Passages from the diary of a late physician.

Samuel Warren

Date:: [1837]

Credit: Passages from the diary of a late physician. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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A more gratifying incident occurred shortly afterwards. I had the misfor- tune to be called, on a sudden emer- gency, into consultation with the late celebrated Dr. . It was the first consultational visit that I had ever paid; and I was, of course, very anxious to acquit myself creditably. Shall I ever forget the air of insolent conde- scension with which he received me ; or the remark he made in the presence of several individuals, professional as well as unprofessional ? —' I assure you, Dr. , there is really some differ- ence between apoplexy and epilepsy, at least there was when I was a young man !' He accompanied these words with a look of supei-cilious commisera- tion, directed to the lady whose hus- band was our patient; and I need not add, that my future services were dis- pensed with ! My heart ached to think that such a fellow as this should have it in his power to take, as it were, the bread out of the mouth of an unpre- tending and almost spirit-broken pro- fessional brother ; but I had no remedy. I am happy to have it in my power to say how much the tone of consulting physicians is now (1820) lowered to- wards their brethren who may happen to be of a few years' less standing, and, consequently, less firmly fixed in the confidence of their patients. It was by a few similar incidents to those above related, that my spirit began to be soured; and had it not been for the unvarying sweetness and cheerfulness of my incomparable wife, existence would not have been tolerable. My professional efforts were paralysed; failure attended every attempt; my ruin seemed sealed. My resources were rapidly melting away—my ex- penditure, moderate as it was, was counterbalanced by no incomings. A prison and starvation scowled be- fore ine. Despairing of finding any better source of emolument, I was induced to send an advertisement to one of the daily papers, stating, that 'a graduate of Cambridge University, having a little spare time at his disposal, was Abemethy is coolly substituted for that of Dr. Hamilton !] willing to give private instructions in the classics, in the evenings, to gentle- men preparing for college, or to others !' After about a week's interval, I re- ceived one solitary communication. It was from a young man holding some subordinate situation under Govern- ment, and residing at Pimlico. This person offered me two guineas a-month, if I would attend him at his own house, for two hours, on the evenings of Mon- day, Wednesday, and Friday ! With these hard terms was I obliged to comply — yes, a gentleman, and a member of an English university, wa8 driven so low as to attend, for these terms, an ignorant underling, and en- deavour to instil a few drops of classic lore into the turbid and shallow waters of his understanding. I had hardly given him a month's attendance before he assured me, with a flippant air, that, as he had now acquired 'a practical knowledge of the classics,' he would dispense with my further services! Dull dunce ! he c< uld not, in Latin, be brought to comprehend the difference between a neuter and an active verb ; while, as for Greek, it was an absolute chokepear ; so he nibbled on to rifirj— and then gave it up. Litter but un- availing were my regrets, as I returned from paying my last visit to this pro- mising scholar, that I had not entered the army, and gone to America, or ever betaken myself to some subordinate commercial situation. A thousand and a thousand times did I curse the am- bition which brought me up to London, and the egregious vanity which led mo to rely so implicitly on my talents for success. Had I but been content with the humbler sphere of a general prac- titioner, I might have laid out my dearly-bought £3000 with a reason- able prospect of soon repaying it, and acquiring a respectable livelihood. But all these sober thoughts, as is usual, came only time enough to eiihance the mortification of failure. * * * # About £300 was now the miserable remnant of the money borrowed from the Jew ; and half a year's interest (£225), together with my rent, was. due in about a fortnight's time. I was, %

Passages from the diary of a late physician.

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