254 Britain's Heritage of Science 



believed he never taught anatomy at all. It cannot be said 

 that his teaching in botany in any way compensated for this 

 silence in anatomy. The curious conjunction of the two 

 professorships did not produce anyone of any particular 

 eminence in botanic science. R. K. Greville (1794-1866), 

 who held no official post, was, however, establishing a great 

 reputation for his knowledge of cryptogamic botany, in 

 which subject he is said to have done more than any botanist 

 of his times. 



Hooker, whose work is mentioned elsewhere, succeeded 

 Graham as Professor of Botany at Glasgow, and for a time 

 the chief activity in this science was in the western rather 

 than the eastern university. 



On Graham's succeeding to the Chair in Edinburgh, 

 Botany again revived, for he was an able lecturer, a man 

 of great activity, and he organized botanical excursions for 

 his pupils. 



He was succeeded by J. H. Balfour (1808-1884), a brilliant 

 teacher and a most genial man, called by his pupils " woody 

 fibre." He was known best, perhaps, as a teacher than as 

 an investigator, and, as was usual during the times in which 

 he lived, his researches were largely of a systematic kind. He 

 was the first, however, to introduce the use of the microscope 

 into the Class-room. 



The Irish records of botanical research are at least as 

 scanty as those of Scotland. The first authentic authority 

 on plants was Caleb Threlkeld (1676-1728), but his book, 

 under the ambitious title of " Synopsis Stirpium Hiberni- 

 carum," was little more than a herbal. 



A lectureship was established at Trinity College in 1711 

 and associated with it was a small Physic Garden. In 1786 

 the lecturer, who was at that time Edward Hill, was raised 

 to the status of a professor. His chief work seems to have 

 laid in the botanic garden and in starting the herbarium. 

 Amongst his successors perhaps Professor William Allman 

 should be mentioned. He was succeeded by a succession 

 of able men, but none of them pre-eminently able. 



This brief survey of the history of British Botany shows 

 that there is ever a steady current of research and investigation 

 going on in these islands and with here and there a temporary 



