306 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



increased feeling of weariness afterwards. It is 

 scarcely needful to say that he was a most serene 

 and resigned patient. No word of protest was ever 

 heard from him. He took a considerable interest 

 in his own case, as a scientific study, and writes : 

 " We are supposed to have 3J litres of blood, i.e. 

 3,500,000 cubic centimetres : each cubic centi- 

 metre contains 5,000,000 corpuscles : one ought 

 to have 3,500,000 x 5,000,000 = 17,500,000,000,000, 

 so that I have 8,800,000,000,000 too few ! No 

 wonder I am ill." This terrific computation 

 he makes after the doctors had told him that 

 he had only half as many of the red corpuscles 

 as he should. So he continued, performing 

 such duties, social, political, and other as he 

 was able, and resigning himself tranquilly to 

 the sick-room in the intervals with a heroism 

 which is rather pathetic. It was thus with him 

 until June, when they went to High Elms, and 

 he is able to write : " Sunday 9th. We have had 

 a pleasant and peaceful time, and I am ever so 

 much better. I wrote to the Times on ' Strikes,' 

 and the letter has been reproduced in a good 

 many country newspapers." The next day 

 they went up to London; on the Tuesday he 

 dined out, "the first time for some months," and 

 on the day after " To Chambers of Empire 

 meeting. Coming in late, I was much gratified 

 at receiving quite a small ovation by clapping 

 of hands. In the afternoon to Buckingham 

 Palace : the King and Queen were very gracious, 

 congratulated me on being better, and begged 

 Alice to take care of me and not let me do too 

 much." 



