112 OBITUARY. 



are called upon to record the departure from among us of another of 

 our most distinguished members. 



George Johnston was bora on the 20th of July, 1797, at Simprin, in 

 Berwickshire. About the year 1813 he commenced his medical studies in 

 Edinburgh, and entered as a pupil of the well-known Dr. Abercrombie. 

 He took out his degree of M.D. in 1819, and soon afterwards became a 

 Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He then removed 

 to Berwick, where he established himself as a physician, and was not long 

 in becoming one of the leading medical men of that town. He devoted 

 himself with the greatest assiduity to the duties of his profession ; and we 

 believe that he never completely recovered from a severe wetting to which 

 he was exposed while visiting a patient in the country. He sought, in 

 the retreat afforded by the Bridge of Allen, some slight relaxation from 

 the harassing duties that devolved upon him, and it was here that he was 

 attacked with a fit of paralysis. He was quickly removed to his resi- 

 dence at Berwick, where he shortly afterwards fell into a state of un- 

 consciousness, which lasted, with a few and brief intervals, until, on the 

 morning of the 30th July, he calmly passed from the scene of his labours. 



Thus was finished the life of a great as well as a good man. Dr. John- 

 ston was essentially a British naturalist perhaps we had better said that 

 Dr. Johnston was the naturalist of the Eastern Border ; for, although 

 the author of the " British Zoophytes and Sponges," yet he always felt, to 

 quote Southey's words, " The better, as well as the happier, for local 

 attachment ;" and one of the most charming productions in the English 

 language is his " Botany of the Eastern Borders." Some months since, 

 he informed us that the second volume of fiis " Terra Lindisfarnensis" was 

 nearly ready. Let us hope that some one will be found to follow up the 

 work that our lamented friend had begun. 



The driest details became interesting when they flowed from Dr. Johnston's 

 pen. fiver forward in the pursuit of the natural sciences, he lost no 

 opportunity of advancing their interests, and to this we owe the formation, 

 about two-and-twenty years since, of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club. 

 Some of the excursions of this club will be found narrated by his poetical 

 pen in the pages of his last work, just referred to. His favourite flower 

 was the wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella). Well may we say with Words- 

 worth, that 



" A flower is not a flower alone 



A thousand sanctities invest it; 

 And as they form a radient zone, 

 Around its simple beauty thrown, 

 Their magic tints hecome its own, 

 As if their spirit had nossess'd it." 



