326 History of Hingham. 



circumstances or individual traits preserved by record or tradition 

 which would remind us of their peculiarities and the conditions 

 under which they were placed. Did space permit the insertion 

 of such notices in this connection they would in many instances, 

 no doubt, furnish interesting reading to those who have a love 

 for the curious, or a taste for the study of the methods and pro- 

 ceedings of the past. The following are illustrations. 



Among the disbursements recorded by the Selectmen in 1794, 

 are the following : — 



To Ebed Hearsey for keeping & nursing Elijah Hearsey 

 from the time his leg was taken off, 13 weeks, 5 sh. per 



week, and 7 sh. per week for nurse for him £7. 16. 



To Doct r Barker, as per account £8. 7. 6 



To Doct r Thaxter, as per account £11. 15. 5 



Probably Doctors Barker and Thaxter were both present, pro- 

 fessionally, at the amputation referred to ; but we get no informa- 

 tion from the account rendered as to how much was charged per 

 visit in surgical operations, as at that time other subjects of the 

 town were under a physician's care, and for the payment of these 

 services the town was responsible. Ordinarily, the charges of 

 these physicians was one shilling per visit. 



Many years ago a venerable gentleman of this town said to 

 the writer : " It was an agreeable picture to see Dr. Tom Thaxter 

 and his son Robert riding along together horseback, each occu- 

 pying opposite sides of the road, with their saddle-bags, to visit 

 the sick. Usually they w T ere very jolly, laughing and joking to- 

 gether like school-boys. Occasionally, when Dr. Tom was alone, 

 he rode in a square-topped chaise which had wooden springs. '' 



The wages for a nurse, in ordinary cases, at the commencement 

 of the present century, were seventy-live cents per week. 



Dr. William Gordon, who came here about the time Dr. Robert 

 Thaxter removed to Dorchester, was a very popular young man. 

 At first he rode in a sulky when visiting his patients. His 

 charges then were fifty cents per visit, but before removing to 

 Boston his price was raised to one dollar. 



Isaiah dishing, s. of Major Isaiah (Vol. II. p. 103 : 36), studied 

 medicine witli Dr. Thomas Thaxter, and settled in the State of 

 Maine. He died in 1819, ait. 42 years. 



The life of a physician is one of incessant anxiety and toil. 

 It does not have the freedom and liberty which is enjoyed in other 

 pursuits, nor, in a pecuniary point of view, do statistics show that 

 it brings to a majority in the profession great wealth. It has 

 been to the writer, however, a pleasant task to recall the virtues 

 of those who have engaged here in this calling ; to know that 

 their lives have been given to the relief of sickness and distress, 

 and to feel assured that such services in our midst have met the 

 approval of this community. 



