1 83 2 -3 7' MEDICAL CLASSES. 1 7 



operations have been performed at the Infirmary, but 

 George did not see either." 



Shortly after entering on his duties in the Infirmary, 

 George began the student-life which his long hours of work 

 made so burdensome, for not till nine each evening was he 

 free to study, and we can imagine how weary and jaded the 

 labours of the day often left the boy. During the Winter 

 Session of 1832-33, he attended classes for Mathematics 

 and Natural Philosophy ; and in the following summer, 

 attendance on Mr. Lizars' Anatomical Demonstrations intro- 

 duced him more specially to medical study. 



Notwithstanding these new objects of pursuit, former 

 projects were not abandoned. "The Juvenile Society," 

 says his brother Daniel, "had fulfilled its functions, and 

 was being superseded by others suited to the change of 

 tastes and requirements of advancing years. By the 

 minute-book of the Edinburgh Zetalethic Society, which 

 has remained in my possession by right of my fulfilment 

 of the duties of Secretary during the two years that it 

 lasted, I find George engaged with our cousin John, and a 

 few other associates, on the 4th of April, 1833, in organizing 

 this Society for the reading of essays and discussion. It 

 differed in no very special degree from the ordinary run 

 of students' debating clubs. The subjects of discussion 

 were sufficiently miscellaneous ; but their main use was in 

 exercising the reasoning faculties, and developing such 

 facility of speaking in public, as was sufficiently manifest in 

 George's later public career, .whatever other societies may 

 have contributed to it." 



Afterwards, during his college days, he became a member 

 of several other societies connected with the University. One 

 of them was the Diagnostic Society, although there is no evi- 

 dence that he took a very active part in its proceedings. 



