Living, at the time to which we are now alluding, in Ely Place, and attending his lectures long after we had commenced practice, we frequently walked down with him to lecture; sometimes in the rain, when we used to think his knee-breeches and silk stockings looked most uncomfortable. Besides this, he was very careless about his umbrella; I never recollect him on such occasions calling a coach, and I hardly ever knew him come down to his evening lecture in his carriage. He generally came to the two-o'clock lecture some minutes before the time; and, as he often complained of cold feet, he would stand opposite one of the flue openings in the Museum. One day, I ventured to suggest to him that the transition of temperature to the cold place he occupied in the theatre rendered this hardly prudent, when he said, "Ay!" and moved away. Though temperate, without being very particular in his diet, these other imprudences were unfortunate; because we saw him, every year almost, becoming troubled more and more by his painful visitor. The time, however, was now arriving when he was about to resign the Surgeoncy of the hospital.
We have seen that, when elected to that appointment, he had been no less than twenty-eight years assistant surgeon; he, however, took no pains to indemnify himself for this long and profitless tenure of a subordinate post; but, mindful of what he had himself suffered, immediately on his appointment he did the best he could at once to provide against others being subjected to such an unrequited service. He accordingly, on his election, addressed a letter to the Governors of the Hospital, of which, when the first edition went to press, we had no copy. As we then stated, our friend, Mr. E. A. Lloyd, a friend and favourite pupil of Abernethy's, had found one, and kindly laid it aside for us; but he unfortunately again mislaid it; and there is no copy of it on the books of the hospital. Subsequently, Mr. Pettigrew has most kindly sent us a volume containing the letter in question. To us it is a very interesting document; but as we had already mentioned the most important fact in it, we have not thought it necessary to reprint the letter. We must not fail to repeat publicly our thanks to Mr. Pettigrew for his kind assistance.
The object of the letter was to recommend some alteration in the arrangement of the duties of the surgeons of the hospital; and, amongst other things, that they should resign at the age of sixty, with a retiring salary. Nothing could, we think, be more just or considerate than such a proposal; and it came very well from Abernethy, who had just stepped into the lucrative appointment. The proposal, however, was not acted upon; and it would appear that his successors, however much they may have at the time approved of the precept, have not been in haste to follow the example. There is little doubt that Abernethy's proposal was as just and considerate of the interests of all parties, as it was in favour of those of science. We cannot think that any one, who considers the whole subject without prejudice, will arrive at any other conclusion.
The absence, however, of any law on the subject, made no difference to Abernethy; he had expressed his own intention of resigning at the age of sixty; and when that time arrived, he accordingly did so. The Governors, however, would not, on that occasion, accept his resignation, but requested him to continue. This he did for about another year, when, in 1827—having been elected in 1815,—he finally resigned the hospital, in the following letter, addressed to the President of the Hospital:
"St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
"July 24, 1827."Finding myself incompetent to discharge the duties of surgeon to your Hospital in a satisfactory manner, and having led my junior to believe that I should resign my office at a certain period of my life, I hereby tender my resignation accordingly. At the same time, I beg leave to assure the Governors of my gratitude for their appointment to the offices which I have held under them, and for the good opinion and confidence which they have manifested towards me. I annex a draft for £100 for the use of the Hospital.
"I am, dear Sir,
"Your obedient servant,
"John Abernethy.""To Rowland Stephenson, Esq."
At the next meeting of the "Court" of Governors, it was proposed by Dr. Latham, seconded by Mr. Wells, and unanimously resolved:
"That this Court accept, with great regret, the resignation of Mr. Abernethy as one of its Surgeons, an office which he has discharged with consummate ability for forty years; and the Court offers him their best, their most unanimous, and warmest thanks for his very long and important services.
"July 25, 1827."
There is something significant in this vote of thanks, merging his long period of assistant surgeon in the general expression of his services as surgeon. It is very suggestive of the influence which had been felt from the presence of his master mind, although so long in a position which necessarily restricted its useful energies in regard to hospital matters. We have little doubt that, had Abernethy become surgeon to the hospital at a time of life when his physical energies were unimpaired, he would have suggested many improvements on the system; but, with little real power in this respect, and with men who were opposed to him, he was just the last man in the world to commence a crusade against the opinions of those with whom he was associated. The moment he became surgeon, we see him endeavouring to remove an evil from which he had greatly suffered, and which is obviously a most undesirable state of things; namely, that men should so often arrive at a post in which their active energies are most required, at a time of life when those energies have been, perhaps, necessarily addressed to other objects, have become weary with hope deferred, or already on the wane.
He was, also, very averse to so spacious a portion of the hospital being devoted to the festive meetings of the Governors; and, on showing it, would sometimes go so far as to say—"Ay, this is what I call the useless portion of the hospital." He continued to lecture another year, when he resigned the lectures; and, in 1829, his appointment at the College of Surgeons also.