JEFFRIES WYMAN 201 



never knew him to lose his temper. The nearest approach to 

 profanity was the result of the catastrophe now to be described. 



As has been stated already, Wyman's courses constituted a 

 senior elective. Those who attended them were not commonly 

 admitted to the laboratory. During the second year (I think) of 

 my pupilage, he determined to occupy a lecture-hour with the 

 exhibition of objects through microscopes. It was a great innova- 

 tion; never, so far as I know, had such an exhibition been held 

 before and the result did not encourage its repetition. In the fore- 

 noon of the previous day the tables in our laboratory were ar- 

 ranged, the instruments were adjusted, and each of us had his 

 station assigned as expositor of one or more specimens. That 

 afternoon Wyman did not come to the building at all; would 

 that I also had absented myself. In the corner near the sink, and 

 near the door of entrance, was the "macerating closet" communi- 

 cating with a ventilating flue through which bad odors could 

 escape. The floor of the closet was at about the height of a table. 

 Near the front stood a large glass jar containing a cat's carcass at 

 an advanced stage of maceration; that is, after the removal of 

 the skin and viscera and most of the flesh, the bones had been put 

 into a jar of water and allowed to stand until the remaining flesh 

 had decomposed and come off, leaving the bones free. I had oc- 

 casion to get something at the back of the closet. In descending 

 from it the tail of my dissecting-gown caught upon the top of the 

 jar and pulled it over after me; it broke and the contents spread 

 over the floor and entered the cracks. The intensity of the odor 

 may be inferred from the fact that my bespattered clothing had 

 to be destroyed. The janitor was summoned in haste and we all 

 cooperated toward purification, but with slight success. It was de- 

 cided rather pusillanimously, as it now appears to me not to 

 notify the professor. The windows were left open and we hoped 

 it would not be so bad after all. 



Next morning Wyman arrived before me. What happened was 

 witnessed by a fellow-student. 1 The professor opened the door, 

 stopped short upon the threshold, threw up his hands, and ejacu- 



1 J. F. Alleyne Adams, now a distinguished physician of Pittsfield, Mass. 



