JOHN BARNARD SWETT JACKSON. 345 



Massachusetts General Hospital, — " being found better fitted than 

 any other applicant." In 1829, he took his medical degree and went 

 to Europe to continue his studies. In Paris, he attended more to sur- 

 gery than to medicine, following the visits of Dupuytren, Roux, and 

 Lisfranc. In London, he attended the visits at Guy's Hospital and 

 the Lectures of Mr. Lawrence; in the evening Dr. Blundell, at 8 A. m., 

 then the lectures of Dr. Turner on Chemistry at the London Hospital, 

 at least three miles off, — back at 12 o'clock to Guy's Hospital. Be- 

 sides these well-known names, I find that of Mr., afterwards Sir Charles, 

 Bell, and many others. " Sir Astley Cooper," he says, " was very cour- 

 teous to me, — spent much time with me in his museum, and treated 

 me for a dissecting wound on my right hand." "I saw much of Drs. 

 Bright, Addison, and Hodgkin, — spent much time at hospitals and 

 autopsies." After passing three mouths in Edinburgh, attending Mr. 

 Syme's Hospital and the Port Hopetown Dispensary, he sailed for 

 home, as physician to the ship in which he came, in June, 1831. 



He must have been, I should think, considering his training at 

 home and abroad, and the indefatigable industry with which he 

 availed himself of all his advantages, the best educated young physi- 

 cian who had ever established himself in Boston. But in medicine, 

 as in politics, nothing succeeds (in a certain sense) but success. Dr. 

 Jackson was too much devoted to the acquisition of knowledge to 

 expend much thought on acquiring a large circle of patients. He can 

 have had little lucrative practice, when in 1835 he accepted the posi- 

 tion of house physician and surgeon at the Massachusetts General 

 Hospital. During one year of the four while he held this post, he 

 received a small salary, but the duties of these two offices, which were. 

 separated when he gave them up, must have occupied the greater 

 portion of his time, and they must have paid him with only partial 

 support, but abundant sources of instruction. 



In the year 1839, he was chosen one of the physicians in full stand- 

 ing of the Hospital. He discharged the duties of this office faithfully 

 for twenty-five years, and after his resignation was chosen one of the 

 consulting physicians of the Hospital, so that for forty-four continuous 

 years he was connected with the Institution. 



A large part of the most valuable work of Dr. Jackson's life was 

 done as a member of the Boston Society for Medical Improvement. 

 This Society, which was organized in the year 1828, has flourished to 

 the present time. The meetings have been faithfully attended by some 

 of our busiest practitioners, and from its records great numbers of inter- 

 esting cases have been given to the public. Of this Society, Dr. Jack- 



