38 The Life and Writings of 



the life of Rafinesque of the surroundings of his boy 

 hood days. 



In connection with the attempt to secure favorable 

 legislative action in the matter of the Botanic Garden 

 a serious illness resulting from exposure to a prevailing 

 epidemic enters into the record in such manner as to 

 illustrate another side of Rafinesque s life. He says : 

 &quot;I took the measles then prevailing, and was very sick 

 on my return to Lexington ; but I recovered in spite of 

 the Physicians, by taking none of their poisons, anti 

 mony and opium, while many died in their hands.&quot; 

 Clearly Rafinesque had little regard for the disciples of 

 ^sculapius ! 



According to the account contained in the &quot;Life of 

 Travels&quot;, with the governing body, or better, perhaps, 

 the executive head at Transylvania, Rafinesque did 

 not rnjoy the most pleasant relations. Doctor Horace 

 Holly, the President, did not look with favor on the 

 natural sciences, and having himself no especial training 

 in them was not prepared, perhaps, to appreciate their 

 importance. Nor were the relations which Rafinesque 

 sustained toward his associate professors more cordial. 

 He complains that they intrigued one against another,* 



* There does not seem to be sufficient warrant for this statement of Rafiu- 

 esque. General and ex-Senator George W. Jones, of Dubuque, Iowa, who was a 



