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THE HON. DAVID ELLIOTT WILKIE, M.D. Ed., AND 

 L.R.O.S. Ed. 



Dr. Wilkie was a native of Haddingtoo, in Scotland, where his 

 early education was obtained. He afterwards studied in Edin- 

 burgh for the medical profession , and graduated at the University 

 of that city. Afterwards he went to Paris, for the purpose of 

 completing his medical studies, and in 1838 he came to 

 Australia, selecting Adelaide as his first place of residence, and 

 coming on to Melbourne in the succeeding year. At that time the 

 medical profession in this colony consisted of very few members, 

 but Dr. Wilkie, after he had been here some time, induced the 

 others to join him in commencing a medical society, which was 

 called the Port Phillip Medical Association. In 1852 a second 

 society — the Medico-Chirurgical Society — was formed, and in 1855 

 these two bodies became the present Medical Society of Victoria, 

 of which, in 1858, Dr. Wilkie became President. In that society 

 he took a warm interest, and frequently read papers at its meetings. 

 He was also a regular contributor to the Australian Medical 

 Journal, which in 1856 he helped to found, and which for awhile 

 he edited. He was one of the original members of the Philo- 

 sophical Society, out of which finally grew the present Royal 

 Society, and was first its treasurer and afterwards (in 1857) its 

 vice-president. He contributed to its Transactions frequent papers ; 

 and although some of his conclusions, especially that referring to 

 the Yan Yean Reservoir, were curiously unconfirmed, there was no 

 denying the great industry and care with which his essays were 

 prepared. Dr. Wilkie was one of the first physicians to the 

 Melbourne Hospital, a connection which, after being for some time 

 broken, he afterwards renewed, and to the duties of which ofiice 

 he applied himself with a conscientious regard for their fulfilment. 

 After several unsuccessful attempts, he in 1858 became a member 

 of the Legislative Council of this colony for the North-western 



