Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/359

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

GOOCH. S37 world whenever they please) might be eminently useful. The letters on this subject, published in the Appendix to Mr. Southey's Colloquies, were written by Dr. Gooch. They have been reprinted at Liverpool, as a means of calling attention and inviting assistance in support of an institution for educating nurses which has been established there. Mr. Hornby, the rector of Win wick, is the indi- vidual by whose active exertions this scheme has been to a certain extent carried into effect, and who had previously introduced the subject into a printed sermon. Gooch returned from Flanders in wretched health, and found himself under the necessity of relinquishing the practice of midwifery : that branch of his business he transferred as far as he could to Dr. Locock, on whom he could thoroughly rely, and henceforth confined himself to the pre- scribing part of his profession. He spent the month of October at Bath, and returned to town somewhat better; but on the 1st of January, 1826, he was attacked with haemoptysis. On his recovery from this attack, he writes thus : — " You will be sorry to hear that since I last wrote to you I have had an- other long and suffering illness. Early on New- year's morning I was waked by a symptom I never had before — a haemorrhage from the lungs. As I have for many years never passed a day without some degree of cough and expectoration, I imme- diately concluded that this was the breaking up of some old organic mischief in the lungs, and took it for granted that my hour was come ; and now I felt the difference between the prospect of death during bodily suffering which has no remedy, and z