Charles White, Esq. 37 
and soon became an eminent practitioner in 
his native town.—Nor was his early repu- 
tation confined to this town and its immediate 
vicinity. He was frequently called upon to 
deliver his opinion, and to perform the higher 
operations of the art, at considerable distan- 
ces in the surrounding counties ; and was of- 
ten consulted, by letter, from the most remote 
parts of the kingdom. 
At that time, the advantages of hospital 
practice were confined, almost exclusively, to 
London. The infirmaries of Shrewsbury and 
Liverpool were, I believe, the only provin- 
cial ones; at least in this part of England. 
Such an institution was greatly to be desired 
in a town, even at that period, very nume- 
rously inhabited; the seat of a rising manu- 
facture; and. contiguous to populous dis- 
tricts, both in its immediate neighbourhood 
and in the west riding of Yorkshire, as well 
as to the mining part of Derbyshire. Beside 
the Messrs. White, Manchester possessed the. 
advantage of other able and highly respect- 
able surgeons, and of several experienced 
physicians. The surgeons, especially the 
young men, aware of the benefit that would 
accrue to the public from the institution of 
such a charity, and of the abundant means 
of professional improvement which it would 
