Brown, M.D., John
Dr John Brown (September 22, 1810 – May 11, 1882) was a Scottish physician and essayist. He was the son of the clergyman John Brown (1784–1858), and was born in Biggar, Scotland. He is best known for his dog story, Rab and his Friends, and his essay on Marjorie Fleming, the ten year old prodigy and "pet" of Walter Scott.
[edit] Life and works
Brown was educated at the High School and graduated as M.D. at the University of Edinburgh in 1833, and practised as a physician in that city. John Brown was descended from eminent Presbyterian clergymen. He opted to train in Medicine, in Edinburgh. After graduating MD in 1833 he was apprenticed, to James Syme. Brown subsequently acquired a very large practice in Edinburgh at a time when infectious diseases took a heavy toll of life. He was a very sociable man, and his house in 27 Rutland Street was the scene of many social gatherings. In 1840 he married Catherine Scott McKay, they had three children, of whom only a son survived. In 1847 Dr Brown became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and for a while was Honorary Librarian. He held strong views on the inappropriateness of examinations to evaluate student progress and was unimpressed by the view that scientific advances were in patient’s best interest. His first writing was in response to a request for contributions to the notices of paintings exhibited by the Royal Scottish Academy. These were so good that the editor of the Scotsman Newspaper asked him to write regularly for the paper. He was 48 years old when he published his masterpiece Rab and His Friends, a classic of deep pathos and insight into human nature. His writings were philosophical, classical, artistic, medical, of rural life, the Jacobite Rebellion, notable characters, humble folk and canine friends. These were published as a collection in 1858 as Horœ Subsecivœ , which ran to many editions. Brown enjoyed reading Greek and Latin Classics from which he frequently quoted . He died on May 11, I882, and was buried in his father’s plot in New Calton Cemetery. After graduating MD in 1833 he was apprenticed, to James Syme, the Master Surgeon James Syme, whom he called our greatest clinical teacher and wisest surgeon. Brown worked as dispenser, dresser, clerk and assistant to Syme. His apprentice-fee paid for Syme’s first carriage and Brown had the first ride in it. Brown subsequently acquired a very large practice in Edinburgh at a time when infectious diseases took a heavy toll of life. He was a very sociable man, and his house in 27 Rutland Street was the scene of many social gatherings. In 1840 he married Catherine Scott McKay, they had three children, of whom only a son survived. In 1847 Dr Brown became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and for a while was Honorary Librarian. He held strong views on the inappropriateness of examinations to evaluate student progress and was unimpressed by the view that scientific advances were in patient’s best interest. He was the friend of many contemporaries, including Thackeray; his reputation is based on the two volumes of essays, Horae Subsecivae (Leisure Hours) (1858, 1861), John Leech and Other Papers (1882), Rab and His Friends (1859), and Marjorie Fleming: a Sketch (1863). His first writing was in response to a request for contributions to the notices of paintings exhibited by the Royal Scottish Academy. These were so good that the editor of the Scotsman Newspaper asked him to write regularly for the paper. He was 48 years old when he published his masterpiece Rab and His Friends, a classic of deep pathos and insight into human nature. His writings were philosophical, classical, artistic, medical, of rural life, the Jacobite Rebellion, notable characters, humble folk and canine friends. These were published as a collection in 1858 as Horœ Subsecivœ , which ran to many editions. Brown enjoyed reading Greek and Latin Classics from which he frequently quoted . The first volume of Horae Subsecivae deals chiefly with the equipment and duties of a physician, the second with subjects outside his profession. He felt that an author should publish nothing unless he has something to say. Acting on this principle, he published little himself.
