three of the leading physicians, and forty eminent surgeons of London, signed an expression of their confidence in the efficacy of vaccination. The confidence of the public was speedily won for it by the remarkable diminution of mortality which followed its introduction. Jenner bore his success with the same equanimity which he evinced under the neglect and ridicule of the profession, and always manifested a forgiving spirit towards those who

had originally intended, it appears, to have announced them to the world, in the Transactions of the Royal Society. In Moore's "History of Vaccination," we find the true cause of their not appearing in that form. He had been seriously admonished, not to present his paper, lest it should injure the character he had acquired amongst scientific men by a paper he had already published in those "Transactions" on the "Cuckoo!" Before the publication of this work, Jenner had been his calumniators. went up to London for the purpose died in 1823, full of years and of exhibiting the cow-pox, and of honours. demonstrating to his professional friends, the accuracy of his delineations and the truth of his assertions. All were received with the greatest distrust. During a residence of three months, he could not obtain permission to exhibit the vaccine disease upon one individual.

VACCINATION.

He

The Empress Dowager Mary of Russia, and several foreign potentates, sent gratulatory addresses to Dr. Jenner on his discovery of vaccination, which has rapidly gained ground in every quarter of the

A few instances of this kind are worthy of being recorded.

Mr. Cline was the only profes-globe. sional man who perceived the importance of Jenner's discovery, and predicted his success. He advised Jenner to come to London and settle as a practitioner; but nothing could induce him to leave Gloucestershire. The nobility of his nature is shown in the reply he made to the tempting prospect set before him by his adviser. "Shall I," he writes, "who, even in the morning of my days, sought the lowly and sequestered paths of life, the valley and not the mountain,-shall I, now my evening is fast approaching, hold myself up as an object for fortune and for fame? Admitting it is a certainty that I obtain both, what stock shall I add to my little fund of happiness? And as for fame what is it? A gilded bait for ever pierced with the arrows of malignancy."

When Dr. Wickham was made prisoner in France, Dr. Jenner was applied to as the fittest person for addressing to Bonaparte a petition soliciting that physician's liberation. This was at the time of Napoleon's greatest animosity to this country. It happened thus: the emperor was in his carriage, and the horses were being changed. The petition was then presented to him. He exclaimed, "Away! away!" The Empress Josephine, who accompanied him, said, "But, emperor, do you see who this comes from? Jenner!" He changed his tone of voice that instant, and said, "What that man asks is not to be refused;" and the petition was immediately granted. The emperor also liberated many others, even whole families, from time to time, at the request of Dr. Jenner. Indeed, he never refused any request made by Dr. Jenner, who, of course, observed proper delicacy in not apply

But nothing could arrest the progress of Jenner's brilliant and beneficent discovery, which at last bore down incredulity, indifference, hostility, and ridicule. In 1799, thirty-ing too often.

ABERNETHY AND JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN.

LADY MONTAGU'S RESIDENCE IN TUR-
KEY, AND INTRODUCTION OF INO-
CULATION INTO BRITAIN.

99

sanctioned by the College of Physicians, was allowed by Government. Five persons, under condemnation, willingly encountered the danger The heat of Constantinople, dur- with the hopes of life. Upon four ing the summer months, is excessive, of them the eruption appeared on and the European embassies usually the seventh day; the fifth was a retire to the shores of the Bospho- woman, on whom it never appeared, rus, or the village of Belgrade, but she confessed that she had it about fourteen miles distant. In when an infant. With so much these delicious shades, and most ardour did Lady Mary enforce this beautiful forest scenery, Lady Mary salutary innovation among mothers was happy to pass her days. No of her own rank in life, that, as we English traveller visits Belgrade find in her letters, much of her time without participating in her plea- was necessarily dedicated to various sure in her description, and inquir- consultations, and in superintending ing after the site of her residence. the success of her plan.-(Memoirs At present no part of the house by Dallaway.) remains, for such is the fragility of Turkish structures, excepting their mosques, that they seldom last a century.

There was a custom prevalent among the villagers, and, indeed, universal in the Turkish dominions, which she examined with philosophical curiosity, and at length became perfectly satisfied with its efficacy. It was that of ingrafting, or, as it is now called, inoculating with variolous matter, in order to produce a milder disease, and to prevent the ravages made by the small-pox on the lives and beauty of European patients. The process was simple, and she did not hesitate to apply it to her son, at that time about three years old. This was in March, 1717.

ABERNETHY AND JOHN PHILPOT
CURRAN.

