The Sun. — 1831-06-02 (London, England)

THE LATE MR. ABERNETHY.  (From the Metropolitan Magazine.) Mr. Abernethy, although amiable and goodnatured, with strong feelings, possessed an irritable temper, which made him very petulant and impatient at times with his patients and medical men who applied to him for his opinion and advice on cases. When one of the latter asked him once whether he did not think that some  plan which he suggested would not answer, the only reply he could obtain was, " Aye, aye, put a little salt on a bird's tail and you'll be sure to catch him." When consulted on a case  !)y the ordinary medical attendant he would frequently pace the room to and fro with his hands in his breeches' pockets, and tuhistle all the lime, and not say a word, but to tell the practitioner to go home and read his book. " Reed _ mg book," was a very frequent reply to his patients also, and he could seldom be prevailed upon to prescribe or give an opinion if the case was one which appeared to depend upon improper dieting. A country farmer of immense weight came from a distance to consult him, and having given an account of his daily meals, which showed no small degree of addiction to animal food, Mr. Abernethy said, " Go away, Sir, I won't attempt to prescribe for such a hog.' He was particular in not being disturbed during meals ; and a gentleman having called after dinner, he went into the passage, put his hands upon the gentleman's shoulders, and turned him out of doors. He would never permit his patients to talk to him much, and often not at all ; and he desired them to hold their-tongues and listen to him, while he gave a sort of clinical lecture upon the subject of the consultation. A loquacious lady having called to consult him, he could not succeed in silencing her without resorting to the following expedient :—" Put out `•our tongue, madam." The lady complied. " Now keep it there till I have done talking." Another lady brought her daughter to him one day, hut he refused to hear her or to prescribe, advising her to make the girl take exercise When the guinea was put into his band, he recalled the mother and said, " Here, take the  shilling back, and buy a skipping-rope for your daughter as you go along." He kept his pills in a bag, and used to dole them out to his patients, and on doing so to a lady who stepped out of a corouetted carriage to consult him, she declared they made her sick, and she could never take a pill. " Not take a pill ! what a fool you must be," was the courteous and conciliatory reply to the Countess. When the late Duke of York consulted him, he stood whistling with his hands in his pockets, and the Duke said, I suppose you know who I am." The uncourtly reply was, " Suppose 1 do—what of that ? His pithy advice was, " Cut off the supplies, as the Duke of Wellington did in his campaigns, and the enemy will leave the citadel." When he was consulted for lameness following disease or accidents, he seldom either listened to the patient or made any inquiries, but would walk about the room imitating the gait peculiar to different injuries, for filo general instruction of the patient. A gentleiran consulted him for an ulcerated throat, and, on asking him to look into it, he swore at him, and demanded how he dared to suppose that he would allow him to blow his stinking foul breath in his face ? A gentleman who could not succed in making Mr. Abernethy listen to a narration of his case, and having had a violent altercation with him on the subject, called next day, and, as soon as he was admitted, he locked the door, and put the key. into his pocket, and took out a loaded pistol. The professor, alarmed, asked if he meant to rob or murder him. The patient, however, said he merely wished him to listen to his case, which he had better submit to, or he would keep him a prisoner till he chose to relent. The patient and the surgeon afterwards became most friendly towards each other, although a great many oaths passed before peace mas established between hem.