Page:Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia - George W Norris.djvu/69

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The Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia.

gant expectations were formed of his healing powers among the people of his native city. "A venerable gentleman who knew him afterwards very intimately, says the author of an able review of his Discourse, told me that when he was first pointed out to him in the street, he considered it as a high privilege to say 'I have seen him.'" This eclat, added to his graceful and polished manners, procured him at once an introduction into the best practice, and he acquired a large share of business; but the efforts he made to separate the practice from the pharmaceutical parts of the profession gave great offence. Still he persevered in them, and, as he informs us, received fees in cash, agreeably to the custom of the London physicians. His early teachers and contemporaries, the Bonds, Redman, Cadwalader, and Shippen, would not fall into his views, and it was not until some years afterwards that they were generally adopted. This took place on the arrival of Dr. Chovet, a very popular physician, who came here from the West Indies in 1774. Bringing no medicines with him, and being soon engaged in practice, he sent his prescriptions to a druggist. Dr. John Jones, afterwards in 1780, also took up his residence in our city and pursued a like course, and finding it to answer well, he never took a shop. As the

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