Sir Astley Cooper was in great force and in high repute at this time; and, combining as he did the schools of two large hospitals, had, I believe, even a larger class. Both schools, no doubt, endeavoured to combine what is not, perhaps, very intelligibly conveyed by the terms practical and scientific; but the universal impression, assigned the latter as the distinguishing excellence of Mr. Abernethy, whilst the former was held to express more happily the characteristic of his eminent contemporary.
Whatever school, however, a London student might have selected as his Alma Mater, it was very common for those whose purse, time, or plans permitted it, to attend one or more courses of Abernethy's lectures; and it was pleasing to recognize the graceful concession to Mr. Abernethy's peculiar excellence afforded by the attendance of some of Sir Astley's pupils, and his since distinguished relatives, at the lectures of Abernethy.
As I have said, his practice was extensive, and of the most lucrative kind; that is, it consisted largely of consultations at home. Still, he had patients to visit, and, as he was very remarkable for punctuality in all his appointments, was therefore not unfrequently obliged to leave home before he had seen the whole of those who had applied to him. The extent of his practice was the more remarkable, as there was a very general impression, however exaggerated it might be, that his manners were unkind and repulsive. His pupils were enthusiastically fond of him; and it was difficult to know which was the dominant feeling—their admiration of his talents, or their personal regard.
Some of the most distinguished men had been of their number; and it would be gratifying to us to enumerate the very complimentary catalogue of able men who have been indebted for much of their eminence and success to the lessons of Abernethy; but as, in doing so, we might possibly, in our ignorance, omit some names which ought to be recorded, we forego this pleasure, lest we should unintentionally appear to neglect any professional brother whom we ought to have remembered.
In 1812–13, the pupils had presented Mr. Abernethy with a piece of plate, "as a testimony of their respect and gratitude." The arrangement of the matter was confided chiefly to the present Sir James Eyre, Mr. Stowe of Buckingham, and Mr. George Bullen. In a very interesting letter, with which I have been favoured by Mr. Stowe, amongst other matters hereafter to be mentioned, it is stated that the plate was delivered at Abernethy's house on the 1st of April; and as he had no more entirely escaped such things than other medical men, he at first regarded it as a hoax. But when the contents were exposed, and he discovered the truth, he became much affected.
The regard of the pupils was always the thing nearest his heart. On meeting the class at the hospital, he essayed to express his feelings; but finding that he should only break down, he adopted the same course as he had employed on another memorable occasion, and wrote his acknowledgments, a copy of which was suspended against the wall of the theatre.
It is due to our worthy and kind-hearted contemporary, Sir James Eyre, to add that Mr. Stowe observes in his letter, that, of all others, Sir James was the most zealous promoter of a movement so creditable to all parties. Some years after this, another subscription was commenced by the pupils for a portrait of Abernethy, which was painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence, and engraved by Bromley. It was after this engraving that Mr. Cook executed the portrait which forms the frontispiece of the present volume. Sir Thomas, and the engraver after him, have been most successful. He has caught one of Mr. Abernethy's most characteristic expressions. We see him as he often stood when addressing the anatomical class. We think it impossible to combine more of of him in one view. We fancy we see his acute penetration, his thoughtful expression, his archness and humour, and his benevolence, all most happily delineated, whilst the general position and manner is eminently faithful. In his surgical lectures, he was generally seated; and in the lithograph, he is represented in the position which he almost invariably assumed when he was enunciating the proposition which is placed beneath the engraving. It is the work of a young artist who was considered to evince great promise of future excellence; but who, we regret to say, died last year—Mr. Leighton.
In 1815, he had been appointed surgeon to the hospital, after twenty-eight years' tenure of the assistant surgeoncy; a subject that we merely mention now, as we shall be obliged to revert to it when we consider the subject of the "Hospital System."
At the time to which we allude, lecturing had become so easy as to appear little more than amusement to him; yet there were (we speak of about 1816) no signs of neglect or forgetfulness. His own interest in the subject was sustained throughout; but as his unrivalled lecturing will be more fully described, we must not anticipate. Few old pupils visited London without contriving to get to the hospital at lecture time. The drudgery of the early morning anatomical demonstration was taken off his hands by a gentleman who performed his task with credit to himself and with justice to his pupils.
Abernethy, at this time, in addition to a successful school, a large and attached class, a solid and world-wide reputation, was receiving numerous proofs that his principles were recognized; that, however imperfectly adopted, they were gaining ground; and that if all his suggestions were not universally admitted, they were becoming axiomatic with some of the first surgeons, both in this and other countries.