MEDICAL STUDIES 23 



While I was still a young boy, my father contrived 

 that I should see something of a laboratory attached 

 to the shop of the principal chemist in Birmingham ; 

 again, during one of our summer visits to the seaside, 

 he discovered a needy foreign chemist who agreed to 

 take me in hand, at a rather high charge. All I 

 clearly recollect of him now was, that he seemed 

 obsessed with the idea of making some wonderful 

 compound out of succinic acid, which is derived from 

 amber, and that he spent all his spare shillings in 

 buying bits of amber and burning them. I learnt 

 nothing from his tuition ; on the other hand, certain 

 recollections of the chemist's laboratory still form part 

 of my stock of mental imagery. 



The step most momentous to myself was taken by 

 my father in 1 838, of removing me at the age of sixteen, 

 and in no ways against my will, from Dr. Jeune's school. 



A little after, while I was at Leamington, my 

 father asked our medical attendant there, Mr. P., to 

 show me an example of the medical work I should be 

 engaged in before I was plunged wholly into it. 

 That first experience is very memorable to me. It 

 occurred on a night chilly out of doors, while indoors 

 our family party were assembled in cosy comfort at 

 dessert, after a good dinner, with a brightly burning 

 fire, shining mahogany table, wine, fruits, and all the 

 rest, when a servant brought a note from Mr. P. 

 awaiting- an answer. It was to the effect that a 



housemaid had suddenly died at Lord 's house, 



and that he, Mr. P., was about to make a post-mortem 

 examination ; would I like to come ? Oh, the mixture 

 of revulsion, wonder, interest, and excitement ! I 

 changed clothes and went, entering the house bv a 



