'824-33 ABERNETHY PROVOKED TO ANGER 31 
s-nd quite pleasant in his manner. The result of 
'■ ^ ’Meeting was, that Abernethy offered him the 
post of prosector for his lectures. The prosector, 
Amongst other obvious advantages, was not at 
e expense of purchasing his own subjects for 
inconsiderable item of expenditure 
I ^n ; and further, the subjects provided for the 
sctures were in a much sounder and fresher con- 
ation, comparatively speaking, than was usually 
t e case in those body-snatching days. 
From such a chief as Abernethy, Owen could 
Jtot fail to profit. As a rule he fared well at the 
Ands of his Professor ; but on one occasion he 
provoked Abernethy to anger. The lecture was 
the human kidney, which Owen had duly 
prepared ; but unfortunately, in the process of 
preparation the part known as the suprarenal 
oapule came off, owing most likely to its not 
eing quite so fresh as it might have been, and 
A great hurry the prosector carefully fixed it 
^ again but to the wrong end of the kidney. 
ernethy s explanations were somewhat far ad- 
’'^Anced before he found this out, and not looking 
^ery closely at the specimen he held in his hand, 
e was elaborately describing its structure, as if it 
A been a normal kidney. When he discovered 
^ error committed, he did not let the occasion 
pass without bestowing a few flowers of speech 
'^pon his young friend. 
In the same year Owen was elected a member 
