CHAPTER II 

 AT THE UNIVEESITY 



RAMSAY'S acquaintance with chemistry began early, as 

 narrated in Mr. Fyfe's account of his recollections. The 

 autobiography tells us that before he left school he had 

 the misfortune to break a leg at football. During his 

 convalescence he read Graham's Chemistry with the 

 object chiefly, as he confesses, of finding out how to 

 make fireworks. His father supplied him with small 

 quantities of potassium chlorate, phosphorus, sulphuric 

 acid, etc., together with small beakers, flasks, and a 

 spirit lamp, wherewith he amused himself during the 

 tedious months of enforced idleness. It is a little 

 difficult to imagine how such materials could be safely 

 handled while the operator was in a recumbent position, 

 but as no accidents are recorded we are left to suppose 

 that all went well. In Tatlock's laboratory a year was 

 devoted exclusively to analytical work, both qualitative 

 and quantitative. One of the assistants having fallen 

 ill, Ramsay was temporarily promoted to replace him. 

 Here he received his first idea of responsibility. The 

 following year he attended the lectures of Professor 

 Thomas Anderson, known for his researches on the 



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