BY DENNIS EMBLETON, M.D. 229 



Mr. Hewitson was a person of slender, wiry frame, and de- 

 cidedly nervous temperament. He suffered from continual dys- 

 pepsia, which made him at times hypochondriacal; at long 

 intervals he suffered from fainting fits. He often required and 

 obtained medical advice, but did not always follow it. He was 

 regular and very temperate in his habits, and scrupulous as 

 to personal cleanliness. He was capable of enduring much 

 bodily fatigue, and when a young man was a bold climber of sea- 

 cliffs in search of eggs. He always anticipated great pleasure 

 from his pursuits, but the attainment of his object failed to bring 

 happiness, though in after years he could look back with some 

 degree of pleasing recollection to what had been done. 



It may be said that tlie spinal part of his nervous system was 

 good, but the cerebral and ganglionic divisions peculiar. He 

 was very sensitive to criticism, and often fancied that people 

 about him were making observations on him, and yet he took as 

 his motto '^Let them talk," as if he cared not what the world 

 thought of him, conscious that he was doing a good work for 

 which he was well adapted. 



He was always glad to see a few select friends interested in 

 his favourite pursuits, and indeed any one who had a taste for 

 them, but he disliked mere idle curiosity, and would resent it ; 

 and from all his friends he expected a certain amount of personal 

 attention, and could not bear that a visitor for the day should go 

 and amuse himself for hours strolling about alone or fishing ; to 

 such a person he would say, " I find you have not come out to 

 see me but to amuse yourself." 



Many anecdotes respecting his treatment of strangers might be 

 told, the following may suffice : — On one occasion, at Oatlands, 

 three young people, two ladies and a gentleman, had asked per- 

 mission to look over his collection of Butterflies. This was 

 readily granted; but when he found two of tlie party flirting be- 

 hind his back, and making him, as ho thought, the object of 

 their mirth, he observed, '*I see you do not care for these things, 

 and as I can spend my time better than by shewing them to you, 

 I beg to show you the door ;" so he closed his cbawers and bowed 

 the party out. 



