Memoir of John Collins Warren, M.D.

Date:
[1865?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoir of John Collins Warren, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    / o © Graduated in 1797, he did not immediately enter upon the study of a profession, but devoted a year to the study of French with .Mr. Sales, afterwards for many years instructor in modern languages in Harvard College. This delay ai-ose from the reluctance of Dr. War- ren to choose for his son a profession so laborious as that of medicine, especially as he appeared to have no decided inclination for such pur- suits ; but after waiting a year, and failing to secure a suitable posi- tion in a counting house, it was at length decided that he should com- mence with his father the study of that profession in which he after- wards attained such distinguished success. The position of a medical student was at this time rather that of an apprentice than that of a student of the present day ; and it is by no means surprising that disgust at the drudgery of compounding medicines, and the want of hospital advantages at home, soon led to the decision to visit Europe. lie accordingly embarked for England, June 16th, 1799, and landed at Deal altera voyage of twenty-four days. He proceeded at once to London, and after a few weeks spent in seeking information and forming plans for future study, he made a short journey in the south of England and along the coast as far as Southampton, visiting Mar- gate (where he met with Gen. Benedict Arnold and family), Dover, Hastings, Brighton, the Isle of Wight, &c. In the autumn of this year he entered Guy's Hospital as dresser to Mr. William Cooper, then senior surgeon, by the payment of a fee of fifty guineas. His duties included the general charge of about forty surgical patients, sleeping in the hospital for a week at a time in turn with the other dressers. Mr. Cooper, who was quite old and already contemplating an early retirement from active professional life, made ouly two regular visits weekly, leaving the patients in the mean time pretty much to the direction of his assistants. The next summer Mr. Cooper resigned his position in the hospital, and was succeeded as surgeon and lecturer by his nephew, Mr. Astley Cooper, to whom Warren became deeply attached on account of his constant and kind attentions. The daily routine of hospital life afforded few incidents that have been remembered, the time of the student being divided between the practical duties of the ward and the study of anatomy and surgery by lectures and dissections. Dining out on Saturday or Sun- day, and an occasional visit to the theatre to witness the sublime per- sonations of Siddons and Kemble, were the chief recreations admitted in the brief intervals of professional study. An adventure which occurred at this time is related by Dr. Warren in his Biographical Notes, and is perhaps worthy of repetition as illustrating the interest he always manifested in public affairs, and es- pecially his lively sympathy for the oppressed or suffering masses of the people ;—