Part 16 (2/2)
This states ”the unanimous opinion of the board to have exculpated Dr.
Jackson from all improper treatment of diseases in the sick,” and the commander-in-chief's gratification, ”than an opportunity has thus been given to that most zealous officer of proving his fitness for the important situation in which he is placed.” The result of this wretched intrigue, however, was that Jackson, disgusted with the whole affair, requested to be placed on half-pay, to which request the Duke of York, with marked reluctance, at last (March 1803) acceded.
In his retirement at Stockton, Jackson put forth two valuable works, one on the medical economy of armies, and another on that of the British army in particular, and was much gratified by an offer to accompany, as military secretary, General Simcoe, just appointed commander-in-chief in India. The general's sudden death, however, put an end to this plan; and Jackson continued at Stockton, addressing frequent representations to government on the defective medical arrangements in the military service--representations the very receipt of which were not acknowledged by Mr. Pitt, to whom they were forwarded. The Peninsular war commencing, Dr. Jackson was again named Inspector of Hospitals, but was not, thanks to the persevering enmity of the Medical Board, sent on foreign service, although he volunteered to sink his rank, and go in any capacity. The Board even succeeded, by calumnious statements, that he had purchased his diploma--statements he readily confuted--in preventing his appointment to the Spanish liberating army; although the British government had formally requested him to accept such an appointment, and agreed to give credentials testifying to his capacity and trustworthiness. This last appointment led him, in an unguarded moment--peppery to the last--to inflict a slight personal chastis.e.m.e.nt on the surgeon-general, for which he was imprisoned six months in the King's Bench.
But the triumph of his enemies was not of long duration. In 1810 the Board was dissolved, and the control of the medical department vested in a director-general, with three princ.i.p.al inspectors subordinate to him.
Then did Jackson return to active service, and from 1811 to 1815 was employed in the West Indies; his reports from whence embracing every topic relating to medical topography, to sanitary arrangements, and to the observed phenomena of tropical disease, are, it is not too much to say, invaluable. His hints as to the choice of sites for barracks, the propriety of giving to soldiers healthy employment and recreation, as a means of averting sickness, his suggestions as to the treatment of fevers and other endemic diseases, may be found in the various works he has published, embodying the fruits of his West Indian experience.
In 1819, he was sent by government to Spain, where the yellow-fever had broken out, and his report upon its characteristics has been universally admitted to supply the fullest information on the subject that had hitherto been communicated to the public. He availed himself of his presence in that part of Europe to pay a visit to Constantinople and the Levant; and, retaining his energy to the last, when a British force was sent to Portugal in 1827, he desired permission to accompany it. The sands of his life, however, were then fast running out, and on the 6th of April in the same year he died, after a short illness, at Thursby, near Carlisle, in the seventy-seventh year of his age. Thus closed a long career of usefulness; for it is not too much to say, that few men of his time labored harder to benefit his fellow-creatures than did Dr.
Robert Jackson.
SPANISH NAMES.--A Spanish journal gives the following singular names as those of two _employes_ in the Finance department at Madrid:--Don Epifanio Mirurzururdundua y Zengot.i.ta, and Don Juan Nepomuceno de Burionagonatotorecagogeazcoecha. The journal would have done well to have given some directions as to the p.r.o.nunciation.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] The late Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, when in command, during the war, of a frigate on the coast of Calabria, finding sickness appear amongst his crew, purchased on his own responsibility some bullocks, for the purpose of supplying them with fresh meat. Lord Collingwood having heard of this, and considering it a breach of discipline, sent for Codrington, and addressed him: ”Captain Codrington, pray have you any idea of the price of a bullock In this place?” ”No, my lord,” was the reply, ”I have not; but I know well the value of a British sailor's life!”
From d.i.c.ken's Household Words.
STRINGS OF PROVERBS.
When a saying has pa.s.sed into a national proverb, it is regarded as having received the ”hall-mark” of the people, with respect to its prudence or practical wisdom. Proverbs deal only with realities, generally of the most homely and every-day kind, and are always supposed to comprise the most sage advice, or the most broad worldly truth, within the least possible compa.s.s.
Now, while we admit that proverbs are for the most part true, and useful in their teaching, and that they very often inculcate excellent maxims, we must at the same time enter our protest against the infallibility of most of them. Numbers will be found, on the least examination (which is seldom given to them) to be one-sided truths; others, inculcate an utterly selfish conduct, under the guise of prudence or worldly wisdom; and some of them are absolutely false, or only of the narrowest application. The majority of the proverbs, of all modern nations, originate with the people, and with the humbler cla.s.ses (we must except the Chinese and Arabic, which are evidently the product of their sages), as witnessed by the homeliness of the allusions, and the frequent vulgarity, but, in all cases, the actual experience of life and its ordinary occurences with regard to men and things. They are full of corn, with a proportionate quant.i.ty of chaff and straw. Let us no longer, therefore, take all these ”sayings” for granted; let us rather take them to task a little, for their revision and our own good.
