Passages from the diary of a late physician / by Samuel Warren, author of 'Ten thousand a-year'.

  • Samuel Warren
Date:
[1890]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Passages from the diary of a late physician / by Samuel Warren, author of 'Ten thousand a-year'. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

    11/330 (page 5)
    From what cause, or combination of causes, I know nut, but I seemed mark- ed ont lor failure in my piofession. Tliou>»h my name shone on my door, and tlie ni-'glibourliood could not but )iave noticed ttie regularity of my lia- bitsaiid maimers, yft noneevprthciu;.;lit of calling nie in I I must acknowledge that a probable cause of my ill success was an insignilicaut pei sou and unpre- possessing countenance. I could not wear such an eternal smirk of conceit- ed complacency, or keep my head per- petually bowing, as many of my pro- fessional brothers. Still there were thousands to whom these deficiencies proved no obstacles. The misfortune in my ease was the want of introduc- tions. There was a man of rank and great wealth, who was a fiftieth cousin of mine,wlioresided in oneofthesquares not far from me, and on whom I had called to claim kindred, and solicit his patronage ; but after having sent up my name and address, I was suffered to wait so long in an ante-room tliat, what with this and the noise of servants bu.stling past with familiarity, I forgot the relationship, and left the house, wondering what had brought me there. I never felt inclined to go near it again ; so there was an end of all prospects of introduction from that quarter. I was left to rely exclusively on my own ef- forts, and trust to cliaiice for patients. It is true that, in the time I have men- tioned, I was twice called in at an in- stant's warning; but, in both cases, the objects of my visits had ex]iired be'ore my arrival : and the manner in wiiich my fees were in-ollered, convinc- ed me that I sliould be cursed for a mercenary wretch if I accepteil them. I wns induced, in eacli case, to decline the guinea, though it would have pur- Cha.sed Mie a week's happiness ! I was, on several occasions, calleil in to visit the infiTior members of families in tlie neighbourhood—.servants, housekeep- ers, porters, A:c.; and of all the nmi ti- fying occurr>'nces in the life of a young J'bysicinn, ^ucl] '.ccaslnns as tliese are the most irritating. Vou go to the him.-'e—a large one probably—and are instructed not to knock at the front di.or, but to go down by the area to yoTir patii-nt! I tliink it was about this time tliat I was snmnmned in ha.ste to Sir Charle.s P , who resided near llayfair. Delighted at the pn.spect of securing so distinguished a patient, I hurried to his 111.II-..-. ri-s..lved to do my utmost to give sati.<facti(,ii. When I entered the room, I found the sprig of fash inn en- velo[«!d in a silk dressing.gnwn, s tling on the nofa, uui] sipping a cup of cot^ fee, from which ho desisted a moment to exann'ne me through his eye-glass, and then directed me to inspect the swelled foot of a pointer I Uarting a look of anger at the coxcomb, I with- drew without uttering a word. Five v/iv(/'s afterwards did that young man make use of the most strenuous eti'orta to oust me from the coulideuce of a fa- mily of distinction, to which he was rol'ited. A more gratifying incident occurred sluii'ily ailei wards. I had the misfor- tune to be called, on a sudden emer- gency, into consultation with the late Dr. . It was the first consulta- tional visit that I had ever paid ;and I was anxious to acquit myself credita- bly. Sliall I ever forget the air of in- solent condescension with which he re- ceived me ; or the remark he made in the presence of several individuals, pro- fessional as well as unprofessional?— ' I assure you. Dr. , there is really some dilfereuce between apoplexy and eiiilepsy, there was when I was a young man !' He accompanied these words with a look of commiseration, directeil to the lady whose husband was our patient; and I need not add, that my future services were dispenseil with ! My heart aclied to think that such a fellow as this should have it in his power to take the bread out of the mouth of an almost spirit-broken pro- fessional brother ; but I had no reme- dy. I am ha])]iy to have it in my pow- er to say how much the tone of con- sulting physicians is now lowered to- wards tlieir brethren who may happen to be of a few years' less standing, and less llrmly fixed in the coulideuce of their jiatients. It was by a few simi- lar inciilents to those above related, that my spirit began to be soured ; and had it not been for the unvarying cheerfulness of my wife, existence would not have been tolerable. My professional efforts were jiaralysed ; failure attended every attempt ; my ruin se(mied sealed. My resources were rajiidly melting away—my exjien- ditiire was counlerbalanced by no in- comings. A jirison and starvation scowled liefore me. IJesjiaiiing of finding any better emo- lument, I was induceil to send an ad- vei tisemeut to one of the daily papers, stating, that ' a giadnate of Cambridge Univc'rsity, having spare tinu? at his disiio.sal, was willing to giv.']iriv,'ite iu- .strui:ti(UiS in the classics, in the even- ing, to gentlemen pri'paring for col lege, or to others !' After a w(!ek's interval, I received one comtnnnicalion. It was from n young man ludiling some sulmr- dinate situation under governmeut,