ence of measles, dropsy, Lee's Pills, and the injudicious use
of medicine and many other errors. My employment, too, as school teacher
had been far enough from favorable to health. While thus engaged from
winter to winter, and sometimes from year to year; I was accustomed to
have cold upon cold, till at length especially towards the close of
winter and at the opening of the spring, I was often apparently on the
verge of a rapid decline. A ramble up and down the country, with a
summer or part of a summer on the farm or garden, did indeed for a time
partially set me up again, so that I could return to my favorite
employment of teaching in the autumn and during the winter; and thus
time with me went on.

A course of medical lectures which I heard in 1825-6, left me, in March,
1826, in about as bad a state of health as school keeping usually had
done. However I was too indigent, I might even say too destitute, to be
idle. Scarcely was my license to practise medicine and surgery fairly in
my pocket, than I found myself turning towards the district school
again. Yet I did not continue it many weeks before my old enemy returned
upon me with renewed strength; till I was at length compelled to abandon
the school entirely. I had as much as I could do, in attempting to keep
up a successful war with cough, night-sweats, purulent expectoration,
and hectic fever.

This was one of the darkest periods of my life. Destitute of money, and
even somewhat in debt, yet too proud or self-relying to be willing to
ask my friends to aid me; my hopes of usefulness defeated in two
favorite fields of activity, teaching and medicine; and practically
given up to linger out a year or two and then die, how could I avoid
discouragement? Was it strange even, if I approached at times, the very
borders of despair?

For some time prior to this crisis--indeed at certain seasons all my
life long,--I relied not a little on medicine, in various forms,
especially in the shape of tonics. Strange that I should have done thus,
when my general impressions were so unfavorable to its exhibition; and
yet such inconsistencies have been, and may be again. Huxham's tincture,
quassia, ale, and other bitter infusions and tinctures, had been
successively invoked, and I still clung to ale. I also used some wine,
and I attached a good deal of importance to a stimulating diet. But it
was all to no purpose, the disease was marching on steadily, and
appeared destined to triump