20 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. II. 



Attendance on the hospital wards was also continued as 

 before. 



In May he was introduced to the pleasures of Botany under 

 Professor Graham. The "prelections were delivered in a 

 pleasant lecture-room in the Gardens, where the foliage of 

 the luxuriant trees, which peeped in at its windows, served 

 as window-blinds, and singing-birds took the place of the 

 College bell." l Along with Botany the pursuit of Chemistry 

 was carried on under Professor Christison. 



On June 2d, he writes to Miss Mackay, Glasgow (after- 

 wards his sister-in-law) " I am now with Christison, 

 labouring away under his superintendence at all sorts of 

 chemical operations, analysis, synthesis, &c. &c. I have 

 got a corner to myself, and the whole laboratory, with all 

 its contents, at my disposal, and depend on it I'll make 

 good use of them. I have had many a project, which the 

 limited and fragile nature of my chemical apparatus, con- 

 sisting of a few tubes and vials, prevented me ever putting to 

 the test of experiment ; but now I shall stick at nothing, and 

 be sure I'll always be busy with something of my own." At 

 this stage in his studies, namely, when he had been three 

 years a student of medicine, his apprenticeship in the 

 Infirmary ended. In this way the time needful for study 

 became more attainable, and although some of the classes 

 and duties had little interest for him, the year which 

 remained in order to the completion of his curriculum was 

 busily occupied. 



The classes of this closing session were Professors 

 Jameson on Natural History; Alison on Clinical Medicine; 

 Hamilton on Midwifery ; and Mr. Kenneth Kemp's Practi- 

 cal Chemistry ; besides attendance in the Hospital Wards. 

 In summer he resumed the study of Botany. 



1 Life of Edward Forbes. Chap. iv. 



