l my difficulties practically overcome, at
least prospectively?

It was early in the spring of the year 1822 that I carried to my
father's house an old dirty skeleton and some musty books, and commenced
the study of medicine and surgery, or at least of those studies which
are deemed a necessary preparation. It was rather dry business at first,
but I soon became very much interested in the study of physiology, and
made considerable progress. My connection with our physician proved to
be merely nominal, as I seldom found him ready to hear a recitation.
Besides, my course of study was rather desultory, not to say irregular.

In the autumn of 1824, having occasion to teach school at such a
distance as rendered it almost impracticable for me to continue my
former connection as a student, I made arrangements for studying with
another physician on terms not unlike those in the former case. My new
teacher, however, occasionally heard me recite, especially in what is
properly called the practice of medicine and in surgery. His
instructions, though very infrequent, were of service to me.

In 1825 I became a boarder in his family, where I remained about a year.
Here I had an opportunity to consult and even study the various standard
authors in the several departments which are usually regarded as
belonging to a course of medical study. So that if I was not in due time
properly qualified to "practise medicine and surgery in this or any
other country," the fault was chiefly my own.

However, in the spring of 1825, after I had attended a five months'
course of lectures in one of the most famous medical colleges of the
Northern States, I was regularly examined and duly licensed. _How_ well
qualified I was supposed to be, did not exactly appear. It was
marvellous that I succeeded at all, for I had labored much on the farm
during the three years, taught school every winter and two summers, had
two or three seasons of sickness, besides a severe attack of influenza
(this, you know, is not regarded as a disease by many) while attending
lectures, which confined me a week or more. And yet one of my fellow
students, who was present at the examination, laughed at my studied
accuracy!

One word about my thesis, or dissertation. It was customary at the
college where I heard lectures--as it probably is at all others of the
kind--to require each candidate for medical license to read before the
board, prior to his examination, an original diss