172 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



mines and artesian wells, whose water, if derived from 

 deep sources, always rises to an elevated temperature, and 

 in many countries hot and even boiling springs spout from 

 the ground. I was greatly satisfied with the result of my 

 geological studies in Scotland, and felt that, on account of 

 that subject as well as chemistry, it would have been worth 

 a voyage across the Atlantic. 



Remark. In April, 1851, I saw Cordier in Paris, still 

 vigorous, active, and cheerful, at the age of eighty-five, and 

 full sixty years after he with others went to Egypt in the 

 train of Napoleon, as a member of the corps of learned 

 men, artists, &c. which that extraordinary man took along 

 with him. In war Napoleon did not forget the arts of 

 peace and the interests of science. 



I was desirous to add anatomy to my list of studies, and, 

 of course, my mind was at first directed to the Anatomical 

 Hall of the University. I did attend a single lecture there 

 under Professor Monroe, the third of the name and family, 

 father, son, and grandson having occupied that chair. 

 More, certainly, from the reports of students and others 

 who had attended on him than from the slight experience 

 of a single lecture, I decided not to attend on that course, 

 and to prefer that of Dr. John Barclay, a private lecturer, 

 to whom many of the medical students resorted, to take 

 advantage of his high talents and accurate knowledge, not 

 only of human, but of comparative anatomy. The students 

 took the Monroe ticket because it was necessary to enable 

 them to graduate, and often they took Dr. Barclay's ticket also 

 for the sake of the valuable knowledge which was imparted 

 by that course. I had not occasion to regret my decision. 

 I found Dr. Barclay to be a man of vigorous mind and 

 great enthusiasm. As to his subject, or rather subjects, he 

 was totus in illis. He was not satisfied with human anat- 

 omy only ; he illustrated it in a very instructive and inter- 

 esting manner by comparative anatomy, ranging through 



