all his practice had never met with such an instance. This specimen, he said, proves that however large a surgeon's experience may be, some things may escape him. He then showed us a beautiful and most satisfactory wet preparation of a dislocation backwards and downwards which occurred under his own eyes. This is most valuable, as the patient died immediately after the accident and no attempts were made to reduce the fracture, and you have it with all the soft parts still there. I told Mr. Stanley that my father was the surgeon whose views were attacked, and I was most happy to have seen the preparation, which I had looked for in all the museums of Europe. The one at Leyden, though satisfactory, is not equal to this, as no history is attached. Mr. Stanley very politely offered to give me the particulars, so far as they had been preserved, if I would call at his house. This I did yesterday, and I enclose you the case as extracted from his book. He has been exceedingly kind to us, introduced us to all the surgeons of St. Bartholomew's, and given us free admission to his museum. He was a coadjutor of Abernethy at St. Bartholomew's, and is one of the most distinguished anatomists of London.

I had intended to leave town on Friday, but Mr. Stanley asked me to defer my departure, if possible, one day, and with my friends finish my visit here with a dinner of English mutton and a talk on anatomy. This was the more polite as being quite uncalled for; and I told him that on leaving London, whatever we might have to complain of, it would not be a want of hospitality, in fact, we have received the utmost attention on all sides.

This morning Dr. Hodgkin gave me an introduction to Langstaff, who has one of the best museums in London, ranking next to that of Guy's, and particularly rich in specimens of diseases of the urinary organs. At Guy's yesterday I saw Key operate for a fungoid tumor of the antrum, - a most disagreeable operation. He used for cutting the bone the forceps of Liston, which I was glad to see tested, as I have just bought a pair. The pair I sent you are similar, though on a larger scale. Mr. Key afterwards took off a leg by a flap operation peculiar to himself. He is one of the most beautiful operators for the stone in Europe. I saw him operate the other day on a boy of eight years in half a minute. The rapidity with which he performed each

step of the operation was quite magical, and all with no apparent hurry. Dupuytren, on seeing him operate, said that he had witnessed many operations and had done many himself for the stone, but had never observed one to equal that of Key.

In my letter to Mary I mentioned having been at a large public dinner given for the funds of the Eye Institution. Travers and Tyrrel were present with others, and both spoke, as also did Farre, coadjutor with Saunders in founding the institution. The meeting was very pleasant, and a good example of a London dinner.

I had sent in to me yesterday a very neat case of newly invented forceps for extracting the stumps of teeth, which I have had made for Dr. Flagg. The inventor called on me yesterday and left his card. I believe he wishes to try them on me, that I may report their success in America. As I did not care to have this experiment made, I have not yet returned his visit.

I shall leave town on Saturday, the 12th, for Portsmouth or Salisbury, go through Bath and Bristol and Shrewsbury to Holyhead, from there taking the steamboat for Dublin. Dr. Hodgkin says there is to be a famous assemblage of the most celebrated literary men of Great Britain at Edinburgh on the first of September. If I remain in this country, as now appears probable, I shall try to be present.

By a vessel going to Boston on the 20th I send you a box containing preparation glasses, one of casts whose history I have, and a third of gazettes and papers; also some of Atkinson's almond soap and paste; also the work of Bennati on the Voice, the only one I know of. I have made every attempt to get Bell's paper, but my bookseller has not yet succeeded.

Your affectionate son,

J. M. WARREN.

CHAPTER XI.

FUTURE PLANS.

- JOURNEY TO DUBLIN.

EDINBURGH AND THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. RETURN TO LONDON AND PARIS. LETTERS FROM PARIS. RETURN TO AMERICA.

