to Charles, and in the latter we find his absence, "by reason of his attendance on the king's majesty," from St. Bartholomew's Hospital complained of by the surgeons of that institution, and Dr. Andrews appointed by the governors as his substitute, but "without prejudice to him in his yearly fee or in any other respect."[1] Such considerate treatment satisfies us of the esteem in which Harvey was held.
In the early part of 1633 Charles determined to visit his ancient kingdom of Scotland, for the ostensible purpose of being crowned King of Scots. Upon this occasion Harvey accompanied him, as matter of course, we may presume. But the absence of the court from London was not of long duration; and in the early autumn of the same year we are pleased to find Harvey again at his post in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, engaged in his own province and propounding divers rules and regulations for the better government of the house and its officers,[2] which of themselves give us an excellent insight into the state of the hospital, as well as of the relative positions of the several departments of the healing art two centuries ago. The doctor's treatment of the poor chirurgeons in these rules is sufficiently despotic it must be admitted; but the chirurgeons in their acquiescence showed that they merited no better handling. The only point on which they proved restive, indeed, was the revealment of their secrets to the physician; a great outrage in days when every man had his secrets, and felt fully justified in keeping them to himself. But surgery in the year 1633 had not shown any good title to an independent existence. The surgeon of those days was
- ↑ Vide Records of Harvey from the Journals of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, pub. by James Paget, 8vo, London, 1846. Harvey, on his appointment to attend the Duke of Lennox, applied to have Dr. Smith chosen his substitute; but the governors proved recusant: "It was thought fit that they should have further knowledge and satisfaction of the sufficiency of the said Mr. Smith;" and they very shortly afterwards gave Dr. Andrews, first, the reversion of Harvey's office, and by and by they formally appointed him Harvey's deputy or substitute.
- ↑ Vide Mr. Paget's publication already quoted, p. 13.
