MEMOIR OF THE LATE DR THOMAS CHARLES HOPE. 423 



time after the beginning of this century, regularly took his share of the duties of 

 Clinical Professor of Medicine. 



Dr Black, who was always of a most delicate constitution, did not feel him- 

 self able to lecture after the session of 1796-97 ; bitt the life of this truly great 

 philosopher and most accomplished teacher, was protracted to the 14th of 

 November 1799. On his death Dr Hope became the sole Professor of Chemistry 

 in our University. 



It was in the Session of 1798-99, that the writer of this memoir first became 

 Dr Hope's pupil ; and he remembers, with gratitude, that it was from the clear and 

 able prelections, and most happy experimental illustrations of the leading principles 

 of the science by Professor Hope, he imbibed that predilection for chemical pur- 

 suits, which long formed his chief relaxation from the severer duties of his pro- 

 fessional life ; and which, he hopes, will continue to afford interest and amusement 

 to his declining years. 



I may here remark, that Dr Hope had become, from the variety and excellence 

 of his illustrations, and dexterity in chemical manipulations, the most popular 

 teacher of the science that had ever appeared in Great Britain. Not only was 

 his lecture-room crowded with medical students from every part of the British 

 dominions, but numerous foreigners resorted to Edinburgh, and became his pupils. 

 Many of our nobUity at that time were among his students. During one of the 

 winters that I attended his class, among my fellow-students were the late Earl 

 of Lauderdale, the present Earl (then Lord Maitland), Lord Sempill, and 

 the late Lord Ashbukton. The large class-room was filled to overflowing ; 

 and he who was not there before the commencement of the lecture had no 

 chance of a seat. 



The rage for chemistry continued for several years ; and certainly no chemist 

 ever had larger audiences than Dr Hope. I find that the average number of chemical 

 pupils here, during the six years preceding Dr Hope's appointment as Dr Black's 

 assistant and successor, Avas 225. When I attended him in the end of the last 

 century and beginning of this, his annual pupils were above 400 ; in 1813 they had 

 risen to 500, and in 1827 they had actually amounted to 575. 



While Hope lectured at Glasgow, the total number of his pupils amounted to 

 about 300. After his removal to Edinburgh, his chemical lectures were attended 

 by 15,500 persons, and the number of tickets issued for his chemical class was no 

 less than 16,800. 



His reputation as a lectm-er induced a number of the Faculty of Advocates 

 to request him to give a summer course of chemistry in 1800 ; which was also 

 attended by many gentlemen engaged in other pursuits. 



I shall now oflfer some remarks on the original investigations in which Dr 

 Hope at different times engaged, after his paper on Strohtites. 



It is well known that Boyle, Maeiotte, and other philosophers, ascertained 



VOL. XVI. PART IV. 5 p 



