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John Abernethy
(3 Apr 1764 - 28 Apr 1831)
English surgeon who practiced at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, where he founded a Medical School and a museum of pathological anatomy. Although in fact a generous man, he chose to inspire the confidence of his patients by adopting a brusque demeanour.
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Science Quotes by John Abernethy (4 quotes)
Private patients, if they do not like me, can go elsewhere; but the poor devils in the hospital I am bound to take care of.
Stating the courtesy he felt obliged to give to charity patients.
Stating the courtesy he felt obliged to give to charity patients.
— John Abernethy
In George Macilwain, Memoirs of John Abernethy (1854), 37.
The hospital is the only proper College in which to rear a true disciple of Aesculapius.
— John Abernethy
In William Osler, Aequanimitas (1906), 328.
There is no short cut, nor “royal road” to the attainment of medical knowledge. The path which we have to pursue is long, difficult, and unsafe. In our progress, we must frequently take up our abode with death and corruption, we must adopt loathsome diseases for our familiar associates, or we shall never be acquainted with their nature and dispositions ; we must risk, nay, even injure our own health, in order to be able to preserve, or restore that of others.
— John Abernethy
Hunterian Oration (1819). Quoted in Clement Carlyon, Early Years and Late Reflections (1856), 110-111.
To those … engaged in the practice of medicine, the study of Physiology is indispensable; for it is evident that the nature of the disordered actions of parts or organs can never be understood, nor judiciously counteracted, unless the nature of their healthy actions be previously known.
— John Abernethy
In 'Lecture 1', Physiological Lectures, Exhibiting a General View of Mr. Hunter’s Physiology (1817), 3.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
