
IN MEMORIAM—PROFESSOR THOMAS KING, 13 
Professor King left Glasgow to attend the Conference of the 
Society at Fochabers. Next morning he seemed to have reco- 
vered from the fatigue of his long journey, and joined the excursion 
party in their search for fungi. The route lay over a rough hill- 
side. After walking some distance he became over-heated, and 
feeling unable to proceed further he sat down to rest on a stone. 
Here he was seized with sickness and other symptoms of illness, 
but, after resting for a short time, he was able to follow the party 
in their return to the Gordon Arms Hotel. The same evening he 
attended the annual dinner, and took part in the subsequent 
business meeting of the Society, but retired early to rest. Next 
morning he appeared at the breakfast table, but was unable 
to take food; and he was attended by Dr. William Watson, 
Slateford, who fortunately was among the party. As symptoms 
of pleurisy were apparent, Mr. King was ordered to bed, and 
remedial measures were at once adopted. When absent from 
home, his custom had been to write to his sister every day; and 
in a letter written on the Thursday evening he informed her of 
his illness and of Dr. Watson’s desire that one of his friends 
should be summoned to attend him. Mrs. Ritchie accordingly 
proceeded next day to Fochabers, taking with her some letters 
for her brother which had arrived in his absence. Among these 
-was a communication from the editor of the Scottish Farmer, 
enclosing ears of rye affected with ergot, which greatly interested 
Mr, King. A note on the subject, written to his dictation by 
Mrs. Ritchie, was afterwards despatched to the editor of the 
Scottish Farmer, and appears on page 756 of the issue of 19th 
September, the same paper which contains an announcement of 
his death. 
On Friday, 11th September, the members of the party who had 
attended the conference left Fochabers, and it was hoped by them 
that in a few days Professor King would have so far progressed 
towards recovery as to be able to return to Glasgow. This hope, 
however, was not to be realised. On the following Sunday a 
relapse with serious complications set in, and on Monday, 14th 
September, he passed peacefully away. 
The sad announcement of his death came as a painful surprise 
to his wide circle of friends, most of whom had not even been 
aware of his illness, 