A curious scene once took place between Abernethy and the famous John Philpot Curran. Mr. Curran being personally unknown to Mr. Abernethy, had visited him repeatedly without having had an opportunity of explaining to the surgeon so fully as he thought necessary the nature of his malady. At last he determined on obtaining a hearing, and fixing his keen dark eye on the " doctor," he said, "Mr. Abernethy, I have been here on eight different days, and I have paid you eight different guineas; but you have never yet listened to the symptoms of my complaint. I am resolved, sir, not to leave this National gratitude, if directed by room till you satisfy me by doing justice, will not overlook, in fa- so." Struck by his manner, Mr. vour of more recent discoveries, the Abernethy threw himself back in original obligation to Lady Mary his chair, and assuming the posture Wortley Montagu, for the introduc- of an indefatigable listener, replied tion of the art of inoculation into in a tone of half humour, half sarthis kingdom. Mr. Maitland, who casm,-"O, very well, sir! I am had attended the embassy in a ready to hear you out; go on: give medical character, first endeavoured me the whole, your birth, parentage, to establish the practice of it in Lon- and education: I wait your pleadon, and was encouraged by her sure; go on." Upon which, Curran, patronage. In 1721, as its expedi- not a whit disconcerted, gravely ency had been much agitated among began:-"My name is John Philpot scientific men, an experiment, to be Curran. My parents were poor,

but, I believe, honest people, of the province of Munster, where also I was born, at Newmarket, in the county of Cork, in the year 1750. My father being employed to collect the rents of a Protestant gentleman of small fortune, in that neighbourhood, procured my admission into one of the Protestant free schools, where I obtained the first rudiments of my education. I was next enabled to enter Trinity College, Dublin, in the humble sphere of a sizer." And so he continued for several minutes, giving his astonished hearer a true but irresistibly laughable account of his "birth, parentage, and education," as desired, till he came to his illness and sufferings, the detail of which was not again interrupted. It is hardly necessary to add, that Mr. Abernethy's attention to his gifted patient was, from that time to the close of his life, assiduous and devoted.

excited, and vociferated inarticu-
lately in a strange manner; when,
all at once, the doctor, as if he
had just hit on the nature of the
case, suggested that the major's
complaint was in his brain, and
that he could not be in his right
mind. On hearing this, the major
became furious, which was regarded
as confirmatory of the doctor's opi-
nion. They accordingly seized him,
confined him in a strait-waistcoat,
and put him to bed, and the doctor
ordered that the barber should be
sent for to shave the head, and a
blister to be applied to the part
affected. The major, fairly beaten,
ceased making resistance, but made
the best signs his situation and his
imperfect articulation allowed for
pen and paper. This being hailed
as indicative of returning rationa-
lity, writing materials were set be-
fore him; and as soon as he was
sufficiently freed from his bonds,
he wrote "For God's sake send
for the surgeon of the regiment."
This was accordingly done, and
the jaw readily reduced, as it had
been often before. "I hope," added
Abernethy, "you will never forget
how to reduce a dislocated jaw."

JENNER AND THE FOREIGN POTEN-
TATES.

ABERNETHY—A CLASS ILLUSTRATION. Few old pupils (says M'Ilwaine, who was one of them) will forget the story of the major who had dislocated his jaw. This accident is a very simple one, and easily put right; but having once happened, is apt to recur on any unusual extension of the lower jaw. Abernethy When the foreign potentates arriused to represent this as a frequent ved in this country in 1814, they occurrence with the hilarious major; all expressed a wish to see Dr. but, as it generally happened at Jenner; he was first introduced to mess, the surgeon went round to the Grand Duchess of Oldenburgh, him, and immediately put it in when the conversation turned upon again. One day, however, the major philosophical subjects, and her imwas dining about fourteen miles perial highness astonished the docfrom the regiment, and, in a hearty tor by the extent of her informalaugh, out went his jaw. They sent tion. Dr. Jenner requested her for the medical man, whom, said imperial highness, when she wrote Abernethy, we must call the apo- to her august mother, to have the thecary. Well, at first he thought goodness to say that he had a gratethe jaw was dislocated; but he ful remembrance of the kind attenbegan to pull and to show that he tion which she showed him. "When knew nothing about the proper I write?" she replied, "I will write mode of putting it right again. this very evening!"-At parting On this the major began to be very she said, "Dr. Jenner, you must

see the emperor, my brother, who is | jesty, however, gave him a very expected here soon." Dr. Jenner polite reception, and apologized for bowed acquiescence and withdrew. being under the necessity of going The emperor arrived, and the to church; but made, as did the promised interview took place in other sovereigns, a general acknowthe most gracious form. The Doc- ledgment of the obligations of the tor was ushered into a room, which world to Dr. Jenner. His Prussian soon after his imperial majesty en- majesty was the first crowned head tered alone. He pronounced the who submitted his own offspring to words "Dr. Jenner!" (which was vaccination; and the Emperor of returned with a respectful bow), Austria followed his example. After and then advanced and touched his the king was gone, the crown-prince, right shoulder. Alexander shortly and many others of the illustrious commenced a discourse upon the foreigners, honoured Dr. Jenner astonishing effects of vaccination in with particular notice, and gave him Russia; and Dr. Jenner had the a pressing invitation to Berlin. pleasure of hearing him declare, that the vaccine had nearly subdued small-pox throughout that country. Dr. Jenner then told the emperor that he had the highest gratification at hearing such an important fact from his majesty himself. The Doctor next preThe next interview was with sented the monarch with a volume Platoff. To the astonishment of of his own works upon the subject; Dr. Jenner, who was accompanied and added, "that in whatever coun- by Dr. Hamel (a physician born on try vaccination was conducted in a the banks of the Don, and acsimilar way to that which his ma- quainted with the Cossack lanjesty had commanded in the Rus-guage), the count proved to be sian empire, the small-pox must quite a polished gentleman, had a necessarily become extinct." knowledge of vaccination and practised it. He said, "Sir, you have extinguished the most pestilential disorder that ever appeared on the banks of the Don."

