MEMOIR OF DR WRIGHT. 135- 



" The election of office-bearers in the College of Phy- 

 sicians, took place this morning. I am of the Coun- 

 cil, and might have been President ; but as Dr Gre- 

 gory has kicked up such a dust with the Surgeons, I 

 thought it best that he should continue in office, and 

 fight his own battle. Johnny Bell has answered 

 or rather criticised the Memorial of Dr Gregory, 

 who is now preparing his reply. I shall take an early 

 opportunity of sending you the whole of the papers." 



Throughout the long life of Dr Wright, and more 

 especially during his residence in Edinburgh, in the 

 evening of his days, there is, perhaps, no feature of his 

 character more strongly marked, than the deep and 

 pervading interest he evinced, and the substantial as- 

 sistance he afforded, to the rising generation. He re- 

 membered the difficulties and perplexities with which 

 he had occasion to struggle in his own outset in life ; 

 but it was not in passive sympathy for similar strug- 

 gles that he allowed his kindness to be exhausted. 

 With an active spirit of beneficence, he sought for 

 modest merit, and persevered in rescuing the objects 

 of his patronage from undeserved obscurity. He ap- 

 peared, indeed, to enjoy a singular facility in detect- 

 ing the first germs of genius, and calling them early 

 into action ; an observation which is fully warranted 

 by the rank and station to which many of his eleves 

 and proteges have since raised themselves in society. 

 The medical profession, from the nature of his own 

 pursuits, and the corresponding circle of his friends, 

 afforded him a field of usefulness which he neither al- 

 lowed to remain uncultivated nor unfruitful. 



