428 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. X. 



The subjoined letter to Dr. J. H. Gladstone alludes to a 

 chemical discoveiy he had made : 



" BRIDGE OF ALLAN, April 28, 1856. 



" DEAR INSPECTOR, I really have the suspicion that I owe 

 you a letter, and indeed I resolved as soon as I came here to 

 write to you, and why did not I ? Because, after a few days' 

 improvement here, and all disappearance of the haemoptysis 

 which had driven me from Edinburgh, I as usual began to work 

 as if I were quite well. I was seized with a technological fit, 

 and set off to explore a bleach- work, dye-work, and carpet-work 

 in my neighbourhood. You can sympathize with the pleasure 

 such visits give. To me they are mentally exhilarating in the 

 highest degree : I like to see the machinery, the chemical pro- 

 cesses, and not least to chat with the workpeople. But my 

 stupid body always makes itself disagreeable. On this occasion, 

 after returning much delighted, I lay down on the sofa to reflect 

 on the sights I had witnessed ; but it was soon stopped by 

 coughing, and blood, blood, crimson blood. This stopped my 

 letter-writing, and compelled quietness, counter irritation, and 

 no more technologizing. I am better, but frail, and sitting in 

 medical judgment on my own case, I am afraid that I must 

 report myself decidedly lower down the hill than this time last 

 year, and with less of my lungs useful than before. But it's all 

 well ; I am in God's hands. I pray neither to die, nor to live, 

 but to be kept from the evil that is in the world. Jessie and I 

 have had a delightful fortnight of Bible-reading, and talking and 

 meditating and worshipping, such as you and May can under- 

 stand. ... I am delighted to hear of your new chemical doings. 

 ... I have given you your new title at the beginning of this 

 scrawl, but I would be glad to know if the following is the cor- 

 rect statement of the matter. If not, you must complain to the 

 Mendicity Society. 



" ' THE BLOOMSBURY DETECTIVES. 



" ' On the 1st of January, in conformity with John Dal ton's 

 Act, Professor Faraday, in the presence of Dr. Hoffman and tluj 

 Master of the Mint, added three equivalents of the nitro-pmsside 

 of sodium to five equivalents of the cobalticyanide of potassium, 



