SIR JAMES DEWAR, F. R. S., LL. D. 



By Sir James Cuichton-Browne, M. D., LL. D., F. R. S. 



[With 1 plate] 



A great man of science has passed away, resolved into that at- 

 mosphere the secret of which he has done so much to disclose. Sir 

 James Dewar died on March 27 at the Royal Institution in Albe- 

 marle Street, which has been for 46 years the scene of his labors; 

 and his remains were, by his express wish, cremated at Golder's 

 Green on the following Saturday. 



Born at Kincardine-on-Forth under the shadow of the Ochill 

 Hills, and near Stirling with all its romantic historical associations, 

 on September 20, 1842, Sir James Dewar was reared in a Presby- 

 terian home and was early introduced to the austere theology in the 

 Shorter Catechism. In his tenth year there occurred an incident 

 which probably colored his life. While skating on a winter's day he 

 fell through the ice, and when rescued walked about in his wet clothes 

 till they were dry, so that his family might not learn of his misad- 

 venture. The result of that was that he had a severe attack of 

 rheumatic fever, which crippled him for two years and left him with 

 a damaged heart. The heart trouble incapacitated him for the 

 active life to which he had been previously disposed and permanently 

 cut him off from strenuous games and exercises, but in no degree 

 impaired his constitutional energy, which remained intact and un- 

 surpassable till his death. It was in these two years when he was 

 laid aside, free from schooling, with only a modicum of private 

 tuition and cut off from the companionship of other boys of his 

 age, that his native gifts had a favorable opportunity of spontaneous 

 growth. He browsed unconfined on the wholesome pastures of 

 English and Scottish literature, drank deeply of Burns, and above 

 all, began to think for himself and to create; and creation is the 

 essence of all genius. Always devoted to music, he had before his 

 illness attained to some degree of proficiency on the flute, but was 

 now debarred from that instrument by breathlessness, and so turned 

 to the violin. With the help of the village joiner he made for him- 

 self several violins, one of which, wonderfully expressive in its tones, 

 was played on at the celebration of his golden wedding in 1921. 



1 Reprinted, by permission, from Science Progress, July, 1923. 



547 



