Page:A History of the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania.djvu/182

 At the close of the lectures he sailed for Europe, and first repaired to Edinburgh, where he spent the summer in witnessing the private practice and operations of the celebrated John Bell, then in the zenith of his fame—in attending botanical and natural history lectures, and in devoting particular attention to hospital practice.

He graduated at the University of Edinburgh in 1809, having written a thesis, entitled, “De Forma Ossium Gentillium.” The materials for this inaugural Latin dissertation were obtained from the museum of Monro. It was descriptive of the different forms of the bones pertaining to the races of mankind, and has been quoted by Pritchard and other writers in connection with their ethnological researches. The science of ethnology was at that time almost in its infancy.

On a journey from Edinburgh to London, he formed an acquaintance with a brother of Sir John Moore, commander of the British army in Spain, who was killed at the battle of Corunna, and received from this gentleman such testimonials as enabled him to procure the means of witnessing, “in an unofficial capacity,” after the arrival of the wounded in England, the important cases of gunshot wounds, and other similar injuries, which occurred at that battle. It is probable that Dr. Gibson was thus first brought into close association with Sir Charles Bell, who was at the time a practitioner of surgery in London, and who had been detailed to assist in the care of the wounded soldiers. He entered, as a private pupil, the family of Sir Charles Bell, and with his taste for artistic delineations, had ample opportunities for improvement under the direction of so consummate a teacher. In 1809 there was a galaxy of distinguished medical men, at the height of their reputation, in London, of whom Dr. Gibson has mentioned Mr. Abernethy and Sir Astley Cooper as conducing to his improvement by their interesting lectures.