THE APPRENTICE IN THE SUNSHINE. 45 



It was while in Drumlithie that he began the first form 

 of his botanical studies, that of Medical Botany, which he 

 carried on with increasing ardour and extending knowledge 

 all his life. 



Plants, in this practical botany, were known as " herbs," 

 students of the subject as "herbalists," and professors of 

 it as " herb-doctors." The art of healing by these natural 

 simples was then greatly in vogue amongst weavers and 

 shoemakers, many of whom were really skilful and suc- 

 cessful in their more or less empiric treatment. It was 

 at that time a very popular form of medicine, in which, 

 amidst much error, there was more virtue than is now 

 generally conceded ; and it was a decided gain to our 

 rural communities, when medical men were comparatively 

 few and expensive, and greatly confined to the larger 

 towns. It was natural, therefore, that John's interest in 

 plants, created around the old cliffs, should take this 

 special practical shape, familiar as it was rendered to him 

 by general belief and practice. Indeed, no more scientific 

 form of botanical study was then available to him. Few, 

 if any, scientific treatises on Botany then existed, certainly 

 none in a popular form, for many years after he left 

 Drumlithie. Then, Medical Botany was at that time 

 greatly a formulated study, possessing text-books to be 

 had at no great cost. Culpepper was the great autho- 

 rity, and his illustrated " British Herbal " was in common 

 use. By getting a loan of Culpepper from some of 

 the local herbalists of the village, John was able, during 

 his apprenticeship, to make a beginning of the study of 

 plants, which he learnt to discover and name with the help 

 of the plates that accompanied the work. This was his 



