The Church of St. Bartholomew the Less is within the walls of the Hospital, is octagonal in shape, with painted glass windows, is well heated with hot air, and is reckoned one of the handsomest chapels in London.
The Hospital is the oldest and richest of all our charitable institutions in London.
Many celebrated surgeons have been connected with the hospital; foremost among them being perhaps, William Harvey, born at Folkestone, April 1st, 1578, elected Fellow of the College of Physicians 1607, and who discovered the circulation of the blood; and Dr. Abernethy, born in 1765. Many anecdotes are told of Abernethy’s rough, brusque manner while speaking to his patients.
On one occasion he had shown a Royal Duke over the hospital, and upon the Duke desiring to inspect the dissecting room, the key of which Abernethy held in his hand, the latter told the Duke there were only two classes of persons admitted, the students and the dead subject, and he not belonging to either denomination, could not have the rules infringed for him.[A]
[A] This anecdote was related to the writer by an old pupil of his in the dissecting room of the Hospital.
Upon another occasion the Duke of York sent for him; while waiting for the Duke, he put his hands into his pockets and began to whistle; at length the Duke appeared, and feeling his dignity hurt by that style of conduct, asked Abernethy if he knew who he was; he replied, “Yes, and what of that?” and after enquiring the nature of the Duke’s ailments, told him he should treat them as the Duke of Wellington did: storm the out-works, and then he would get into the citadel. He died in 1831.
Stowe informs us that Bolton, Prior from 1509 till his death, April 15th, 1532, “builded of new the Manor of Canonbury, which belonged to the Canons of that house.”