1884 LETTER TO LADY WELBY 359 



as the living being does if you cut off its food, or choke it 

 with its own waste products. And if you alter the sides or 

 bottom of the stream you may kill the whirlpool, just as 

 you kill the animal by interfering with its structure. 

 Heat and oxidation as a source of heat appear to supply 

 energy to the living machine, the molecular structure of 

 the germ furnishing the "sides and bottom of the 

 stream," that is, determining the results which the 

 energy supplied shall produce. 



Mr. Ashby writes like a man who knows what he is 

 talking about. His exposition appears to me to be 

 essentially sound and extremely well put. I wish there 

 were more sanitary officers of the same stamp. Mr. 

 Spencer is a very admirable writer, and I set great store 

 by his works. But we are very old friends, and he has 

 endured me as a sort of " devil's-advocate " for thirty-odd 

 years. He thinks that if I can pick no holes in what 

 he says he is safe. But I pick a great many holes, and 

 we agree to differ. 



Between April and September, Fishery business 

 took him out of London for no less than forty-three 

 days, first to Cornwall, then in May to Brixham, in 

 June to Cumberland and Yorkshire, in July to 

 Chester, and in September to South Devon, Cornwall, 

 and Wales. A few extracts from his letters home 

 may be given. Just before starting, he writes from 

 Marlborough Place to Kogate, where his wife and one 

 of his daughters were staying : 



April 8. The weather turned wonderfully muggy 

 here this morning, and turned me into wet paper. But 

 I contrived to make a " neat and appropriate " in pre- 

 senting old Hird with his testimonial. Fayrer and I 

 were students under him forty years ago, and as we stood 



