LETTER FROM PROFESSOR PORTER. 347 



forms. His mildness and benignancy of temper gave to his 

 rebukes additional point and power. 



In some repects it was unfortunate for Professor Silliman 

 that he gave instruction by lectures only. It is not surpris 

 ing that he preferred to lecture, and that he judged that 

 this was the best method of teaching chemistry. It was 

 taught in this way in the Scotch Universities when he 

 studied, and he very naturally received the impression that 

 it could be taught in this way with the greatest success. 

 Indeed, the necessity of performing experiments seemed 

 to make lectures necessary. Professor Silliman's own apti 

 tudes and inclinations would, of course, lead him to prefer 

 this as the sole method. Had he examined his classes with 

 greater thoroughness, had he oftener asked himself what 

 was the best method of impressing and receiving the prin 

 ciples and facts which he set forth, and held himself rigidly 

 to the rules which, in this way, he could not but have formed, 

 he would have imparted more knowledge and secured a 

 more thorough discipline, though he might have been less 

 attractive as a lecturer. However, the methods which were 

 most natural to himself were, on the whole, the most useful 

 to the world, at the time when he was most active and labo 

 rious. That he was active and diligent as a reader and stu 

 dent, no man could doubt who was familiar with his daily 

 life, or knew the extent of his labors and responsibilities. 

 For many years the sole responsibility of conducting the 

 " Journal of Science," and of sustaining its pecuniary lia 

 bilities, rested upon him. His correspondence with rela 

 tives and friends, both scientific and social, was always 

 very onerous, though it was to him a pleasure. His reading 

 was very extensive. In the rapidly advancing science of 

 chemistry, and in the rapidly opening science of geology, 

 there was the necessity of constant activity, and of the 

 power of readily acquiring and thoroughly mastering the 

 new discoveries and the new theories. He delivered a lect 

 ure almost daily for more than thirty weeks of the year, 



