THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE.
3Q0
?CHARLES
DICKENS'
CONSULTATION
WITH
MR. SYME. TO THE EDITOR
OF
"
THE
INDIAN MEDICAL
GAZETTE."
Sir,?In the 3rd volume of Forster'a Life of Dickens
a
con-
sultation Dickens had with Mr. Syme is described by quotations from a letter written by Charles Dickens to his daughter. In this letter the common sense opinion of Mr. Syme is turned into nonsense by Dickens' attempt to make Mr. Syme talk broad Scotch; whereas all Mr. Syme's pupils know that he talked and wrote as good English as Dickens himself, and that the cockney Scotch Dickens attributes to him could only have existed in Dickens' imagination. To show the unmeaning absurdity of the Scotch part of the story, the word "joost" need only be instanced as a specimen of the gibberish in question. Just is not pronounced "joost" (as Dickens would have us believe) in any dialect in Scotland; in fact the tendency in all Scotch dialects is to pronounce it "jest." And as regards the alleged difference of opinion between Mr. Syme and Sir Henry Thompson, I heard Mr. Syme describe his interview with Dickens on the day it took place, and remember that he not only took a serious view of the condition of Dickens' foot, but also spoke of Sir Henry Thompson's diagnosis with the same respect as he invariably did of all that gentleman's opinions. I therefore look upon this part of Dickens's account as no less fabricated than the pseudo-Scotticisms undoubtedly
were.
Among those who knew Mr. Syme, or ever heard him speak, any contradiction of such a story is unnecessary ; but its circulation in Mr. Forster's book is calculated to give those who did not know him as erroneous an impression of his manner as Dickens appears to have formed of his character. Dickens' habit of overcaricaturing, though sufficiently amusing in books of fiction, such as Pickwick, cannot but be regarded as a serious fault when used for the purpose of ridiculing actual facts; as it can hardly be accomplished except, as in the case under considsration, by the sacrifice of truth. I am. Sir, Your obedient servant, Edward Lawrie.
Calcutta, June 12th, 1874. As a former " dresser" in Mr. Syme's ward, we arc in a position to endorse the force and truth of Mr. Lawrie's observations regarding the great Surgeon's accent, manner and character.?Ed., I. H. G.
*
The Life of Charles Dickens, by John Forster,
page 417.
[Juli 1,
1874.
3Q0
?CHARLES
DICKENS'
CONSULTATION
WITH
MR. SYME. TO THE EDITOR
OF
"
THE
INDIAN MEDICAL
GAZETTE."
Sir,?In the 3rd volume of Forster'a Life of Dickens
a
con-
sultation Dickens had with Mr. Syme is described by quotations from a letter written by Charles Dickens to his daughter. In this letter the common sense opinion of Mr. Syme is turned into nonsense by Dickens' attempt to make Mr. Syme talk broad Scotch; whereas all Mr. Syme's pupils know that he talked and wrote as good English as Dickens himself, and that the cockney Scotch Dickens attributes to him could only have existed in Dickens' imagination. To show the unmeaning absurdity of the Scotch part of the story, the word "joost" need only be instanced as a specimen of the gibberish in question. Just is not pronounced "joost" (as Dickens would have us believe) in any dialect in Scotland; in fact the tendency in all Scotch dialects is to pronounce it "jest." And as regards the alleged difference of opinion between Mr. Syme and Sir Henry Thompson, I heard Mr. Syme describe his interview with Dickens on the day it took place, and remember that he not only took a serious view of the condition of Dickens' foot, but also spoke of Sir Henry Thompson's diagnosis with the same respect as he invariably did of all that gentleman's opinions. I therefore look upon this part of Dickens's account as no less fabricated than the pseudo-Scotticisms undoubtedly
were.
Among those who knew Mr. Syme, or ever heard him speak, any contradiction of such a story is unnecessary ; but its circulation in Mr. Forster's book is calculated to give those who did not know him as erroneous an impression of his manner as Dickens appears to have formed of his character. Dickens' habit of overcaricaturing, though sufficiently amusing in books of fiction, such as Pickwick, cannot but be regarded as a serious fault when used for the purpose of ridiculing actual facts; as it can hardly be accomplished except, as in the case under considsration, by the sacrifice of truth. I am. Sir, Your obedient servant, Edward Lawrie.
Calcutta, June 12th, 1874. As a former " dresser" in Mr. Syme's ward, we arc in a position to endorse the force and truth of Mr. Lawrie's observations regarding the great Surgeon's accent, manner and character.?Ed., I. H. G.
*
The Life of Charles Dickens, by John Forster,
page 417.
[Juli 1,
1874.
