Clergymen and Doctors: Curious Facts and Characteristic Sketches.Anonymous
History
Clergymen and Doctors: Curious Facts and Characteristic Sketches.
Anonymous
Clergy; Medicine -- Anecdotes; Medicine -- Humor; Pastoral theology -- Anecdotes; Physicians
_Sir Theodore Mayerne._--This eminent physician, who was a native of
Geneva, and attended James I. and the two Charleses, once very neatly
and deservedly rebuked a mean and ostentatious friend, who, after
consulting him, laid on the table two broad pieces of gold (of the
value of 36s. each). Sir Theodore quietly pocketed the fee; and, on his
friend expressing or showing himself hurt at thus being taken at his
money, said to him: "I made my will this morning; and if it should
appear that I had refused a fee, I might be deemed _non compos_." Mr.
Wadd caps this anecdote with another about Dr. Meyer Schomberg, who was
much in vogue about the middle of last century. Mr. Martin, the
surgeon, used now and then to visit him; and was once shown in when a
patient was with him. After the patient was gone, Martin noticed two
guineas lying on the table, and asked the doctor how it came that he
left his money about in that way? Said Dr. Schomberg: "I always have a
couple of guineas before me, as an example, or broad hint, what they
(the patients who consulted him) ought to give."
_Large Royal Fees in Later Times._--Henry Atkins was sent for to
Scotland by James the First (of England), to attend to the Prince
Charles--afterwards Charles I., but then in his infancy--who lay
dangerously sick. For this journey and duty the King gave Atkins the
splendid fee of £6000, which he invested in the purchase of the manor
of Clapham. In 1685 a very handsome fee was ordered to be paid--but it
was never paid--to Dr. King, for a brave breach of Court etiquette that
saved the life of Charles II. for a time. Evelyn thus relates the
incident, under date 4th February 1685:--"I went to London, hearing his
Majesty had been, the Monday before (2 Feb.), surprised in his
bed-chamber with an apoplectic fit; so that if, by God's providence,
Dr. King (that excellent chirurgeon as well as physician) had not been
actually present, to let him blood (having his lancet in his pocket),
his Majesty had certainly died that moment, which might have been of
direful consequence, there being nobody else present with the king save
this doctor and one more, as I am assured. It was a mark of the
extraordinary dexterity, resolution, and presence of mind in the Dr. to
let him blood in the very paroxysm, without staying the coming of other
physicians; which regularly should have been done, and for want of
which he must have a regular pardon, as they tell me." The Privy
Council ordered £1000 to be given to Dr. King; but he never obtained
the money. The physicians who attended Queen Caroline in 1737 had 500
guineas, and the surgeons 300 guineas, apiece. Dr. Willis, for his
success in dealing with the malady of George III., received £1500
a-year for twenty years, and £650 was settled on his son for life; the
subordinate physicians had thirty guineas for each visit to Windsor,
and ten for each visit to Kew. The Empress Catherine of Russia made Dr.
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