DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Bean family letters, 1845-1860

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1846-01-18 Page 01

Sunday Evening 18th Jany 46 
This Day I have attended the Episcopal Church; twice. Its Regularly Held. in the Lower Lecture Room of the Colledge at 1/2 past 10 A M. & 3 P.M. Listened to able & Interesting Discourses. Singing was Beautiful accompanied by an organ The Singers were posterior to the Speakers Stand They with The Organ were Excluded from View by Scarlet curtains which are constantly Hanging There During Days The Colledge is in Session as well as on The Sabbath. I Have at any Time taken the Liberty to Look at the organ or In fact Investigate the Building In any Respect Except where Business called Me; adopting a verry Valuable Rule; of Minding My Own Business. which in New York is an Excellent way of Doing Business. It is now 2 Days over 4 weeks Since I Have Heard any Thing from Home or Rather since Your Last Letter was mailed - it Seems a Long Time, Sure! Dont You Think So? I Have been Thinking Tomorrow for Several Days past I Shall get a Letter; but it is Here with Me a Little as it is with You; I am a Little Dependent; for Instance: if Letters arrive Saturday particularly In the afternoon I Do Not get them untill Monday owing to the Janitor being absent Saturday & Sunday. Sometime During This week I Shall Receive; Your January No. or the first penned in 46 it is well for Me to Say Here by way of Excuse for not writing Last week that I have been waiting to Hear from You; & further if protracting Increases the Value. this Must Certainly be a Valuable production - You May perchance Infer; from My Requesting Money Sent Me that I was In present want but that is not the case I Have plenty for the present & Shall, certainly; if Life & Health are Spared to Me be at Home before My funds are Exhausted - Still as Our affairs are Situated I Thought it best to Make a Raise of some paper to, use while Hear to purchase Books, & Instruments & have a Little More Than Barely Sufficient to carry Me Home when I was Ready to Leave.Tuesday Evening; Nothing Recd by Mail Since the paper from Butler Dated December 23 /45 - This Evening I Sit to finish this Short Epistle; & if perchance There Should not be anything wanting of Me at Home neither presence or advice in particular 
[Vertically, on left-hand side of page:] 
I May Not write for a few Days after Receiving Yours; but will send a paper Immediately marked Recd

[Upside-down, between lines of main letter:] 

I am at present Very Busily Engaged in the study of anatomy it being a Branch of Medical Studies that can be prosecuted to much Better advantage Here than at Home or in any country place on acct of the facility of obtaining Subjects Here Still it is attended with considerable Expence; as Every one who Dissects pays in proportion to the amount of Dissection; but The Expense is not or ought not to Deter any one who intends to practise; particularly in Surgery; from availing Himself; of the only Source from which Knowledge can be Derived; to Enable one to operate with safety and success on the Living body. it matters not what a physicians study may be How good a Theorist He May be He can never be a good operator with the Knife on the Living Body unless He first becomes familiar with its use upon the Dead not only with its use but with the Location of Parts & the Relation They Bear to Each other & connected with that Knowledge The Laws that Govern operations under all The Varied Circumstances within which He may be surrounded: as well as those that may be Brought to bear upon the patient I am not positive that I Ever conversed with You upon this subject or Rather that I Ever Explained to You the course of Study I pursued During My attendance at college prior to Comencing practise. if I Did not this may not seem a Ligitimate course to be pursued; but when Reason Bears the sway; You will Inevitably be Led to second Me in any Laudable & Lawful undertaking which Has for its Great and ultimate aim & End the welfare of the Human family Laboring under afflictions; Subject to Surgical treatment there is probably not one in 500 country practitioners but what should if they consult thare own or patients welfare avail Him self of the verry course I. am now pursuing

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Sunday Evening 18th Jany 46 This Day I have attended the Episcopal Church; twice. Its Regularly Held. in the Lower Lecture Room of the Colledge at 1/2 past 10 A M. & 3 P.M. Listened to able & Interesting Discourses. Singing was Beautiful accompanied by an organ The Singers were posterior to the Speakers Stand They with The Organ were Excluded from View by Scarlet curtains which are constantly Hanging There During Days The Colledge is in Session as well as on The Sabbath. I Have at any Time taken the Liberty to Look at the organ or In fact Investigate the Building In any Respect Except where Business called Me; adopting a verry Valuable Rule; of Minding My Own Business. which in New York is an Excellent way of Doing Business. It is now 2 Days over 4 weeks Since I Have Heard any Thing from Home or Rather since Your Last Letter was mailed - it Seems a Long Time, Sure! Dont You Think So? I Have been Thinking Tomorrow for Several Days past I Shall get a Letter; but it is Here with Me a Little as it is with You; I am a Little Dependent; for Instance: if Letters arrive Saturday particularly In the afternoon I Do Not get them untill Monday owing to the Janitor being absent Saturday & Sunday. Sometime During This week I Shall Receive; Your January No. or the first penned in 46 it is well for Me to Say Here by way of Excuse for not writing Last week that I have been waiting to Hear from You; & further if protracting Increases the Value. this Must Certainly be a Valuable production - You May perchance Infer; from My Requesting Money Sent Me that I was In present want but that is not the case I Have plenty for the present & Shall, certainly; if Life & Health are Spared to Me be at Home before My funds are Exhausted - Still as Our affairs are Situated I Thought it best to Make a Raise of some paper to, use while Hear to purchase Books, & Instruments & have a Little More Than Barely Sufficient to carry Me Home when I was Ready to Leave.Tuesday Evening; Nothing Recd by Mail Since the paper from Butler Dated December 23 /45 - This Evening I Sit to finish this Short Epistle; & if perchance There Should not be anything wanting of Me at Home neither presence or advice in particular [Vertically, on left-hand side of page:] I May Not write for a few Days after Receiving Yours; but will send a paper Immediately marked Recd [Upside-down, between lines of main letter:] I am at present Very Busily Engaged in the study of anatomy it being a Branch of Medical Studies that can be prosecuted to much Better advantage Here than at Home or in any country place on acct of the facility of obtaining Subjects Here Still it is attended with considerable Expence; as Every one who Dissects pays in proportion to the amount of Dissection; but The Expense is not or ought not to Deter any one who intends to practise; particularly in Surgery; from availing Himself; of the only Source from which Knowledge can be Derived; to Enable one to operate with safety and success on the Living body. it matters not what a physicians study may be How good a Theorist He May be He can never be a good operator with the Knife on the Living Body unless He first becomes familiar with its use upon the Dead not only with its use but with the Location of Parts & the Relation They Bear to Each other & connected with that Knowledge The Laws that Govern operations under all The Varied Circumstances within which He may be surrounded: as well as those that may be Brought to bear upon the patient I am not positive that I Ever conversed with You upon this subject or Rather that I Ever Explained to You the course of Study I pursued During My attendance at college prior to Comencing practise. if I Did not this may not seem a Ligitimate course to be pursued; but when Reason Bears the sway; You will Inevitably be Led to second Me in any Laudable & Lawful undertaking which Has for its Great and ultimate aim & End the welfare of the Human family Laboring under afflictions; Subject to Surgical treatment there is probably not one in 500 country practitioners but what should if they consult thare own or patients welfare avail Him self of the verry course I. am now pursuing