1875 LETTERS 181 



I am glad to hear you are getting better, and I 

 sincerely trust that you may find all the good you seek 

 in the baths. 



As to coming back a " new man," who knows what 

 that might be ? Let us rather hope for the old man in 

 a state of complete repair Al copper bottomed. 



Excuse my nautical language. 



The following letters also touch on his Edinburgh 

 lectures : 



CRAGSIDE, MORPETH, August 11, 1875. 



MY DEAR FOSTER We are staying here with Sir W. 

 Armstrong the whole brood Miss Matthaei and the 

 majority of the chickens being camped at a farm-house 

 belonging to our host about three miles off. It is wetter 

 than it need be, otherwise we are very jolly. 



I finished off my work in Edinburgh on the 23rd and 

 positively polished off the Animal Kingdom in 54 lectures. 

 French without a master in twelve lessons is nothing to 

 this feat The men worked very well on the whole, and 

 sent in some creditable examination papers. I stayed a 

 few days to finish up the abstracts of my lectures for the 

 Medical Times ; then picked up the two elder girls who 

 were at Barmoor and brought them on here to join the 

 wife and the rest. 



How is it that Dohrn has been and gone ? I have 

 been meditating a letter to him for an age. He wanted 

 to see me, and I did not know how to manage to bring 

 about a meeting. 



Edinburgh is greatly exercised in its mind about the 

 vivisection business, and " Vagus " " swells wisibly " when- 

 ever the subject is mentioned. I think there is an 

 inclination to regard those who are ready to consent to 

 legislation of any kind as traitors, or, at any rate, 

 trimmers. It sickens me to reflect on the quantity of 

 time and worry I shall have to give to that subject when 

 I get back. 



