Recognized HTML document
Previous Index Next

Lehrjahre and Wanderjahre   97


" He has shewn us everything. Tell Bessy that after all some of these Germans are not a bad sort of fellows."

The route now turned northwards to Prague, Dresden and Berlin. Saxon Switzerland was a disappointment as the Danube had been. From Berlin he gives Sister Bessy a quaint account of his medical comrades

"DEAR Bessy, The boils have subsided without the salt water, but thanks for the receipt. However I must tell of some specimens of professionality in my two companions. My foot has been unfortunately exactly like Erasmus' at Weymouth ; that is the nail of the large extremity thereof (which I will call eot for the same reason that you designated part of my fishing tackle tug) most perversely grew in the side causing inflammation. I happened to mention this to them ; a smile of conscious professional power illumined the face of one, a grin of delight that of the other. Both readily profferred their services, and as a backer Russell whipped out a bag containing 2 lancets, 1 spatula, a pot of ointment, a pair of surgical scissors, bandages enough and to spare for any compound fracture, 2 boxes of blue pills, lint, and a sewing up needle. He deposited these in succession on the table, adjusted his spectacles and smiled serenely. However as my foot pained me dreadfully, I made up my mind, and contrary to Gil Blas, accepted the Senior hand of Bowman. Russell disappointed retreated. Well, at last I found myself seated, the sick member was bared, Bowman, sleeve tucked up, advanced scissors in hand. The reflected light from the instrument looked awful. He made a most beautiful circular twist of the hand for what earthly reason I do not know, and brought the scissors to their former place. He then examined my eot, shook his head, ejaculated : 'Bad,-very. Russell, have you a pair of forceps l' `No' was the response. The two heads were now brought together to discover a substitute for the instrument in question; at last a bent pin was found to answer. Accordingly Russell had to hold the flesh back, and away went Bowman,-wrenching up the nail, then cutting it snip-snap all round, I writhing. However I could not help laughing at the operators. It was a splendid sight. And to do them justice all pain has gone away" [Sunday Sept xvi. 1838, Berlin].

Galton. came home. via Hamburg and Hull and his letter to his father from Kirk Ella where he paid a flying visit to the family friends, the Broadleys, may be cited at length

Tuesday [Sept.] 25, 1838.

KIRK ELLA.

MY DEAR GOVERNOR,

I bad not room in my last letter to tell you all the news so I will now commence. After' leaving Hamburg where we saw old costumes, old canals, cathedrals etc., etc. we had the screws of the boiler get wrong, which caused a delay of about 3 hours. We were then just too late for the tide and stuck on a sandbank where we had to wait for the tide. We accordingly got the ship's boat and rowed to the Danish shore where we rambled about four hours. After that we were. too late to be able to see our way at the mouth of the river, where we had to spend the night. Next _day we

P. G.   13


Previous Index Next