i A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF 
used the Baconian method in his lectures with such effect, had the greatest real influence 
on Buchanan’s career, if one шау judge by Buchanan’s skilful and often masterly 
use of the inductive process with regard to those matters as to which he had only 
native reports and opinions to guid» him. From Glasgow Buchanan obtained the 
degree of M.A., when he was 17 years of age, in 1779. 
Being, like his father, a younger son, it was necessary for Buchanan to adopt a 
profession. He accordingly decided to follow that of his father and, after graduating 
at Glasgow, he proceeded to Edinburgh where he stulied medicine. John Hope, pupil 
of Jussieu, and friend of Linnaeus, had been teacher of Botany for e'ghteen years when 
Buchanan's studies began, while John Walker? had entered on his duties as teacher of 
Natural History during Buchanan’s final year at Glasgow. The influence of the teaching 
in these two classes on Buchanan's mind and future eareer was evidently great. Тһе 
Professor of Mate:ia Medica at Edinburgh then was Francis Home,’ who possibly did not 
so greatly influence Buchanan, but he evilently benefited by the inspiring influence of 
Alexander Monro secunus,* who was then the Professor of Anatomy. А fellow-student 
and college friend of Buchanan while at Edinburgh was James Edward (afterwards 
Sir J. E.) Smith, the purchaser of the herbarium of Linnaeus and founder of the Linnean 
Society of London, and from Smith we learn that, after the often temporary enthusiasm 
for natural history. which accompanies attendance on the scientific classes of a medical 
curriculum m‘ght have won off, Buchanan during the intervals between the sessions 
of the University was still a keen collector) Buchanan obtained the degree of M.D. 
from the University of Edinburgh in 1783, when he was in his 22nd year. 
The year following graduation appears to have been spent at home and we learn 
incidentally from Sir J. E. Smith that he was still collecting, and that Smith and he 
were attempting conjointly to identify his specimens.’ His attention at this time 
was apparently given largely to mosses.’ It is clear from the refererces that provide 
us with this information that Buchanan, though already a keen collector, was a 
collector of an unselfish type, forming no permanent herbarium for himself but making 
over his specimens to friends, just as he did in later years. 
Early in 1785 Buchanan embarked on the first of his Eastern voyages—we find 
from one of his subsequently published papers that on the last day of July 1785 
ha was in the Arabian Sea on a vessel bound for Bombay from Johanna in the 
Comoros ; The piper in which this fact is recordel? and a later reference to 
- the conditions of the cotton export trade in Bombay, contained in a letter dated 
' Dr. John Hope, Professor of Medicine and Botany in the U 
* Dr. John Walker, Professor of Natural History, 1779—1804 
` Dr. Francis Home, Professor of Materia Medica, University of Edinburgh, 1768—1798. 
* Alexander Monro secundus, patris eminentis filius eminent; pico қ a 
PUR Re TS. filius eminentior, Professor of Anatomy, University of Edinburgh, 
niversity of Elinburgh, 1761—1786, 
Leny, his father's home, in 
1806, 
vide tly did nət continue to cultivate in later life, for one ' 
стти his ignorance of the group and is interesting as showing that 
Шы | reville almost tempted him to renew his acquaintance with these 
*It is not clear in what capacity Buchanan’ 
. 4 nanan з voyage wag де; int i 1 
* Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, vol, v.; jen. 4 CN M Ds R daft жа ети 