He suffered during the latter years of his life from attacks of melancholy. He died on May 11, I882, and was buried in his father’s plot in New Calton Cemetery. Rab and His Friends is a simple little story of the practice of how John Brown’s teacher and chief, James Syme taught and operated. The other heroes are Rab, a ferocious dog, his owner the Howgate Carter Jamie, and the Carter’s ill wife. The story starts with a fight between Rab and a bull-terrier and finishes with the faithful sheep dog's funeral. Ailie, the wife of the Howgate carrier Jamie had a lump in her breast. “One fine October afternoon I ( the student ) was leaving the Hospital and saw the large gates open and in walked Rab with that great and easy saunter of his. After him came Jess, now white from age, with her cart and in it a woman carefully wrapped up, the Carrier leading the horse anxiously and looking back. When he saw me, James, (for his name was James Noble), he made a curt and grotesque bow, and said, Maister John, this is the mistress; she has got a trouble in her breest ¬some kind of income we are thinking. By this time I saw the woman's face; she was sitting on a sack filled with straw with her husband's plaid round her and had his big coat with its large white metal buttons over her feet. Had Solomon in all his glory been handing down the Queen of Sheba at his palace gate, he would not have done it more daintily that did James the Howgate Carrier when he had lifted down Ailie, his wife. Rab led the way into the consulting room, grim and comic, willing to be happy and con-fidential, Ailie sat down, undid her open gown and her lawn handkerchief round her neck and without a word showed me her right breast. I looked at and examined it carefully. What could I say? There it was, hard as stone, a centre of horrid pain. Next day my master, the surgeon, examined Ailie. It could be removed; it would give her speedy relief. She curtsied. "Tomor¬row” said the kind surgeon - a man of few words. The following day, at noon, the students came in, hurrying up the stair, eager to secure good places. The theatre is crowded; much talk and fun, and all the cordiality and stir of youth. The surgeon with his staff of assistants is there. In comes Ailie: one look at her quiets and abates the eager students. That beautiful old woman is too much for them; they sit down, and are dumb. These rough boys feel the power of her presence. She walks in quickly, but without haste; dressed in her mutch, her neckerchief, her white dimity short-gown, black bombazeen petticoat, showing her white worsted stockings and her carpet shoes. Ailie stepped up, and laid herself on the table, as her friend the surgeon told her; arranged herself, gave a rapid look at James, shut her eyes, rested herself on me, and took my hand. The operation was at once begun; it was necessarily slow; chloroform was then unknown. The pale face showed its pain, but was still and silent. Rab's soul was work¬ing within him; he growled and gave now and then a sharp impatient yelp; but James had him firm. It is over; she is dressed, steps gently and decently down from the table, looks for James; then turning to the surgeons and the students, she curtsies, - and in a low, clear voice, begs their pardon if she has behaved ill. All of us wept like children; the surgeon happed her up carefully, - and, rest¬ing on James and me, Ailie went to her room. We put her to bed. James said, 'Maister John, I'll be her nurse”, and as swift and tender as any woman, was that horny-handed, peremptory little man. As before, they spoke little. For some days Ailie did well. The wound healed 'by the first intention'; for as James said, 'Oor Ailie's skin's ower clean to beil'. The students came in quiet and anxious, She said she liked to see their young, honest faces. Four days after the operation, my patient had a sudden and long shivering, a 'groosin', as she called it. Her eyes were too bright, her cheek coloured; she was restless, and ashamed of being so; mischief had begun. On looking at the wound, a blush of red told the secret; her pulse was rapid, her breathing anxious and quick, she wasn’t herself, as she said, and was vexed at her restless¬ness. We tried what we could, but she died in three to four days. No asepsis, a dog in theatre and no anaesthesia. Speed, trust and hope.
[edit] References
- Eastwood, Martin (2010) "John Brown (1810–1882)" Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 40: pp. 281–282, doi:10.4997/JRCPE.2010.320
- McLaren, E.T. (1890) Dr John Brown and his Sister Isabella (4th edition)
- Letters of Dr John Brown, edited by his son and U.W. Forrest, with biography by ET McLaren (1907)
- Peddie, Alexander (1893) Recollections of Dr. John Brown Percival and Company, London, OCLC 3743073
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press. - This article incorporates public domain text from : Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J. M. Dent & Sons; New York, E. P. Dutton.
- The Reader's Encyclopedia
[edit] External links
Brown John 1882 Horœ Subsecivœ Adam and Charles Black London Letters of Dr John Brown. Elibron Classics
- Packard FR 1903 "The author of “Rab and his friends” Dr John Brown of Edinburgh" Medical Library and Historical Journal vol 1 pp78-89
| Persondata |
| Name |
Brown, John |
| Alternative names |
|
| Short description |
|
| Date of birth |
September 22, 1810 |
| Place of birth |
|
| Date of death |
May 11, 1882 |
| Place of death |
|