Proverbs being the common property of all mankind, and often to be traced to very remote geographical sources, we shall observe no national cla.s.sification; but string a few together now and then from Arabia and China, from Spain, Italy, France, or England, just as they may occur.
So, now to our first string.
_Honesty is the best policy._ This is true in the higher sense; but doubtful in the sense usually intended. It is true as to the general good, but not usually for the individual, except in the long run. (We pa.s.s over the obvious truth, that it is better policy to earn a guinea, than to steal one, because the proverb has a far wider range of meaning than that.) To be a ”politic,” clever fellow, a vast deal more humoring of prejudices, errors, and follies, is requisite, than at all a.s.sorts with true honesty of character. If, however, we regard this proverb only on its higher moral ground, then, of course, we must at once admit its truth. The reader will probably be surprised, as we were, to find that it comes from the Chinese, and will be found in the translation of the novel of ”_Iu-Kiao-Li_.”
_A leap from a hedge is better than a good man's prayer._ (Spanish.) The leap (of a robber) from his lurking-place, being preferable to asking charity, and receiving a blessing, is one of those proverbs, the impudent immorality of which is of a kind that makes it impossible to help laughing. Its frank atrocity amounts to the ludicrous. It is an old Spanish proverb, and occurs in ”Don Quixote”--of course in the mouth of Sancho.
_A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush._ The extreme caution ridiculed by this proverb is of a kind which one would hardly have expected to be popular in a commercial country. If this were acted upon, there would be an end of trade and commerce, and all capital would lie dead at the banker's--as a bird who was held safe. The truth is, our whole practice is of a directly opposite kind. We regard a bird in the hand as worth only a bird; and we know there is no chance of making it worth two birds--not to speak of the hope of a dozen--without letting it out of the hand. Inasmuch, however, as the proverb also means to exhort us not to give up a good certainty for a tempting uncertainty, we do most fully coincide in its prudence and good sense. It is identical with the French ”_Mieux vaut un_ 'tiens' _que deux_ 'tu l'auras,'”--one ”take this” is better than two ”thou shalt have it;”--identical also with the Italian: _E meglio un uovo oggi, che una gallina domani_; an egg to-day is better than a hen to-morrow. It owes its origin to the Arabic--”A thousand cranes in the air, are not worth one sparrow in the fist.”
_Enough is as good as a feast._ The best comment on this proverb that occurs to us was the reply made by Rooke, the composer (a man who had a fund of racy Irish wit in him), at a time when he was struggling with considerable worldly difficulties. ”How few are our real wants!” said a consoling friend; ”of what consequence is a splendid dinner? Enough is as good as a feast.”--”Yes,” replied Rooke, ”and therefore a feast is as good as enough--and I think I prefer the former.”
_Love me, love my dog._ At first sight this has a kindly appearance, as of one whose interest in a humble friend was as great as any he took in himself; but, on looking closer into it, we fear it involves a curious amount of selfish encroachment upon the kindness of others--a sort of doubling of the individuality, with all its exactions. My dog (in whatever shape) may be an odious beast; or, at best, one who either makes himself, or, whose misfortune it is to be, very disagreeable to certain people; but, never mind--what of that, if he is _my_ dog?
Society could not go on if this were persisted it.
_Set a beggar on horseback, and he'll ride to the devil._ The direction in which he will ride depends entirely on the character of the beggar--or poor man suddenly risen to power. Some sink over the other side of the horse, and drop into utter sloth and pampered sensualism; but others do their best to ride well, and sometimes succeed. Masaniello and Rienzi did not ride long in the best way; but several patriots, who have rapidly risen from obscurity to power, have set n.o.ble examples.
_Throw him into a river, and he will rise with a fish in his mouth._ (Arabic.) Some men are so fortunate that nothing can sink them. Where another man would drown they find fish or pearls.
_The monkey feared transmigration, lest he should become a gazelle._ (Arabic.) The matchless conceit of some people, and utter ignorance of themselves, either as to appearance or abilities, are finely expressed in the above.
_The baker's wife went to bed hungry._ (Arabic.) How often is it seen, that those who follow a profession or trade, are among the last to display a special benefit from their calling! Our proverb, that ”Shoemakers' wives are the worst shod,” seems to be derived from the same source.
_Chat echaude craint l'eau froide_; the scalded cat fears (even) cold water. This is a better version of the English proverb of ”A burnt child dreads the fire.” That the proverb is by no means of general application, the experience of every one can avouch. It would be the saving of many a child, of whatever age, who having been burnt should entertain a salutary dread of the fire ever after. But it is not so; witness how many are burnt--_i.e._, ruined, wounded, shot, drowned, made ridiculous, who had all been previously well warned by ”burning their fingers” with losses, injuries by land and sea, and failures in attempts involving dangerous chances.
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