Education without any difficulty (extraordinaries excepted) my prospects are fair, and my encouragements are by no means indifferent as I am considerably in the habit of riding with my Preceptor and have the charge of many of his patients, during his calls other where, which are numerous and at a distance, he has just return'd from a distant patients in whom he has, as it were, effected a... and is now gone 20 or 30 miles to perform an amputation.
Perhaps you may think I am tardy in acquiring the Profession—But I suppose the transcendent intellects of your more southern Geniuses vegetate more rapidly than the cold, frozen, torpid intellectuals of us northern beings can be expanded by the genial beams of science—Indeed am sure they do—yea almost start up spontaneously, for when I was there last a little more than two years gone, they had just begun the theory; but now I understand they are gifed[?] quite dut[?] in practice; performing almost miracles (at least are Miracle Mongers—) It takes us, in this country, at least six or five years, to become an expert theorist and some longer to be perfect in the art, and there are some that have practiced 18 or 20 years and more of skill too, that acknowledge their want and ability of improvement in some of the accomplishments of Physic—finally the Physicians of this cold climate don't come to maturity (Quacks excepted) like the Bienial Geniuses of Old Lebanon, in less time than it takes to cultivate a crop of Squashes— A blessed country for raising Doctors, Lawyers, and Divines! O that I was then![1]
- ↑ Written in left margin: Sam'l and family are in Plattsburgh, were well when I saw them last which is 5 or 6 weeks since. He was then teaching School—Lucretia, Lucy and the rest of the children will be assured that I am no less mindful of them for not writing to them respectively, I should only mask my feelings to attempt to express them—all that is loving, grateful or affectionate is hereby tendered to them—Oh Girls don't think me unfeeling if you don't see me soon.
