326 BLACK. 



speaking, his native country. At that college he 

 studied under the celebrated Cullen, then Professor of 

 Anatomy and Lecturer on Chemistry ; and, having 

 removed in 1750 to Edinburgh for the benefit of that 

 famous medical school, he took his degree there in 

 1754. In 1756 he was appointed to succeed Dr. 

 Cullen in the chair of anatomy and chemistry at Glas- 

 gow, and he continued to teach there for ten years, 

 when he was appointed to the chemistry professorship 

 at Edinburgh. He then lectured for thirty years to 

 numerous classes, and retiring in 1796 lived till 1799, 

 and died on the 26th of November in that year. His 

 health never was robust ; it was indeed precarious at all 

 times from a weakness in the bronchia and chest, but 

 he prolonged life by a system of the strictest absti- 

 nence, frequently subsisting for days together on water 

 gruel and diluted milk. He never was married ; but 

 he cherished with unvarying affection his near relatives, 

 who well deserved his care. His favourite niece, Miss 

 Burnet, a person of great sense and amiable temper, 

 was married to his friend and second cousin, Professor 

 Ferguson, the historian and moral philosopher. Dr. 

 Black lived in a select circle of friends, the most illus- 

 trious men of the times in science and in letters, 

 Watt, Hutton, Hume, Robertson, Smith, and after- 

 wards with the succeeding generation of Scottish 

 worthies, Robison, Playfair, Stewart. Delighting 

 to commune, to speculate, and to investigate with them, 

 he was careless of the fame which however he could 

 not but be sensible his labours must achieve. He was 

 extremely averse to publication, contemning the im- 

 patience with which so many men of science hurry 



