m North Carolina. This youth proved to
be McDowell's most noted patient. He was James K. Polk, afterward
President of the United States.

Dr. McDowell's "heart was fully open to the lesson of charity, which
more than all men we should feel," and he dispensed it with constant
remembrance of the sacred trust imposed upon us. Yet he had a proper
appreciation of what was due his guild from those whose means allowed
them to make remuneration for professional services. He charged $500 for
an ovariotomy that he went to Nashville, Tenn., to do. The husband of
the patient gave him a check, as he supposed, for that sum. On
presenting it, the doctor discovered that it was drawn for $1,500
instead of $500, whereupon he returned the check, thinking a mistake had
been made. The grateful gentleman replied that it was correct, and added
that the services much outweighed the sum paid. When the fact is borne
in mind that the purchasable value of money was much greater in the
first than in this the last decade of the century, it will be seen that
the "father of ovariotomy," at least, set his successors in the field a
good example. This is made conspicuous by the fact that Sir Spencer
Wells has seldom charged a larger sum, and has declared L100 to be a
sufficient fee for the operation.

In person Dr. McDowell was commanding. He was tall, broad-shouldered,
stout-limbed. His head was large, his nose prominent and full of
character, his chin broad, his lips full and expressive of
determination, his complexion florid, his eyes dark-black. His voice was
clear and manly; he often exercised it in recitations from Scotch
dialogues, when he would roll the Scotch idiom upon his tongue with the
readiness of a native. He was fond of music, especially comic pieces,
which he sang with fine effect, accompanying his voice sometimes with
the violin.

He was a man of the times, taking an active interest in the affairs of
the community in which he lived. He had many books for that day. Cullen
and Sydenham were his chief authorities in medicine; Burns and Scott in
literature. He was fond of reading, yet he was inclined to action rather
than study.

He placed great reliance on surgery and its possibilities; he placed
little trust in drugs. He counselled against their too liberal use. In
truth, he did not like the practice of medicine, and turned over most of
his non-surgical cases to his associate in business. In manner he was
courteous, frank, considerat