Contemporaries

Of men that I have met, I remember Charles Dickens, he was then a parliamentary reporter for the Morning Chronicle - another was Edward Irving, a religious enthusiast who published a quartlrly journal of prophesy, and like (another Scotch divine) Dr Cumming expected the speedy coming of Christ.

I remember attending lectures at the Royal Institution by Faraday and Brand.

The Royal College of Surgeons - Examinations

On my 22nd birthday I decided to obtain the diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons - I had then been engaged in six years in studying medicine and surgery, and had attended all the lectures required for qualifying myself for examination - At last the evening arrived when I appeared before the Council of 10 - no sooner was I called in, and a question put to me by one of the examiners tworads who I had turned, than the president interfered, and said I was to look at him, so I roused myself and spoke out loudly. when a deaf old man Sir William Blizard called out how very distinctly that young man speaks, I can hear every word he says - I answered every question satisfactorily except the last, which was on the treatment or errysipelas (?) I was unwilling to express an opinion, as I knew there were two opposite modes of treatment, so the examiner gave me his view as to how it should be treated - I then retired from the Chamber and on the 25 May 1835 was elected a Member of the College .

Many persons are very nervous on undergoing such a test of their qualifications -but knowing that I had studied hard, and whatever the result it was useless to anticipate it, I went to the theatre on the evening before the examination.

James Hinton, my cousin

The most distinguished student of my school was Joseph Toynbee who became the first aurist of the day in London, he unfortunately inhaled some new anaesthetic while experimentalising with it and was found dead at this study table, with note book at his side - (namesake?) His son has distinguished himself at Oxford where he has established a benevolent institution known as Toynbee Hall.

On Toynbees death my cousin James Hinton obtained the reputation of being the best aurist - for a few years he had a very lucrative practice in London, but his health broke down from mental strain, and after being a voluminous writer on metaphysics he succumbed to softening of the brain - His son Charles Hinton is an enthusiastic scientist at Oxford, and has written more than one treatise on theoretical subjects.

Hinton, James

Hinton, James, aurist and metaphysician, born at Reading; after taking his degree was for some time at sea and in Jamaica, but in 1850 established himself in London; specialising in ear-diseases he rose to the top of his profession, becoming lecturer at Guy's Hospital; his leisure was earnestly devoted to philosophy, and gave fruit in “Man and his Dwelling-Place,” “The Mystery of Pain,” “Philosophy and Religion,” &c.1822‒1875.

Definition taken from The Nuttall Encyclopædia, edited by the Reverend James Wood (1907)

Changing employment

In October 1834 I left Mr Cummins and entered as a student at the Westminster Hospital, under Surgeon Guthrie, who had a good reputation - he was present at Waterloo - and had written a book on gunshot wounds - on one occaion I was him operate on a boy for cleft palate - ether or chloroform were not known in those days - so he failed from the boys restlessness - I also attended lectures on medicine and jurisprudence by Dr Ryan - on botany by Dr Epps, the uncle of the present homeopathicocoa (?) Epps and surgery and anatomy by Mr MacDermot, a skilful anatomist. I have anatomical plates, from drawings from the dead body, taken in the dissecting room, while I was there more than fifty years ago - in those days medical students had the reputation of being a wild set and Albert Smith wrote a book called the adventures of Mr Ledbury describing all sorts of scenes real and imaginary in their lives - that educated young men love to show their dislike of restraint is proved by the disorderly scenes that take place in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge - Edinburgh - Last year similar disorder took place in Melbourne, and the Governor Sir H. Lock declared it was the first and last time he would allow himself to preside at such scenes.

The medical students with whom I associated felt their responsibilities to their fathers and themselves - some from want of energy, retired from the contest - others were rejected for incompetency - but the majority pursuing a steady course, gained the object of their ambition, and passed some into the Army and Navy, others into country practice.

Attending medical lectures

In October 1832 Mr Cumming allowed me to to attend the lectures at the London Hospital, which was about two miles from his house, delivered by Dr Pereira on Chemistry and Dr Cobb on Materia Medica/preparations used in medicine. Dr Scoffern, a friend of my wifes family was assistant to Dr Pereira, and is still alive.

Early reading

During my stay with Mr Cumming I read many medical books and in general literature went through Popes translation of Homer's Iliad - Ossians Poems by Me..p... -Paradise regained, I preferred to Paradise Lost, as there were many references in the latter to the mythology of the Jews, Romans and Greeks that I could not comprehend - I may here mention that my eldest sister and I inherited from our father a defect in vision, called shortsightedness, obliging us to use spectacles for fifty years, but as we grew older and retired from active life, were able to resign their use, and cannow read with more comfort than most old people, who now require them.

