When I was about fifteen years old I was troubled a deal with my
throat and was under his father's treatment. I was obliged to give up
singing in consequence, being a choir boy in Christ Church. In my
frequent visits to the doctor's surgery I became acquainted with Dr.
Davie, Jr., who undertook the treatment of my throat until I was able
to resume my choir duties. Both Dr. Davie and his brother
Alexander were members of the choir at this time, and regular in
attendance at service and choir practice. I can see with my mind's
eye at a choir practice both brothers. Mr. Cridge, the rector, always
conducted these practices, and he asked each brother in turn to sing
his individual part over in the anthem, as they were to take solos,
he (Mr. Cridge) beating time as they sang. I might say that we had
some fine singers in the choir in those days, and more anthems were
sung than even now. His brother Horace and I were school-fellows at
the Church Collegiate School, which was situated on Church Hill, just
about where Mr. Keith Wilson's residence now stands. It was built as
a Congregational Church, and was destroyed by fire about 1870.
At the time I first became acquainted with Dr. Davie his father's
office was situated where Challoner & Mitchell's store now stands,
and was a very unpretentious affair--as most business places were in
Victoria at that time--a wooden one-story frame cottage of three
rooms. The doctor's first office was on the corner of Government and
Bastion, where Richardson's cigar store stands. At the former office
my friend studied and worked with his father until the latter's
death, when the son continued the practice in his own behalf.
From Mr. Alexander Wilson, who was a director of the Royal Hospital
at the time, I am told a deal about Dr. Davie's early medical career.
He says the young doctor was ambitious to become medical officer to
the Royal Hospital, then situated on the rock at the top of Pandora
Street, and asked Mr. Wilson to try and get the position for him,
even without salary, and Mr. Wilson, having great faith in the young
man, promised to do his best, and at a meeting of the board, consisting
of Alexander McLean, J. D. Robinson, Henry Short and Alexander
Wilson, Dr. Davie was duly elected, and at a salary of 100 pounds
per annum, and held the position for over twenty years. He entered on
his duties with great zeal, his first surgical case being that of an
Indian girl who was accidentally shot on Salt Spring Island. The poor
girl's arm was badly shattered, and she was brought down from the
island in a canoe. It was a bad case, but the doctor pulled her
through and, saving her arm, sent her home again as good as ever.
Dr. Davie was fond of music, and in early days was proficient on the
flute, contributing to the programme of many a concert for charity in
those days when amateurs did so much to entertain the public.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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