Note 78 — THE LIFE OF WILLIAM HARVEY, M.D. (continued 2)

Aubrey gives a positive denial to “the scandall that ran strongly against him (Harvey), viz. that he made himself away, to put himself out of his paine, by opium.” Aubrey proceeds: “The scandall aforesaid is from Sir Charles Scarborough’s saying that he (Harvey) had, towards his latter end, a preparation of opium and I know not what, which he kept in his study to take if occasion should serve, to put him out of his paine, and which Sir Charles promised to give him. This I believe to be true; but do not at all believe that he really did give it him. The palsey did give him an easie passeport.” (1. c. p. 385.)

Harvey, if he meditated anything of the kind above alluded to, would not be the only instance on record of even a strong-minded man shrinking from a struggle which he knows must prove hopeless, from which there is no issue but one. Nature, as the physician knows, does often kill the body by a very lingering and painful process. In his practice he is constantly required to smooth the way for the unhappy sufferer. In his own case he may sometimes wish to shorten it. Such requests as Harvey may be presumed to have made to Scarborough, are frequently enough preferred to medical men: it is needless to say that they are never granted.