_might_ be of service. It happened that
Sir Charles was seized with a fever while he was out upon a cruise, and the
surgeon, without much difficulty, prevailed upon him to lose a little
blood, and suffer a blister to be laid on his back. By-and-bye it was
thought necessary to lay on another blister, and repeat the bleeding, to
which Sir Charles also consented. The symptoms then abated, and the surgeon
told him that he must now swallow a few bolusses, and take a draught. "No,
no, doctor," says Sir Charles, "you shall batter my hulk as long as you
will, but depend on it, you shan't _board_ me."

Nash and the Doctor.--When the celebrated Beau Nash was ill, Dr. Cheyne
wrote a prescription for him. The next day, the doctor coming to see his
patient, inquired if he had followed his prescription? "No, truly, doctor,"
said Nash; "if I had, I should have broken my neck, for I threw it out of a
two-pair-of-stairs window."

Gin _versus_ Medicine.--The celebrated Dr. Ward was not more remarkable for
humanity and skill than for wit and humour. An old woman, to whom he had
administered some medicines proper for a disorder under which she laboured,
applied to him, with a complaint that she had not experienced any kind of
effect from taking them. "No effect at all?" said the doctor. "None in the
least," replied the woman. "Why, then you should have taken a bumping glass
of gin." "So I did, sir." "Well, but when you found that did not succeed,
you should have taken another." "So I did, sir; and another after that."
"Oh, you did?" said the doctor; "aye, aye, it is just as I imagined: you
complain that you found no effect from my prescription, and you confess
yourself that you swallowed gin enough to counteract any medicine in the
whole system of physic."

Abernethy.--A Chancery barrister having been for a long while annoyed by an
irritable ulcer on one of his legs, called upon Mr. Abernethy for the
purpose of obtaining that gentleman's advice. The counsellor judging of an
ulcer as of a brief, that it must be seen before its nature could be
understood, was busily employed in removing his stocking and bandages, when
Mr. Abernethy abruptly advanced towards him, and exclaimed in a stentorian
voice, "Halloo! what are you about there? Put out your tongue, man! Aye,
there 'tis--I see it--I'm satisfied. Quite enough;--shut up your leg,
man--shut it up--shut it up! Go home and read my book, p.--, and take one
of the pills there mentioned e