183940. READS ABSTRACT OF THESIS. 215 



To those who knew George Wilson best, those lines will 

 seem as applicable to him as to the noble man by whose death 

 they were called forth. 



In writing home, particulars are given of the appearance at 

 the Chemical Section of the two friends : " We were received 

 as courteously as we could have wished, and attended to with 

 interest and patience. You know that I spent my time up to 

 the last moment of leaving, in writing out an abstract of my 

 Thesis for the Association ; but, after reaching Birmingham, we 

 found that long papers were in bad odour, and they admitted so 

 many ladies to the section meetings, that we gave up the idea 

 of reading, and resolved to speak our papers to the people. This 

 idea was only formed the night before, and I had no time to ar- 

 range my thoughts ; but we were fortunately driven desperate, 

 and so achieved wonders. Our names were read out last, the 

 day before we were appointed to read ; accordingly, Samuel and 

 I were sitting together after the section had begun, talking about 

 our matters, when in came Playfair bounce from the section to 

 say that my name had been read out, and they were waiting for 

 me. Away I ran, and before I very well knew where I was, I 

 was mounted on a rostrum before some hundred strangers. 

 Though somewhat flurried at first, I speedily acquired courage 

 and coolness enough to progress satisfactorily, in which com- 

 fortable progression I was greatly aided by the attentive, watch- 

 ful looks of some of the more intelligent among them. When 

 I came down, Playfair said I had done ' nobly.' If I were not 

 writing for a fond mother's eye, I should be ashamed to say all 

 this ; but I know you will be anxious to know everything about 

 this journey. Professor Graham, Dr. R D. Thomson, the Bir- 

 mingham secretary, and Professor Clark of Aberdeen, all ex- 

 pressed their interest in the paper, and their satisfaction with 

 its proofs. We both of us intended to have read or spoken be- 

 fore them other communications, but business increased on our 

 hands (that is, section business), and we could not obtain an op- 

 portunity of addressing them a second time." To George Wil- 

 son's friend and fellow-chemist, Dr. J. H. Gladstone, London, we 

 are indebted for detailed notices of manv of his scientific inves- 



