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BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



Thursday f \Uh May, 1846. — Professor Balfour, President, in the 

 chair. 



Donations to the library and museum were announced from the 

 Leopoldine Academy of Breslau, and from Alfred Greenwood, Esq. 

 The following gentlemen were elected Fellows of the Society, 

 viz. : — 



James Duncan, M.D., F.R.C.S.E., &c., 12, Heriot Row ; Rev. Dr. 

 Fleming, F.R.S.E., M.W.S., 54, India Street ; Robert H. Gunning, 

 Esq., 12, Argyll Square; and William Stark Dougall, Esq. 

 The following communications were read : — 



1. Biographical Sketch of the late Professor Graham, by Dr. 

 Ransford. 



Robert Graham was the third son of the late Dr. Graham, of Stir- 

 ling (afterwards Moir of Leckie), and of Mrs. Ann Stewart, daughter 

 of the late Charles Stewart, Esq., of Appin. His early education was 

 obtained at Stirling. He was apprenticed in 1804 to the late Mr. 

 Andrew Wood, F.R.C.S., Edinburgh, and became a licentiate of the 

 College of Surgeons in 1808, and graduated at the University during 

 the same year. Dr. Graham then studied for twelve months in Lon- 

 don, at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and afterwards commenced prac- 

 tice in Glasgow. In 1812 he was appointed physician to the Infir- 

 mary of that city and lecturer on Clinical Medicine, and published 

 an essay on the continued fever, which at that time was epidemic in 

 Glasgow. Dr. Graham succeeded Dr. Brown as lecturer on Botany ; 

 and in the following year, having been appointed by the government 

 Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow, he succeeded, in 

 conjunction with some other gentlemen, in getting a Botanical Gar- 

 den established, and took the principal share in its formation. Dr. 

 Graham married the youngest daughter of David Carrick Buchanan, 

 Esq., of Drumpellier and Mount Vernon. On the decease of Dr. 

 Rutherford he was appointed by the Crown Regius Professor of Bo- 

 tany and Keeper of the King's Garden, and by the patrons to the 

 Professorship of Medicine and Botany in the University of Edinburgh. 

 Soon after his appointment, and principally through his exertions, the 

 present Botanical Garden was formed ; and with the able assistance 

 of Mr. William M'Nab, all the trees, shrubs, and plants, were removed 

 from the garden at Leith Walk to their present situation. He also 

 prevailed upon the government to increase the annual allowance to 

 the institution (which is still insufficient, and only half the sum which 



