VETERINARY SKETCHES. 
105 
power of pursuing his profession for a day or two at a time, and he 
told me that the disease was incurable, as far as he could learn from 
his own experience and that of others.” 
“ Matthew Baillie was remarkable for his kindness to the whole 
profession, but especially to the junior members of it. He knew that 
his frown could chill their aspiring hopes, or a contemptuous word 
crush and destroy them. They had no fear of his seeing their 
patients without them, as no word of censure would escape his 
lips. He was not an assassin, who would proffer one hand in 
friendship, and stab in the back with the other. His integrity was 
as remarkable as his consideration and kindness. The candour of 
Baillie was another striking feature in his character. 
He laid the foundation of the practice, for, before his time, it was 
chiefly empirical. It was his cultivation and knowledge of morbid 
anatomy, and numerous opportunities in practice, which gave to 
medicine the scientific character it now holds.” 
“ Sir Everard Home was a very industrious man ; he had a good 
deal of genius, and great quickness. His papers in the Philoso- 
phical Transactions were numerous, and often very good. He might 
have had the hints from John Hunter, but he improved on them. 
He never did so unwise a thing as to burn John Hunter’s papers, 
as it made the world believe that he did nothing himself. He was 
vain and overbearing until the latter part of his life, when he was 
humbled by disappointment. He was violent in his language, and 
was intemperate in his use of wine. His examinations at the 
College were good. He told a good story, and was a good classic. 
He was very stout, and was so full of blood, that he seemed as if a 
fountain would spring from the smallest wound. He was a good 
operator, slow but steady.” 
Sir Astley of himself. 
“ Sir Astley Cooper was a good anatomist, but never was a good 
operator where delicacy was required. He felt too much before he 
began ever to make a perfect operator. Quickness of perception 
was his forte; for he saw the nature of the disease in an instant, and 
often gave offence by pouncing at once upon his opinion. The 
same faculty made his prognosis good. He was a good anatomist 
of morbid as well as of natural structure. He had an excellent 
