1823.] 
round the wards of the Hospital, and 
aitending to the complaints and suf- 
, ferings of the poor patients with all 
the tenderness of true benevolence, 
would lament with myself, that he 
should so studiously withhold such a 
quality fromthe wealthier and more 
respectable classes of socicty. Yet, 
Notwithstanding the rudeness of his 
manner, there is no professional man 
in the world whom I would rather 
consult than himself. In a case of 
real danger and imporiance, he will 
evinee all the anxiety and attention 
that is necessary; but it must be 
indeed a trial of patience to a person 
whose mind is so constantly and so 
deeply occupied to be eternally tor- 
mented by a tiresome detail of the 
imaginary complaints of a bewildered 
hypochondriac. 
i have hitherte spoken only of Mr. 
Abernethy as a general practitioner ; 
. ‘i have now to speak of him as a lec- 
turer: but I will first describe his 
person to you. He is, as novel- 
writers say, rather above than below 
the middle size; somewhat inclined 
to corpulency, and upright in_ his 
carriage withal; his countenance is 
that of a man of great genius; anda 
nose of Grecian form adds very consi- 
derably to the acute expression of his 
features; while his light grey eyes, 
always animated by some sublime 
conception, seem as if they could 
pierce through the very depths and 
intricacies of science. His hair is 
powdered, or combed very close on 
the temples: his forehead is finely 
formed, and the scowl of deep thought 
has cast a shade of reflection over his 
brows, which is frequently dissipated 
by the smile of humour or derision, 
Imagine, then, if you can, such a per- 
“son as I have thus described entering 
a large semi-circular theatre, precisely 
as the clock is striking two, and com- 
- mencing his lecture before 2 or 300 
students. He begins jn an uncon- 
‘Strained wud distinct tone of voice, 
gradually getting more animated as 
Ae advances into the pith and marrow 
of his subject; and, after lopping off 
all the absurd and useless minutia of 
the science, and after refuting all in- 
~ consistent theories, he arrives at the 
_ conclusion, leaving his auditors deeply 
_ impressed with his instruction. He is 
an excellent chemist, and never fails 
to express his admiration of the illus- 
_ trious John Hunter, who, he repeatedly 
Letters on the Medical School of London. 
1l 
declares, has done more for the im- 
provement of modern surgery than 
any other individual whatever. 
1 will give you one example of his 
oratorial eloquence. Ut occurs at the 
conclusion of a course of Lectures on 
Comparative Anatomy, delivered be- 
fore the College of Surgeons in 1817; 
and if you are not pleased with the 
specimen, yeu are not the man I take 
you for. “I pity the man who can 
survey all the wonders of the vege- 
table and animal kingdoms, who can 
journey through so delightful a dis- 
trict, and afterwards exclaim, ‘all is 
barren.’ Still more do I pity those, 
though the sentiment is mixed with 
strong disapprebation of their conduct, 
who, after having seen much to admire, 
shall, when they meet with a circum- 
stance which they do not understand, 
presumptuously dare to arraign the 
wisdom and benevolence of Nature. 
In the progress of science, many things, 
which at one time appeared absurd, 
and productive of evil, have afterwards, 
upon an accession of knowledge, been 
found to be most wise and beneficent. 
I deem no apology requisite, gentle- 
men, for endeavouring to impress on 
your minds certain axioms relating to 
philosophy iz general, when they are 
directly deducible from the subjects 
of our peculiar studies. I have con- 
stantly and carefully avoided every 
argument foreign to the subject; so 
that, if occasionally I may have ap- 
pearcd to sermonize, I have quoted 
both the chapter and verse of my text 
from the book of Nature. I address 
you, gentlemen, as students of that 
great book, and earnestly exhort you 
to study it with such-sentiments as I 
have endeavoured to inculcate. The 
conviction that every thing tends to 
some immediate or essential good, is 
the greatest incentive to this study. 
It was this conviction that excited 
Hunter to sueh continual enquiry, or 
involved him occasionally in the depths 
and perplexitics of intense thought; 
for ho was never satisfied without be- — 
ing able to assign an adequate reason 
for whatever he observed im the struc- 
ture and economy of animals. This 
conviction makes the study of Nature 
highly interesting, and may, indeed, 
be said to rendor labour delightfal, or 
to mitigate the pains attendant on its 
toil. ‘Yo those who entertain such 
sentiments as 1 have endeavoured to 
inculcate, every thing seems animated, 
beneficent, 
aa 
aa 