The Surgeons Apprentice - other skills

Fifty years ago (1837) bleeding was still in general use for many urgent diseases, and with decided benefit - I remember a young woman who had walked rapidly about three miles on a cold winter's morning the wind had irritated her lungs so that she was in great pain, and could hardly breathe - I bled her to about 16 ounces of blood, and in a short time afterwards, she was free from pain, and could breathe freely.

Many weakly people were improrperly bled, who required nourishment and stimulants instead of evacuants - two of my lecturers were fond of ordering leeches, when I though food and warm clothing of more service.

Several sad cases of drowning took place in the river or docks - unfortunate women would do so, rather than lead a life of reproach - drunken men would tumble into the canal, never to wake again - and young men of vigour would unaccountably get drowned although good swimmers - from my after experience I consider that death in many cases arises from spasm of the epiglottis or windpipe - Several cases of insanity came under my notice - one that of a young woman who had been promised marriage by the mate of a vessel who omitted to do so, and the poor creature had to be sent to the Lunatic Asylum - another case was a middleaged timber merchant who about once a year closed his books, and walked to the Asylum, where he would reamin for a few months, and then return in his righmind to business - three times he had done so when I became acquainted with him.

The Surgeons Apprentice - Cholera

The first epidemic of Cholera in 1832 commenced in Limehouse, on the bank of the Thames, and with Mr Cumming I attended on several of the victims - the mortality rate was great and the disease coming from India spread over most parts of the world - the most successful as a temporary treatment was the injection of half a pint of warm water, containing a little salt, into a vein in the arm - this had an invigorating effect for an hour or two, but collapse generally followed shortly after.

The path to India and the British Raj

In a few months I was led to choose a profession, by reading a glowing account of India, in one of Walter Scotts novels, called the Chronicles of the Canongate, and I was resolved to be a surgeon, and go out to India, which my father kindly enabled me to carry out. I was therefore apprenticed for five years in January 1829 to Mr Wm S. Cumming, Surgeon, Commercial Road, Limehouse East London, during that time I dispensed all his medicines and obtained a good knowledge of diseases - he was a kind gentleman, but had a bad tempered wife, for whose rudeness he apologised on my leaving him. He told me one day that she was a descendant of James the 2nd. Her grandfather was a Jacobite, and had to escape to Scotland, his father was born in the West Indies, where he resided nearly all his life - I saw him but once - she was a woman, whom to know was to dislike - I suppose her servants were slaves, when she was young and her name was Stewart.

An early start to life!

When 15 years old I left school, and was restless for want of some fixed occupation, I was therefore sent to my cousin Isaac Hinton who was a book publisher in Warwick Square, London.

The change from country to town life caused me severe headache, every afternoon, which unfitted me for work - the novelty of life in London induced me to take long walks in every direction, and I prided myself on not allowingt anyone to walk faster than I did in Fleet Street, which at that time was always crowded.

(Isaac T Hinton of Warwick Square, London - Book publisher)

Fathers Bank

During the Napoleonic wars the Bank in which my father was Cashier, was in a very prosperous condition, but after the battle of Waterloo, when the majority of the troops were disbanded, its landed property was so depreciated in value that the Bank became insolvent - The assignees appointed my father their secretary and it was not until the bankruptcy court was established in London about 1830 that the last dividend was declared - My father then entered the newer bank known as Grant and Carters where he remained for several years, and was pensioned off in his old age, as a good and faithful servant.

Some religion

My parents were Baptists, and as none of us were christened in childhood, no clergyman would have read the burial service over our remains - Dissenters met this difficulty by having burial grounds of their own - The chapel we frequented was in Portsea, so that we had long walks on a Sunday to reach it - we had to learn verses out of Dr Watts's Divine and Moral Songs, which in fragments return at times to the memory.

A few years ago a Monument was erected to his memory in Southampton, which was his birthplace - Sunday observances were very strict in those days - each religious sect considered itself in the right, and all the others wrong - the military bands alwlays played the troops to and from church.

Going to school in Portsmouth

For several years we went to a school in Portsmouth kept by a Mr Waggett, we learnt the Eton Latin Grammar by heart, but understood little of it - the cane was frequently used in school, and on one occasion the master threatened to continue beating a boy until he did confess to having done something wrong - so the boy confessed at once - next day the Master had to apologise before all the boys for his unjust treatment, ujnder pain of four brothers being withdrawn from the school - the one punished was the bgest of them, and one of the others was the lazier. The father was a large farmer who afterwards went to America.

