104 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



I have spoken before ; a man whom from his very 

 youthful appearance you could never have imagined as 

 the successful candidate to the professor's chair against 

 Dr. Brewster. But Dr. Brewster is no favorite in 

 Edinburgh. Other distinguished men were there. I 

 was introduced to Professor Christison, 1 had some 

 pleasant conversation ; promised, if practicable, to 

 hear him lecture to-morrow at nine A. M., and look at 

 his museum of materia medica. We had tea after 

 the adjournment, according to the usual custom here, 

 which is a very pleasant one. I only count upon two 

 days more in Edinburgh, and have yet much to do. 

 I am anxious to reach London, where I hope there are 

 letters for me. Good-night. May God bless you all, 

 and keep you. 



MELKOSE, January 10, 1839, Thursday evening. 



On the 8th inst., Tuesday, I went immediately 

 after breakfast to the university and heard Professor 

 Christison' s lecture, Materia Medica. He is an ex- 

 cellent lecturer. I spent a half hour with him, in 

 looking over his cabinet of preparations, which con- 

 tains a large number of fruits, etc., preserved in 

 strong brine instead of spirits. I acquired some use- 

 ful information concerning the best way to close the 

 jars, for which he has some very neat plans. Then 

 I heard Professor Forbes again; elegant as usual, 

 but he did not succeed very well in his experiments. 

 The next hour I had a rich treat. I heard another 

 lecture from Professor Wilson, on the Association of 

 Ideas, which on this occasion he noticed in a more 

 practical view than before. He recited, in his glow- 



1 Sir Robert Christison, 1798-1882; professor of materia medica 

 in the University of Edinburgh. 



