Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/284

 25^ BRITISH PHYSICIANS. thus transferred to the latter. It is remarkable that its eggs, although much larger than those of these other birds, do not require a longer period of incubation. The young cuckoo grows rapidly, and soon expels the brood of the sparrow, &c,, from their own nest. Jenner proposes a new solu- tion of these peculiarities ; for which we refer our readers to the original, or to the analysis of his biograjjher. Oppressed by the fatigues inseparable from ge- neral practice in the country, he resolved to con- fine himself to medicine, and obtained, in 1792, a degree of M.D. from the University of St. An- drew's. No man has conferred more lustre on that title, however obtained, than Jenner; but it is due to this ancient seminary to state, that it no longer affords admission to its honours on such easy terms ; it has reformed itself, and now deserves to rank with most of the medical schools of Europe in the tests of proficiency which it de- mands from candidates. Towards the end of 1794, Jenner was attacked with a typhus fever, which nearly proved fatal. The excellent Dr. Parry, of Bath, came to attend him. He has himself left a touching picture of his own sufferings, as well as those of his family, in a letter addressed to his friend, W. F. Shrapnell, Esq. We now arrive at the critical period of Jenner's life, to which our limits will render a very inade- quate justice ; happily the subject is one on which information has been amply accumulated, and is easily accessible on all sides. While Jenner was pursuing his professional education in the house of his master, at Sudbury,