Who has often filled the anatomical chair at the Royal Academy, is no
less abstruse and instructive than pleasant and amusing. His
illustrative anecdotes are always excellent, and his way of telling them
quite dramatic. We have found him even more agreeable as a private
talker than as a lecturer; he is rich in the old lore of England--he
will hunt a phrase through several reigns--propose derivations for words
which are equally ingenious and learned--follow a proverb for
generations back, and discuss on the origin of language as though he had
never studied aught beside: he knows more than any other person we ever
met with of the biography of talented individuals--in the philosophy of
common life he is quite an adept--a capital chronologist--a man of fine
mind and most excellent memory: his experience has, of course, been very
great, and he has taken good advantage of it. We remember he once amused
us for half a day by adducing instances of men who, although possessed
of mean talents, had enabled themselves to effect wonders, by simply
hoarding in their minds, and subsequently acting upon, an immense number
of facts: from this subject we naturally enough fell into a discourse on
the importance, in many cases and situations, of attending to trifles.
As a proof of this, he mentioned a circumstance which occurred to an
eminent surgeon within his own memory; it was as follows: A gentleman,
residing about a post-stage from town, met with an accident which
eventually rendered amputation of a limb indispensable. The surgeon
alluded to was requested to perform the operation, and went from town
with two pupils to the gentleman's house, on the day appointed, for that
purpose. The usual preliminaries being arranged, he proceeded to
operate; the tourniquet was applied, the flesh divided, and the bone
laid bare, when, to his astonishment and horror, he discovered that his
instrument-case was without the saw! Here was a situation! Luckily his
presence of mind did not forsake him. Without apprising his patient of
the terrible fact, he put one of his pupils into his carriage, and told
the coachman to gallop to town. It was an hour and a half before the saw
was obtained, and during all that time the patient lay suffering. The
agony of the operator, though great, was scarcely a sufficient
punishment for his neglect in not seeing that all his instruments were
in the case before he started.
Basil Montagu, the water drinking barrister, who was present during the
narration of this anecdote, and the previous discussion, mentioned
another instance of the propriety of noticing those minor circumstances
in life, which are usually suffered to pass unheeded by people in
general. A man of talent was introduced into a company of strangers; he
scarcely spoke after his first salutation until he wished the party good
night. Almost every one dubbed him a fool; the lady hostess, who, be it
remarked, had not been previously informed of the abilities of her new
guest, was of a different opinion, "I am sure," said she, "that you are
all wrong; for, though he said nothing, I remarked that _he always
laughed in the right place_."--_Every Night Book_.
* * * * *