/ET. 39.] HEALTH. 321 



my illness of last year. I was throughout attended by 

 Dr Baillie, whose kindness as a friend, and marvellous 

 skill and sagacity as a physician, were unequalled. 



I may here mention an instance or two of the latter 

 qualities. 



My complaint, independent of the pleurisy, had all 

 the appearance of an organic affection, being a great 

 and irregular pulsation of the aorta, which every 

 foreign doctor whom I had consulted when abroad at 

 once pronounced aneurism. Dr Baillie was clear that 

 it was nothing of the kind, and we tried it in every 

 way. I, maintaining it was organic, on one occasion 

 said I should run quickly up-stairs " Mind," he said, 

 " I don't advise you to run up-stairs." However, I 

 did ; and came down safe, which he said I never 

 should have done if it had been aneurism. " But," 

 I said, " you were not at all certain, for you advised 

 me not to try it." He said, " Recollect I have often 

 told you that we cannot look through you as if you 

 were made of glass. But I had every reason, from 

 the symptoms, to believe it was not organic, and 

 was like some other cases I have known." He, how- 

 ever, considered my malady resembled that of Henry 

 Thornton, not as to the irregular action, but as to 

 cough and other symptoms ; and he mentioned Pen- 

 nington having differed with them all on Henry 

 Thornton's case, and proving to be in the right. The 

 case terminated fatally; and when Pennington, who 

 had gained great credit on that occasion, was con- 

 sulted in my case, he at once pronounced it to be pul- 

 monary affection. But Dr Baillie said he was positive 

 it was no such thing ; and he proved right. Thus one 

 sees the difference between a first-rate man and an 



VOL. II. X 



