xxil. QUATERCENTENARY STUDIES IN PATHOLOGY 



and out of this, besides his endowments in aid of medical 

 education, he dispensed many gifts of charity, among them 

 ;^30,ooo to build the new wing of the Margate Royal Sea- 

 Bathing Infirmary. 



It is something for a man to leave money in bequests for 

 educational and charitable purposes, but when it is gifted during 

 the life of the donor it means a very great deal more, and 

 as such the act demands correspondingly greater admiration. 

 There is this, however, always to be remembered, namely, 

 that gifts made during a lifetime for educational and charitable 

 purposes, like the quality of mercy, are twice blessed ; they not 

 only benefit humanity at large, but reflect their reward on 

 the donor through the pleasure afforded in watching the 

 progress of the object they were intended to foster. Doubtless, 

 it was a matter of gratification to the founder of the Chair 

 to see a new subject safely launched upon the curriculum of 

 one of our most ancient Universities. 



It would be, however, a gross oversight in recording the 

 history of the foundation of the Chair were one to omit mention 

 of the part taken in the accomplishment of the deed by the late 

 Professor Pirrie. He and Sir Erasmus Wilson had been 

 close friends in their boyhood, and the intimacy and friendship 

 had continued into years of maturity. No more ardent 

 advocate for the establishment of a Chair of Pathology was 

 to be found than the late eminent Professor of Surgery, and 

 when the question of obtaining the foundation for such was 

 being acutely discussed in Senatus and elsewhere, the happy 

 thought occurred to him of making application to the friend 

 of his youth. In answer to a letter which he addressed to 

 Sir Erasmus Wilson he got back the reply that he (Sir 

 Erasmus) never took any serious step in life without consulting 

 two persons, namely, his lawyer and his wife. He saw that 

 what was wanted was a matter of ;^ 10,000, and having obtained 



