Dr. Percival. 17 



the same year, 1765, Mr. Percival went to Leyden to take 

 his degree. It was the habit of Scotland to connect itself 

 with Leyden, and especially at that time when some 

 dispute had occurred in Edinburgh with the professors. 

 Percival does not seem to have attended a course of lec- 

 tures in Holland, because he received his diploma of M.D. 

 on July 6, 1765, the year of entering Leyden. This was 

 not got, however, without a fair struggle, as he defended 

 his dissertation ' On Cold ' in the public manner usual in 

 that and other continental universities. At these dis- 

 cussions Latin only was spoken (we believe it is still so in 

 Leyden) : this shows that at Edinburgh or at Warrington 

 young Percival had been well grounded. His thesis ' De 

 frigore ' is pointed to prove that cold has not a special 

 existence, but is simply the absence of heat. If it does not 

 show genius it displays at least the wholesome condition 

 of mind of a well taught gentleman. When he returned 

 home he married, and after staying two years in Warring- 

 ton decided to live in Manchester rather than in London, 

 as he at first intended. He seems to have come with a 

 fame already made, a young man actually Fellow of such, 

 a society as the Royal was ever anyone so young known 

 to be elected ! One also who had written essays, medical 

 and experimental, published during this year ! 



He came into a fine practice rapidly in Manchester, 

 and began at once an active and successful public life. For 

 a long time he had a summer house at Harthill on the 

 old Eccles Road, three miles from the town, where he 

 had a house in King Street. He moved about all day in 

 his carriage, one of the only three in the town, and read 

 until he injured his eyes too early in life. Perhaps the 

 motion of the carriage was great and irregular on account 



c 



