300 Biographical Notice of Dr. Bruce. 
disqualified by old age, when he retired from business, and died. 
a few years since in London. For many years he acted as sur- 
geon to the several ships commanded by Sir Peter Parker, cap- 
tain, and afterwards admiral. : 
Doctor William Bruce, before his final separation from his 
family, on the occasion of his being ordered to the West-India 
station had always declared that his son Archibald should nev- 
er be educated for the medical profession; and finally enjoined 
such instruction upon his wife and friends, to whom the charge 
of the boy was committed. After his decease, the same injunction 
_ was repeated by the uncle, then in Europe, who was ever averse 
to his nephew’s making choice of this profession: much pains were 
therefore early exerted to divert him from such inclination. ~ 
. The momentous state of political affairs, induced his mother 
to'send bim to Halifix, under the care of William Almon, M. D. 
a particular friend of her husband, with whom, however, re- 
maining but a short time, he returned ‘to New-York; and was 
placed at a boarding-school at Flatbush, Long Island, under the 
direction of Peter Wilson, LL.D. who was in high standing a8 . 
a teacher of the languages. =} . 
In 1791, he was admitted a student of the arts in Columbia 
college. Nicholas Romayne, M.D. was at this time among the 
physicians of highest consideration in New-York, and was en- 
gaged in delivering lectures on different <ubjects of medical 
science in Columbia college. Having pursued the early part 
of his medical studies with Dr. William Bruce, he felt a gen 
rous gratitude for the instruction and attention which he had 
received from him, and endeavored to requite them by bod 
vising with his son, and promoting his views, as far as lay in his 
power. Here commenced a friendship which increased with 
advancing years, and terminated but with life. At this period, 
young Bruce began to evince a desire to oppose the inclination 
of his father and friends by’stadying medicine; this study; with- 
out their knowledge, and while a’ student. of the arts in the 
senior class, he commenced by attending Dr. Romayne’s lec 
tures. Such wasthe strong bent of his mind towards the study 
of medicine,” and its collateral physical pursuits, that the per 
