CHAP. V.] OPENING MANHOOD 1847 TO 1850. 127 



Langhorne has got your Buchananic notes. Why do you 

 think that I can endure nothing but Mathematics and 

 Logic, the only things I have plenty of ? and why do you 

 presuppose my acquaintance with your preceptors, professors, 

 tutors, 1 etc. ? . . . 



I don't wonder at your failing to take interest in the 

 exponential theorem, seeing I dislike it, although I know 

 the use and meaning of it. But I never would have, unless 

 Kelland had explained it. ... 



In your next letter you may give an abstract of Aris- 

 totle's Rhet., for I do not attend Aytoun, and so I know 

 not what Ehet. is. I know Logic only by Keid's account 

 of it. I will tell you about Wilson's Moral Philosophy, 

 provided always you want to know, and signify your desire. 



To THE SAME. 



[Edin.] 14th March 1850. 



As I am otherwise engaged, I take this opportunity of 

 provoking you to write a letter or two. I have begun to 

 write Elastic Equilibrium, and I find that I must write you 

 a letter in order at least, indeed, 2 to serve on the one hand 

 as an excuse to myself for sticking up, and on the other 

 hand as a sluice for all the nonsense which I would have 

 written. I therefore propose to divide this letter as follows: 

 My say naturally breaks up into 1. Education; 2. 

 Notions; 3. Hearsay. 



1. Education Public. 



10-11. Gregory is on Alloys of Metals just now. 

 Last Saturday I was examined, and asked how I would do 

 if the contents of a stomach were submitted to me to detect 

 arsenic, and I had to go through the whole of the preparatory 

 processes of chopping up the tripes, boiling with potash, filter- 

 ing, boiling with H C L and K C L 5 , all which Kemp the 

 Practical says are useless and detrimental processes, invented 

 by chemists who want something to do. 11-12. Prof. 

 Forbes is on Sound and Light day about, as Bob well knows, 

 and can tell you if he chooses. He (E. C.) has written an essay 



1 At Oxford. 2 See above, p. 82. 



