790 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



Ie6l, he became, early in life, sore 

 upon opposition, whether in argu- 

 ment or conduct ; and always re- 

 venged it by sarcasm of very keen 

 edge. Nor was he less impatient 

 of the sallies of egotism and vanity, 

 even when they were in so slight a 

 degree that stri6t politeness would 

 rather tolerate than ridicule them. 

 Dr. Darwin seldom failed to present 

 their caricature in jocose but wound- 

 ing irony. Ilis scepticism to human 

 truth was extreme. From that cause 

 he often disregarded the accounts 

 his patients gave of themselves, and 

 rather chose to colleft his informa- 

 tion by indirect inquirj, and by 

 cross examining them, than from 

 their voluntary testimony. That dis- 

 trust and that habit Averc probably 

 favourable to his skill in discover- 

 ing the origin of diseases, and thence 

 to his pre-eminent success in elfe6t- 

 ing their cure ; but they impressed 

 his mind and tinctured his conver- 

 sation with an apparent want of 

 confidence in mankind, which was 

 apt to wound the ingenuous and 

 confiding spirit, whether seeking 

 his medical assistance, or his coun- 

 sel as a friend. 



From the time at which Dr. Dar- 

 Trin first came to Lichfield, he avow- 

 ed a convi(5tion of the pernicious 

 effects of all viscous fluids on the 

 j-outhful and healthy constitution ; 

 an absolute horror of spirits of all 

 sorts, and however diluted. His 

 own example, with very few excep- 

 tions, supported his exhortations. 

 From strong malt liquor he totally 

 abstained, and if he drank a glass 

 or two of English wine, he mixed 

 it with water. Acid fruits, with 

 sugar, and all sorts of creams, and 

 butter were his luxuries ; but he 

 always ate plcT.tifully of animal food. 

 This liberal alimentary regimen he 



prescribed to people of every age, 

 where unvitiated appetite rendered 

 them capable of following it ; even 

 to infants. He despised the preju- 

 dice which deems foreign wines more 

 wholesome than the wines of the 

 country. "If you must drink wine," 

 said he, " let it be home-made." — 

 It is well known, that Dr. Darwin's 

 influence and example have sobered 

 the county of Derby ; that intem- 

 perance in fermented fluids of every 

 species is almost unknown amongst 

 the gentlemen. 



Professional generosity distin- 

 guished Dr. Darwin's medical prac- 

 tice.- While resident in Lichfield, 

 to the priest and lay-vicar of its 

 cathedral, and their families, he al- 

 ways cheerfully gave his advice, but 

 never took fees from any of them. 

 He also diligently attended to the 

 health of the poor in that city, and 

 afterwards at Derby, and supplied 

 their necessities by food, and all 

 sorts of charitable assistance. In 

 each of these towns he exercised the 

 most genuine hospitalitj', without 

 extravagance or parade ; deeming 

 ever the first unjust, the latter un- 

 manly. 



To the many rich presents which 

 nature bestowed on the mind of Dr. 

 Darwin, she added the seducing and 

 often dangerous gift of a highly 

 poetic imagination ; but he remem- 

 bered how fatal that gift profession- 

 ally became to the young physicians 

 Akenside and Armstrong. Thus, 

 through the first twenty years of his 

 praftice as a physician, Dr. Darwin, 

 Avith the wisdom of Ulysses, bound 

 himself to the medical mast, that 

 he might not follow those delusive 

 syrens, the muses, or be consider, 

 ed as'their avo^^ed votary. Occa- 

 sional little pieces, however, fre- 

 quently stole from his pen j though 



he 



