98 DR. EDWARD SCHUNCK. — MEMOIR 



research, throwing quite a new light on the relations 

 between disease and water and soil. To those who take 

 an interest in sanitary science it must be a matter for 

 vivid regret that his labours in this novel field of research 

 were cut short just when they seemed to promise impor- 

 tant results. 



It remains to say a few words on such of Dr. Smith's 

 publications as are not of a strictly scientific or profes- 

 sional character. These are partly philosophical in their 

 tendency^ partly literary, or simply popular in character, 

 and in part treat of antiquarian and historical subjects, 

 for which Dr. Smith had a great liking, and seem often to 

 have been hastily penned to fill up a leisure hour or at the 

 request of friends. Many of them were anonymous, but 

 Dr. Smithes style and the current of his thought were so 

 original that to those who knew him the disguise was only 

 a thin one. One of the works belonging to this class 

 must not, however, be passed over without special notice. 

 During several years of the latter portion of his life he 

 was in the habit of spending his autumn vacation on the 

 shore of Loch Etive in Scotland, where he employed him- 

 self — his active mind never being satisfied without some 

 special object to occupy it — in exploring this part of his 

 native country with a view of throwing some light on its 

 state in prehistoric times. The result was a work which 

 is not only instructive, but highly entertaining in the best 

 sense, called " Loch Etive and the Sons of Uisnach,''' a 

 work which all should read who are interested in pre- 

 historic research and ethnology. Dr. Smith paid great 

 attention to Celtic languages, and made a large collection 

 of works in Gaelic. These, with the rest of his books, 

 have, since his death, been presented to the library of 

 Owens College. 



Dr. Smith was elected a member of this Society in the 



