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CHAPTER XVIII. 



CONCLUSION. 



Some idea of the general course of my father's health may 

 have been gathered from the letters given in the preceding 

 pages. The subject of health appears more prominently than 

 is often necessary in a Biography, because it was, unfortunately, 

 so real an element in determining the outward form of his life. 



My father was at one time in the hands of Dr. Bence Jones, 

 from whose treatment he certainly derived benefit. In later 

 years he became a patient of Sir Andrew Clark, under whoso 

 care he improved greatly in general health. It was not only 

 for his generously rendered service that my father felt a 

 debt of gratitude towards Sir Andrew Clark. He owed to 

 his cheering personal influence an often-repeated encourage- 

 ment, which latterly added something real to his happiness, 

 and he found sincere pleasure in Sir Andrew's friendship 

 and kindness towards himself and his children. During the 

 last ten years of his life the state of his health was a cause 

 of satisfaction and hope to his family. His condition showed 

 signs of amendment in several particulars. He suffered 

 less distress and discomfort, and was able to work more 

 steadily. 



Scattered through his letters are one or two references to 

 pain or uneasiness felt in the region of the heart. How far 

 these indicate that the heart was affected early in life, I 

 cannot pretend to say ; in any case it is certain that he had no 

 serious or permanent trouble of this nature until shortly before 

 his death. In spite of the general improvement in his health, 

 which has been above alluded to, there was a certain loss of 

 physical vigour occasionally apparent during the last few 

 years of his life. This is illustrated by a sentence in a letter 

 to his old friend Sir James Sulivan, written on January 10, 

 1879 : " My scientific work tires me more that it used to do, 

 but I have nothing else to do, and whether one is worn out a 

 year or two sooner or later signifies but little." 



A similar feeling is shown in a letter to Sir J. D. Hooker of 



