A YORKSHIRE NATURALIST 27 



mortar with which divers medicaments had to be 

 hammered and brayed, until the bulk could be 

 passed through a fine hair sieve. Then came pre- 

 parations of certain infusions, in which senna leaves, 

 gentian roots, rose leaves, etc., had severally to be 

 put into jugs, which were filled with boiling water and 

 tightly closed. 



During the day the Governor, as I found Mr. 

 Weddell was always designated, occasionally called 

 at the surgery to order medicines that happened to 

 be wanted immediately. But the great time for 

 work began about six o'clock in the evening, when 

 the physic-making for the day took place. At that 

 time few patients, excepting such as lived in the~ 

 country, and whose visits involved the hire of a 

 horse, paid for anything beyond the cost of medi- 

 cines which they received. Payment for visits was 

 almost unknown among second-rate general practi- 

 tioners in provincial towns. 



Such practitioners were paid for their services by 

 the sale of drugs, which their patients must swallow. 

 As my governor had a very large practice among the 

 middle and lower classes of a maritime fishing town 

 such as Scarborough then was, the number of 

 draughts and mixtures to be compounded, pills to 

 be rolled, ointments to be rubbed up, and blisters 

 and plasters to be spread, made the two or three 

 hours after six o'clock a busy time. Even when all 

 this was accomplished, the day's work was not done. 

 On my first evening I had to accompany the senior 



