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habits passed into a proverb with the students, for he usually entered 

 the gates as his visiting hour struck. A strict disciplinarian, he was 

 a terror to the slovenly dresser, but an object of respect and admira- 

 tion to the zealous. Freely blaming, if blame were due, he never 

 withheld praise when such was deserved. Exact and punctilious in 

 detail himself, he evinced his strong sense of duty to the patient by 

 examining into the smallest minutiae of dressing and note-taking. 

 Possessing a sound and well-balanced judgment, backed by great 

 clinical experience, he did not permit theories to be based on insuffi- 

 cient bases. His practice and his teaching were not at variance ; 

 both were sound, upright, and just." 



Mr. Curling was appointed Lecturer on Surgery in 1846, and 

 became Full Surgeon of the London Hospital in 1849, from which 

 office he retired in 1869, retaining that of Consulting Surgeon tAi 

 his death. He was appointed Examiner in Surgery to the London 

 University in 1859, Member of the Council of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons in 1864, -Examiner in 1871, and filled the high office of Pre- 

 sident in 1873. He had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society 

 as early as 1850. 



His large and varied experience is stamped on his written works. 

 His earliest investigations were on tetanus, which were rewarded by 

 the Jacksonian prize in 1834. This sound work was followed by 

 many communications of interest and importance to the Royal 

 Medico- Chirurgical and Pathological Societies, comprising amongst 

 them that upon Duodenal Ulceration as a consequence of burns. 

 Towards 1855 the subject of his articles tended rather to the illus- 

 tration of diseases of the testes and rectum, and his wide experience 

 in these sections of surgery was of much benefit to those who suffered 

 from these affections. His works on Diseases of the Testis and on 

 Diseases of the Rectum, each of which reached a fourth edition, are 

 standard authorities on the subjects of which they treat. 



He was a most courteous, amiable man ; undemonstrative in 

 manner, but sincere and true in his friendships and feelings. His 

 character has justly been described as "one of singular honesty and 

 straightforwardness ; he had a kind heart, and secured and kept the 

 deep respect of all who knew him." 



Mr. Curling had two sons, both of whom, as well as their mother, 

 predeceased him. 



J. F. 



