought out the member with flourish
from under the bed-clothes, and the
whole affair was most comical But
while everybody was laughing at the
lrishman on his knees before the great
surgeon, Abernethy was composed.
Bending down over the man he said
with much earnestness: II am glad
your leg is doing well; but never kneel
except to your Maker"
As so often happens, Abernethy
preached better than he practiced; that
is to say, he did not always adopt the
good advice he gave to his patients.
Although so particular always in his
dietetic prescriptions for others, it is
suspected that he was rather an immod-
crate eater himself He was very care
less in other respects, and would walk
down from his house to the hospital in
knee breeches and silk stockings,
through pouring rain, without any eff
fort to protect himself. By the age of
60 he was very lame, thin, and old
looking, and died few years later lit