Our familiar friend, "A Book about Doctors," which we have before
introduced to your notice as the only amusing work in the English
language, upon the subject, gives a long list of _bon vivants_ of the old
school, amongst whom are some eminent names in the medical profession. In
fact, the abstemious doctors during the past centuries would seem to have
been far in the minority. Even Harvey was accused of being fond of brandy.
"Dr. George Fordyce was fond of substantial fare, like Radcliffe, who was
a _gormand_. For above twenty years Fordyce dined at Dolly's chop-house.
The dinner he there consumed was his only meal during the four and twenty
hours.
"Four o'clock was his dinner hour. Before him was set a silver tankard of
strongest ale, a bottle of port wine, and a quarter pint of brandy.
"The dinner was preluded by a dish of broiled fowl, or a few whitings.
Having leisurely devoured this plate, the doctor took a glass of brandy,
and ordered his steak, which was always a prime one, _weighing one and a
half pounds_. Of course, vegetables, etc., accompanied the steak.
"When the man of science had devoured the whole of this, the bulk of which
would have kept a boa constrictor happy a twelvemonth, he took the rest of
his brandy, drank off the tankard of ale, and topped off by sipping down
his bottle of port wine.
"Having thus brought his intellects, up or down, to the standard of his
pupils, he rose, and walked down to Essex Street, and delivered his six
o'clock lecture on chemistry." (He lived to the age of sixty-six.)
Another glutton, in contrast with whom Fordyce was an abstinent, was Dr.
Beauford. In 1745 he was summoned to appear before the privy council, to
answer some questions relative to Lord B., with whom the doctor was
intimate.
"Do you know Lord Barrymore?" asked one of the lords.
"Intimately, _most_ intimately," replied the doctor.
"You were often with him?"
"We dine together almost daily when his lordship is in town," answered the
doctor, with expressions of delight.
"What do you talk about?"
"Eating and drinking."
"Eating and drinking! What else?" asked his lordship.
"O, my lord, we never talk about anything but eating and
drinking,--except--"
"Except what, sir?"
"_Except drinking and eating_, my lord."
The council retired, greatly disappointed, for they had expected to worm
some important secret from the doctor.
At Finch Lane Tavern, where Dr. Beauford used to receive the apothecaries
at half fee, he was represented as sitting over his bottles and glasses,
from which he drank deeply, never offering one of his clients a drop,
though they often sat opposite, at the same table, looking with anxious
countenances and watering mouths upon the tempting cordials, as the doctor
tossed them off.
"DOORN'T GO TO 'IM," ETC.
"Not many years since, in a fishing village on the eastern coast, there
flourished a doctor in great repute amongst the poor, and his influence
over the humble patients literally depended on the fact that he was sure,
once in the twenty-four hours, to be handsomely intoxicated.
"Dickens has told us how, when he bought the raven immortalized in
'Barnaby Rudge,' the vender of that sagacious bird, after enumerating his
various accomplishments, said, in conclusion,--
"'But, sir, if you want him to come out strong, you must show him a man
drunk.'
"The simple villagers of Flintbeach had a firm faith in the strengthening
effect of looking at a tipsy doctor. They usually postponed their visits
to Dr. Mutchkins till evening, because they then had the benefit of the
learned man in his highest intellectual condition.
"'Doorn't go to 'im i' the morning; he can't doctor no ways to speak on
till he's had a glass,' was the advice usually given to strangers not
aware of the doctor's little peculiarities."