1 8 38-39- EXAMINATION FOR M.D. . 79 



of the Prayer Book at home, and then took to Surgery, 

 which I nearly finished that night. 



"The only one of the examinators who bothered me 

 much was Hamilton ; but he smiled, told stories, and 

 answered his own questions, and declared himself quite 

 satisfied, the which I did not contradict, although, when 

 the examination was over, I apologized for having answered 

 so ill, as I had been working at chemistry all winter. He 

 would not, however, hear me ; said I had answered quite 

 well ; so that I must fain lay that unction to my wounded 

 pride, which does not, however, suffer much on this subject. 

 I was more fortunate with Home, who took me on the very 

 subject I had made a particular revision of on the morning 

 of the examination, viz. measles, small-pox, scarlet fever, 

 and the like, in which I perfectly succeeded in satisfying 

 the gentleman, as far as his deafness would allow him; 

 there are worse faults than that last in an examinator ; and 

 when he asked me some inconvenient questions about skin 

 diseases, I led him away to a more familiar subject. Dr. 

 Traill questioned me regarding the differences between the 

 appearances when men are hanged by the neck till dead, 

 and when they are strangled on the ground by a rope 

 twisted round their throats in short, on the philosophy of 

 burking ; I amply satisfied him on all these pleasing topics, 

 and was sent from him with high commendations. Dr. 

 Christison let me very easily off, with a few words about 

 creosote and prussic acid. Sir Charles Bell, a most gentle- 

 manly, kind examinator, gave me a few questions regarding 

 the diseases for which legs are cut off. And here am I 

 waiting only for the mystic touch of the medicating cap to 

 stand forth to the world a physician ! What the exact 

 etiquette as to the assumption of the title before capping is, 

 I don't know, but as I have paid the fees, I make no scruple 



