Dr. James Hamilton, who died on the 27th October, in
the eighty. seventh year of his age, formed a connecting link between the past and present race of physicians ; and with him the last remains of the old school have completely passed away. Many of our readers, doubtless, remember him : who that has visited the Royal Infirmary of Edin- burgh can never forget him ? Stunmer and winter, fitir day and foul, was Dr. Hamilton to be seen stepping along, with his thin-soled shoes, ornamented with large buckles, his black silk stockings, and those short inexpressible articles which cover the "nether bulk ;" his for- mal, square-cut coat, and his redoubtable cocked hat ; the whole in exquisite keeping with his upright elastic gait, and his expression of mingled shrewdness and eccentricity. He was the beau ideal of a phy- sician of the last century ; and with him the age of cocked hats, shoe- buckles, shorts and all, is clean gone by. But Dr. Hamilton, though these bathe points which attached him to the fancy, had stronger claims to our respectful notice ; for to him we owe one of the most important improvements in the practice of modern times—a practice now univer- sally adopted in this country ; we mean that of administering purgative medicines in fever and many other diseases, in which, anterior to his time, the existence of debility was thought to prohibit their use.— Ofedical Gazette.
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