In a few days afterwards Count Orloff, with whom he had been long acquainted, from attendance on his countess, waited on Dr. Jenner, and asked him if a Russian order would be acceptable to him, should his majesty be graciously pleased to confer it. Dr. Jenner replied, that he thought this exclusively belonged to men of perfect independence. The count expressed his surprise at his not possessing a pecuniary independence. Dr. Jenner answered, that he possessed a village fortune, though not what came under the general acceptation of the term independence.

By appointment Dr. Jenner waited on the King of Prussia. The Dr. came rather late, and the king was in haste to go to church. His ma

Dr. Jenner's next presentation was to Blucher. He was very polite, and rather facetious. Before the general entered the room, a Turkish tobacco-pipe (a Turkey bowl with an alder stick) was brought in by a servant, upon a velvet cushion.

SIR RICHARD JEBB.

This eminent physician used to tell a story of himself, which made even rapacity comical. He was attending a nobleman, from whom he had a right to expect a fee of five guineas: he received only three. Suspecting some trick on the part of the steward, from whom he received it, he, at the next visit, contrived to drop three guineas. They were picked up, and again deposited in his hand; but he still continued to look on the carpet. His lordship asked if all the guineas were found. "There must be two

still on the floor,” replied Sir Rich-in great Russell Street, Bloomsard, "for I have but three." The hint was taken as he meant.

bury, was purchased for the reception of this collection, as well as for that of the Cottonian Library, and the Harleian manuscripts; and thus, Sir Hans Sloane became the founder of the British Museum, one of the noblest collections in the world. But the wits, who never spare a character, however emi

"But what address can be more sublime

Than Sloane-the foremost toyman of

his time?

His nice ambition lies in curious fancies, His daughter's portion a rich shell enhances,

And Ashmole's baby-house is, in his view,

Britannia's golden mine-a rich Peru! How his eyes languish! how his thoughts adore,

SIR HANS SLOANE'S LIBERALITY. Sir Hans Sloane was a governor in almost every hospital about London; to each he gave a hundred pounds in his life-time; and, at his death, a sum more considerable. He formed the plan of a dispensa-nently great and useful, more than tory, where the poor might be fur- once took occasion to ridicule this nished with proper medicines at good man for a taste, the utility of prime cost; which, with the assist- which they did not comprehend, ance of the College of Physicians, but which was honoured with the was afterwards carried into execu-unanimous approbation of the Brition. He gave the company of tish legislature. Thus Young, in apothecaries the entire freehold of his Love of Fame :their botanical garden at Chelsea; in the centre of which a marble statue of him is erected, admirably executed, by Rysback, and the likeness striking. He did all he could to forward the colony in Georgia, in 1732; of the Foundling Hospital, in 1739, and formed the plan for bringing up the children. He was the first in England who introduced, into general practice, the use of bark, not only in fevers, but in a variety of other cases; particularly in nervous disorders, in mortifications, and in violent hæmorrhages. His cabinet of curiosities, which he had taken so much pains to collect, he bequeathed to the public; on condition, that the sum of £20,000 should be paid to his family; which sum, though large, was not the original cost, and scarce more than the intrinsic value of the gold and silver medals, the ores and precious stones, that were found in it. Besides these, there was his library, consisting of more than 50,000 volumes, 347 of which were illustrated with cuts, finely engraven, and coloured from nature; 3566 manuscripts; and an infinite number of rare and curious books. The Parliament accepted his bequest; and that magnificent structure, called Montague House,

wore!

That painted coat which Joseph never
He shows, on holidays, a sacred pin,
That touch'd the ruff, that touch'd
Queen Bess's chin."

SAT. IV. 113-122.

MRS. SARAH HASTINGS AND MRS.
FRENCH.

The memory of female doctors soon vanishes, and seldom reaches beyond their cotemporaries. They sink into the grave, together with their patients, and all remembrance of their deeds is lost.

A few doctresses, however, have by accident acquired a more permanent fame, by their names being mentioned in some standard work, which preserves their memory: this is the case with Mrs. Sarah Hastings and Mrs. French, of Leicester, who have had their names immortalized by their cures being recorded in the Philosophical Transactions.