Napoleon

During the great wars with Napoleon a chain was cast across the mouth of Portsmouth harbour, to prevent the entrance of any of the Enemy's ship's, some of the links of it were to be seen on the beach when we were boys - a similar chain existed at Vienna, on the Danube to prevent the Turks from passing it about the Year 1680.

Winter

The winters were more severe in those days, than now and for six weeks, or two months, we had plenty of sliding and skating.

Gone a roamin!

We used to roam the country round within a radius of ten miles, the castles and all the forts in the neighbourhood were explored - on one coccasion three of us went over to the Isle of Wight in a small boat, after rowing for about ten miles, we landed to rest ourselves, and on returning were carried by the tide about three miles beyond our course - it was eleven oclock before we got home, and were glad to have supper.

An early reader

While my brothers would be amusing themselves with cricket or other open air games, I would often engage in reading and my father had about thirty books which were much more scarce, and valuable, in those days than now. I remember eagerly reading Hewitsons Life of Napoleon in 2 Vols, at that time he was considered such a wonderful man, that a bust of him was to be found in almost every cottage in England - Rollins Ancient history and Mosheim Eccelesiastical History, were books I pored over, while the Pilgrims Progress, Klopstock Messiah and Fox's Book of Martyrs were frequently examined.

A garden not far

Our father had a nice garden, about a mile from the house - it was an acre in extent, and in it was grown every description of fruit and vegetables, common in those days. The brocoli which in Australia is generally known as cauliflower was very large, the subsoil in that neighbourhood being considered very favourable for its production, the apple trees were all dresssed as espaliers - grapes grew in profusion over the summerhouse, and the gooseberries and currants, were a great attraction to our juvenile tastes. Much of our time was employed in carrying water from the well.

Boys will be boyz

We were very fond of sea bathing, and sometimes played truant in consequence, until one sad day it was reported to my father that we had not been to school - so we were sent up to the bedroom while he found a thick rope to give us a thrashing - by the time he found it I had passed a copy book up my back, and the blows fell harmelss, and I daresay inflicted as much pain to his mind, as to my back.

A narrow escape

When a small boy I remember going to see a bonfire one night, in honor of Queen Caroline, exwife of George the 4th. The greatest fright I ever experienced was when returning one evening after dark along a lonely road from a friends farm we met an old man with a big stick - my brothers pushed on ahead, and when I passed the man, he shouted and raised his stick - this made my heart beat violently until I got well past him.

Early Years - Surgeon-Major Henry Benjamin Hinton

From his Journal - Adelaide January 1887

I remember having been told in childhood days that I was born on a Sunday in a house on Jubilee Terrace, Southsea, on the 7th March 1813.

Southsea is a suburb of Portsmouth (United Kingdom) , the Royal Naval Seaport of England.

The Terrace had been recently built, in honor of George the 3rd, who then in 1809 reigned for fifty years over the United Kingdom.

I was the fifth child, and third son, of a family of thirteen, of whom the eldest, Eliza, still survives in England, and one sister Emma, and four brothers are alive in Australia.

At the time of my birth my father was Cashier in the Bank of Godwin, Minchin, Harker, of the Parade, Portsmouth.

My dear mother Elizabeth Pridie was of a French Hugenout family, of dark complexion, black hair, and eyes, had a sweet disposition, and when she had ceased bearing childrren was still a handsome woman.

One of the earliest recollections of my life was being sent to a d(?)ames school on the Parade, Portsmouth - and for some slight offence a bible was tied round my neck, one of my brothers told of this when we got home and my mother had us removed.

When we were young and troublesome, the servants used to threaten us that Bony would come, and take us away - this always had a quieting effect, and it was a relief a few years afterwards when we heard that the great Napoleon Bonaparte, who had been the terror of Europe, had died at St Helena - in after years I obtained a slip of willow tree that grew over his remains there.

At the time when he contemplated the invasion of England, my father joined a volunteer rifle corps, and we boys were delighted...his green uniform and musquet, which had been stowed away for years in the garret clost - after that we found a pair of small pocket pistols in an upper drawer of the wardrobe, and indulged in ball practise, without telling any one, until all the ammunition was expended - children are unconcious of danger until it stares them in the face; on one occasion we climbed out of the garret window, and crawled up the slate roof until we reached the top of it, where we remained for some time, while our mother on her return from town, when about half a mile off, beheld her boys on the roof, and hurried home in great anxiety, less she should find us killed; however, when we opened the door to let her in, anxiety was turned ...on finding us alive and well.