6 PROFESSIONAL LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 



ment, cancelled. Some years after this, when in professional 

 attendance on the late excellent Duchess of York, her princely 

 consort admitted my active services on the Continent (for he had 

 often himself inspected my hospital regulations, with which he 

 always expressed himself as particularly well pleased), and most 

 kindly observed that they deserved a different treatment from the 

 Medical Board, but over which he had no controul. After this 

 throwing up of my commission, I did not immediately turn my 

 attention to any new pursuit, but remained some time in suspense, 

 at the instance of my kind friend and patron the late Lord 

 Craven, who also had himself left the 40th regiment, with some 

 expectation of obtaining the command of a rifle corps, and in 

 which he promised to procure me a commission, in case his interest 

 should fail to gain me the surgeoncy of it. I was, however, to 

 be again foiled, together with his lordship, who, instead of his medi- 

 tated appointment, was promoted to the rank of a district general ; 

 and I was consequently once more left to pursue my own fortune. 

 Being not altogether destitute, I was in no hurry at that moment 

 to risk a new run of ill luck ; but, on the contrary, quietly retired 

 into the north of England, where my days were occupied in 

 sketching, shooting, or fishing, and my evenings in arranging ma- 

 terials for the Fi7'st Edition of the Veterinary Outlines. But 

 as even such a course of study might not much advance my 

 fortune, it might open a door thereto. It did so, and I had no 

 reason eventually to repent my determination. In a professional 

 practice of human medicine it was certainly disheartening to re- 

 flect that I had lost some years in my start, and that my cotem- 

 poraries, from the advantage of early residence and locality, had 

 outstripped me in the race ; and that, the market being already 

 overstocked with human surgeons, I had numerous difliculties to 

 overcome, and additional time to waste, before I could hope to get 

 even into tolerable practice. I, however, removed to London, 

 where 1 some time lingered in uncertainty : but my Veterinary 

 Outlines, which I had in the meantime published, becoming 

 known, together with the public remembrance of what little no- 