WHEN Dr. Warren left Boston for Europe it had been his father's intention and his own desire that his absence should last but two years, a period which was then regarded as sufficient to enable the young physician to gain such professional improvement as could not be secured at home. This limit had been already reached and exceeded; and though Dr. Warren had clearly perceived the advantages that would accrue from another winter abroad and had suggested them to his father, he had now given up any prospects of this nature and had decided to sail for home in the ensuing autumn. On the 5th of July he informed his father of his intention to sail on the 1st of October, "though I shall probably go to Paris in the middle of September for final preparations and purchases." A few days after his letter of the 5th of July, however, he received intelligence from his father which resulted in a complete change of his plans and a resolution to prolong his stay in Europe till the coming spring. In a letter from "Oxford, July 12, 1834," he writes:

MY DEAR FATHER, Just after having sent off my letter yesterday to Boston, I received your letter dated June 8, on the subject of remaining abroad another year, and hardly know what to answer. I have omitted writing, hoping that a little reflection during my ride down to this city might arrange my thoughts, but do not find myself at all helped out of my difficul

ties. When I look back on the long period of two years and think how favored I have been in having no great calamity occur in my own immediate family, it seems almost a tempting of Providence still to prolong my stay abroad. To break up also the hopes of seeing my family and of possibly being of some use to yourself just as they seemed about to be realized, must require a most cool and stoical consideration of the advantages offered by such a course. No doubt remains in my own mind that those must be great to a person who, like myself, has been necessarily obliged to divide his attention equally between the study of medicine and of surgery. Many of the collateral branches must be neglected. The object of another winter in Paris would be an attention to chemistry, surgical diseases, syphilitic diseases, and the eye, in which I have got a pretty good start here, the clinique of Louis, also the lectures of the Sorbonne, particularly those of Moral Philosophy, which I have much desired to follow and study.

During my residence abroad I have always given some time every day in the winter to a study of languages, French and Italian. In a third winter I should promise myself the acquisition of the German language. The objection of a change in habits and feelings to a long stay abroad, though without doubt true in respect to some persons, yet I cannot allow it in regard to myself. I find my attraction to home and my own country only strengthened by time, and the sacrifice which I shall make if I should determine on this course can be known. only to myself. I could wish much for the advice of some one to help me out of my difficulties, and must wait a time before I can determine. Whatever I do, however, I cannot fail to appreciate most highly the kind and affectionate consideration for my interests in which this consent has been given. I trust that if I avail myself of it, it may not be without its consequences.

To this his father returned the following answer:

BOSTON, Aug. 22, 1834.

MY DEAR MASON, Yours of the 12th of July, in which you state the embarrassments you experienced as to remaining over winter, I received, and you request me to write you again on the subject. The letters I have already written contain all that I can say. On the one part, it is most desirable for yourself and

PATERNAL COUNSELS.

191

me that you should be at home; on the other, that your education should be so complete that you will want nothing but practice. You will be expected to come home with a perfect knowledge of the manual of surgical operations in the most improved form. You will be expected to be fully acquainted with auscultation and percussion, which are the fashion of the day, and to be well acquainted with the prevalent medical doctrines. A deficiency in these points would not fail to be noticed. For the rest, besides possessing a reasonable knowledge of the healing art, you ought to bring home, if possible, something new and striking, at the same time guarding your acquirements with the respect for others without which a medical man cannot be liked. by his profession.

Your health is a primary object to me. It is more important you should be well than be learned. Bear this in mind. Do not fritter away your health by too much labor, still less by too good living. Twice you have barely escaped with life. Be careful of your living. Let your food be regular and sparing. Pay attention to the state of the bowels. Use sufficient exercise. Above all, turn your daily thoughts in thankfulness to the Giver of so many blessings, the Redeemer on whom alone you can rely for the atonement of all transgressions. Having viewed your position with the lights I have thus presented, adopt the best course you can; I shall be satisfied. Should you remain over winter, you will calculate so as to be here by the end of May, or sooner, if it will answer.

Your affectionate father,

J. C. WARREN.

Feeling well assured of his father's approval of his plans, Dr. Warren left London for Dublin and Edinburgh, as he had designed, from whence he wrote home letters of the usual length and interest.

DUBLIN, July 28, 1834.

MY DEAR FATHER,- The day after my arrival here I called on your friend Dr. Breen, who received me very politely. He is a good-looking man of middle age, quite gray and rather nearsighted. He inquired particularly for you and your pursuits. We had a long conversation about Edinburgh and the schools there at