BROWN. 



Brown. During this time he devoted himself to the duties of 

 v * his employment, and to his improvement in Gre- 

 cian and Roman literature. - It may be here re- 

 marked, that he distinguished himself among his 

 companions, not only by his superiority in his studies, 

 but also by his skill in almost every athletic exercise- 

 wrestling, boxing, and running, were his favourite 

 recreations. 



On quitting the situation of usher to Mr Cruick- 

 shank, he went into the family of a neighbouring 

 gentleman, as tutor to the children. There he did 

 not long remain ; but whether hisj-emoval was owing 

 to the insolence of the gentleman with whom he lived, 

 or to his adding " the stiffness of pedantry to the 

 sourness of bigotry," is a point at issue among his 

 biographers : we strongly suspect that each of these 

 causes may have had some effect, though bigotry 

 probably had the least. 



On leaving the family of which he had so recently 

 become an inmate, he proceeded to Edinburgh, and 

 attended the philosophical classes with success ; he 

 afterwards made some progress in his theological 

 studies; but his attention was soon diverted from the 

 latter to medical speculations, by his having acci- 

 dentally translated a thesis, or inaugural disserta- 

 tion, into Latin, which at once exceeded the ex- 

 pectations of his employer, and gave a new impulse 

 to his genius. 



Having resolved on altering the course of his life, 

 he returned to Dunse, and resumed his labours as 

 usher the duties of this humble though import- 

 ant office, he performed from Martinmas 1758 to 

 the same term in 1759. He then returned to Edin- 

 burgh, and a vacancy having occurred in the High 

 School of that city, he became a candidate to fill it ; 

 but being destitute of a patron, he failed, as usual in 

 all similar cases, and was left to struggle against 

 adversity, with the embarrassments that appear al- 

 most incidental to talent. 



Though disappointed, he did not despair, but ap- 

 plied with vigour to his medical pursuits ; and, as a 

 preliminary step, addressed a Latin letter (which is 

 said to be pure and elegant) to the late venerable 

 and acute Dr Monro, stating his necessities, and re- 

 questing the privilege of free admission into the Ana- 

 tomical Theatre : So successful was this first appli- 

 cation, that he was encouraged to address the re- 

 mainder of the Professors of the University of Edin- 

 burgh-, it need scarcely be added, that their liber- 

 ality equalled his highest expectations. We feel 

 proud in thus recording an event, which we are also 

 proud to add, has many parallels at the present 

 time. 



Thus encouraged by the favour of his teachers, 

 John Brown entered on his medical career, and pro- 

 secuted it with an ardour that was amply recom- 

 pensed by his success. During his labours for two 

 or three years, he supported himself by teaching the 

 classics ; but afterwards finding himself qualified to 

 promote the studies of the more advanced students, 

 he abandoned his early occupation, and engaged in 

 that profession which is technically phrased among 

 the young inen of the university grinding." As 

 this is a profession little known beyond the precincts 



of the college of James the Sixth, it may be pro- Brown, 

 per to give some account of its origin and history. * v 

 It is well known, that among the multitude of young 

 men who crowd to Edinburgh to receive medical in- 

 structioa, there is a very abundant proportion whose 

 literary attainments are remarkably humble ; many of 

 these young men, on being initiated into societies, and 

 on learning that they can talk as well as wiser men, 

 aspire to the highest dignity of the science. Not 

 being possessed of Latin enough, either to write the 

 inaugural dissertation, or to undergo the various ex- 

 aminations to which every candidate must be sub- 

 jected, it becomes necessary to employ some . one 

 qualified to execute the first, and to afford such ra- 

 pid instruction as may enable them to overcome the 

 mighty difficulties which oppose their progress. 

 Some young man, fitted by talent and experience to 

 exercise this calling, engages in it, and is called a 

 " grinder." A name particularly expressive, when 

 we consider its origin. It is but justice to add, that 

 these grinding performers are sometimes employed 

 by men of education and talent, who are indolent, 

 and wish speedily to be familiarized with colloquial 

 Latin. 



Previous to Mr Brown's engaging in this new pro- 

 fession, we have mentioned that he acted as a pri- 

 vate teacher ; and in that capacity he attended the 

 family of the late Dr Cullen, who continued his pa- 

 tronage for as long a time as circumstances permit- 

 ted. In 1761, Mr Brown became member of the 

 Royal "Medical Society of Edinburgh, a society 

 which can boast of having been upheld by the vo- 

 luntary support of the students for upwards of 

 seventy years, and of having enrolled the most dis- 

 tinguished medical philosophers among' its members 

 during that period. 



Under the distinguished patronage of Cullen, 

 Brown opened a boarding-house for the students of 

 the university ; the profits of which, with those of 

 his profession, enabled him to marry. About this time 

 he had the privilege of illustrating, every evening, 

 the morning lecture of Dr Cullen, and for this pur- 

 pose he was entrusted With the manuscript. But in 

 spite of all these advantages, Mr Brown's total want 

 of economy, and of attention to those matters which 

 claim the notice of every honest man, soon involved 

 him in pecuniary difficulties, from which he never 

 appears to have been ever after freed. A compro- 

 mise with his creditors at this time relieved his most 

 urgent necessities. 



After these unfortunate events, he laboured very 

 hard, in hopes of obtaining a professorship in one of 

 the infant seminaries of North America, then be- 

 longing to Great Britain ; but this expectation was 

 disappointed. He subsequently ascribed his want of 

 success to selfish motives on the part of Dr Cullen : 

 but it does not appear to have been a well-founded sus- 

 picion. Soon afterwards, he was farther disappoint- 

 ed in his views towards the chair of the Theory of Me- 

 dicine, to which the present Dr Gregory was then 

 elected. This event, which he also ascribed to the 

 unfair conduct of his old patron, was followed by his 

 rejection on applying to become a member of the so- 

 ciety which published the Edinburgh Medical Essays ; 



