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
Mr. Pulteney, afterwards the Earl of Bath, lay (about 1730) for a long
time at Lord Chetwynd's house of Ingestre, in Staffordshire, sick, very
dangerously, of a pleuritic fever. This illness cost him an expense of
750 guineas for physicians; and, after all, his cure was accomplished
merely by a draught of small beer. Dr. Hope, Dr. Swynsen, and other
physicians from Stafford, Lichfield, and Derby, were called in, and
carried off about 250 guineas of the patient's money, leaving the
malady just where they found it. Dr. Freind went down post from London,
with Mrs. Pulteney, and received 300 guineas for the journey. Dr.
Broxholm went from Oxford, and received 200 guineas. When these two
physicians, who were Pulteney's particular friends, arrived, they found
his case to be quite desperate, and gave him over, saying that
everything had been done that could be done. They prescribed some few
medicines, but without the least effect. He was still alive, and was
heard to mutter, in a low voice, "Small beer, small beer." They said,
"Give him small beer, or anything." Accordingly, a great silver cup was
brought, which held two quarts of small beer; they ordered an orange to
be squeezed into it, and gave it to him. Pulteney drank off the whole
at a draught, and demanded another. Another cupful was administered to
him; and soon after that he fell into a profuse perspiration and a
profound slumber for nearly twenty-four hours. In his case the saying
was eminently verified, "If he sleep he shall do well." From that time
forth, he recovered wonderfully, insomuch that in a few days the
physicians took their leave. The joy over his recovery was diffused
over the whole country; for he was then in the height of that
popularity which, after his elevation to the peerage, he completely
forfeited.
A WITTY FRENCH PREACHER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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