PROFESSIONAL LIFE OF THE AUTHOR 5 



professional avocations left me in preparing and publishing, 

 the Anatomy of the Horse, in folio monthly numbers, with both 

 coloured and plain plates. Of this work it is certainly not too 

 much to say, that it was a spirited undertaking : it was also 

 thought so worthy of encouragement by that excellent character 

 and great lover of this animal, George the Third, that he was 

 pleased personally to urge my continuance of it, giving me, 

 at the same time, permission to dedicate it to him. Settled as I 

 now appeared to be, even yet a new aberration awaited me, fate 

 herself seeming to have ordained that I should not remain long in 

 one situation ; for the death of a near relative investing me with a 

 considerable property, I relinquished my professional pursuits, 

 and retired into the country, where the expences of a sporting 

 establishment in a few years forced on me the necessity of again 

 adopting a new course of life. In consequence, I first accepted 

 a commission in the North Gloucester Regiment of Militia, and 

 in it passed a campaign in Ireland during the rebellion ; but 

 after two years wasted in this manner, prudence dictating that it 

 was doing nothing towards my future welfare, on the announce- 

 ment of the expedition to the Helder, I offered my services to 

 the Medical Board, which were accepted, and I was provision- 

 ally appointed surgeon to the second battalion of the 40th re- 

 giment, with which I immediately embarked for Holland. As 

 this corps particularly distinguished itself, and bore the brunt of 

 several actions, my experience in my profession received consi- 

 derable additions ; but neither my prospects nor interests seemed 

 to be much brightened by my services, although a public ac- 

 knowledgment of them by the regiment, coupled with a request 

 for my continuance with it, was formally made to the Medical 

 Board ; but which availed little, for the system of favoritism of 

 the surgeon-general of that time made him, at the instance of Ge- 

 neral Cameron, then embarking for the West Indies, order me to 

 accompany him, although but three weeks returned from Holland. 

 Indignant at such treatment, I refused to go ; and thus any claim 

 of mine for active service in several regiments was, in one mo- 



