vii 



professional but also to scientific pursuits, especially meteorological 

 and geological investigations. His "Observations on the Climate 

 of Penzance" and his papers on the " Temperature of Mines" are 

 still quoted as of standard value ; and two papers on the " Geology 

 of the Land's End" give further evidence of his zeal and sagacity as 

 a student of Nature. It was during the last year of his residence 

 at Penzance that he published his translation of Laennec's great 

 work on 'Auscultation,' which was at that time but little known 

 and still less appreciated in this country, but which impressed Dr. 

 Forbes' s mind with a sense of its value that was soon justified by 

 the general voice of the more enlightened part of the profession. 

 In 1822 he removed to Chichester as successor to Sir William 

 Burnett ; and there he continued for twenty years, obtaining the 

 principal practice in the town and in the neighbouring district of 

 Sussex ; while there too he formed that friendship with Dr. Conolly 

 which led to their subsequent association in two medical works of 

 great importance. The first of these was the ' Cyclopaedia of Prac- 

 tical Medicine,' the publication of which was commenced in 1832 

 and completed in 1835, under the joint editorship of Dr. Tweedie 

 (to whom the original idea of the work is due), Dr. Forbes, and 

 Dr. Conolly. Besides undertaking a large share of the editorial 

 labour, Dr. Forbes furnished to this ' Cyclopaedia' several articles 

 of high excellence, which contributed in no small degree to establish 

 its reputation. Previously to its completion he projected the 

 ' British and Foreign Medical Review,' associating Dr. Conolly with 

 himself as editor ; the publication of this journal, which commenced 

 in January 1836, was carried on under their joint superintendence 

 for four years, Dr. Forbes performing nearly all the editorial labour ; 

 and on Dr. Conolly's removal to Hanwell in 1840, which occasioned 

 his relinquishment of his connexion with the ' Review, 5 Dr. Forbes 

 became its sole editor, and continued to discharge that duty until 

 1847. It was chiefly with the object of improving the 'Review' 

 that he removed to London in 1840, giving up a lucrative practice 

 and a high social position at Chichester, under the full conscious- 

 ness that he could not expect to attain a corresponding status in 

 the metropolis. In the next year he was appointed Physician to 

 the Prince Consort and to the Queen's Household, and he conti- 

 nued to hold these appointments until compelled to relinquish them 



