42 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. II- 
scraps, away from those I love most and the 
society I take such delight in.’ 
In a letter to Miss Clift, Owen writes two days 
later (January 14, 1830) : — 
‘ You know not how rapidly I have succeeded 
in gaining golden opinions from all sorts of men 
in this place. You have lent me your attractions 
and have prompted me in all my interviews. To 
give you an idea : the whole medical staff met 
and decided that, though they had pledged them- 
selves to give no opinion on the merits of the 
candidates till February, yet they were so unani- 
mous in my favour that they would commence 
an active canvass for me, and justify themselves 
on the plea of the good of the institution ; they 
changed the name, too, from House Apothecary 
to Resident Medical and Surgical Officer. And 
one of the old physicians said I should have come 
in as it were by acclamation — nay, the expressions 
of goodwill have been so flattering to me, that it 
has made it almost painful to announce to therrt 
my determination to resign. 
‘ But the die is cast ; you shall be with me ever, 
and guide, and prompt, and see my exertions.’ 
In a few days Owen was back again at work on 
the Hunterian Catalogue, devoting the intervals 
of time which were not spent in the museum of 
the College of Surgeons to the development of 
his medical and surgical practice at 1 1 Cook’s 
Court, Lincoln’s Inn Fields. This practice was 
