BIOGRAPHY. 31 



poulticing and constant care, the full use of the finger was 

 restored. 



The other accident might have caused his death on the 

 spot, and was a far more severe one than that by which he 

 afterwards lost his life. 



In 1850, he being then in his sixty-ninth year, he was 

 mounted on a ladder for the purpose of pruning the brandies 

 of a pear-tree. The ladder, which was merely propped 

 against a machine of his own invention, slipped sideways, 

 and came to the ground, Waterton having fallen nearly 

 twenty feet. 



He had been repeatedly warned that the machine, not 

 having side stays, must fall if the weight were thrown on 

 one side. But he still persisted in using it, although, 

 shortly before the accident, his son had left the spot, 

 saying that he would not be responsible for an accident 

 which he foresaw but could not prevent. He was partially 

 stunned, and his arm greatly injured, the heavy ladder and 

 machine having fallen into the hollow and smashed the 

 elbow-joint. 



His first act on recovering himself was to use his lancet 

 and take away thirty ounces of blood. Unfortunately a 

 second accident happened almost immediately after the 

 first, a servant having thoughtlessly withdrawn a chair 

 just as he was seating himself, and so causing a second 

 shock, and the loss of thirty ounces more blood. 



For some time, he lay insensible and was apparently 

 dying fast, but his iron constitution at length prevailed, 

 and he was restored to life, though not to health. The 

 injured arm was gradually dwindling in size, and gave 

 continual pain, causing loss of sleep and appetite. He 

 had at last resolved on having the arm amputated, when 

 his gamekeeper advised him to try a certain bone-setter 

 living at Wakefield, who was celebrated for his cures. 



