Page:Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia - George W Norris.djvu/33

 From an old letter which has come under my notice, written by one not belonging to our profession, I extract the following, which is interesting from giving us some idea of Bond's dexterity and worth as an operator, as well as of the state of surgery here, at the early day in which it was written. It is of the date of 1772, and says, "I had the curiosity last week to be present at the hospital, at Dr. Bond's cutting for stone, and was agreeably disappointed, for instead of seeing an operation, said to be perplexed with difficulty and uncertainty, and attended with violence and cruelty, it was performed with such ease, regularity, and success, that it scarcely gave a shock to the most sympathizing bystander, the whole being completed, and a stone of two inches in length, and one in diameter, extracted in less than two minutes." "If," adds the writer, "surgery is productive of such blessed effects, may we not with Cicero justly rank it among the first of arts, and esteem it worthy of the highest culture and encouragement?" Besides enjoying an extensive practice for a period of half a century, this eminent physician was among the foremost in promoting the formation of our useful institutions. He was one of the original members of the American Philosophical Society, and was its first Vice-President. The credit of