D7\ Thomas Andreivs : The Great Chemist 109 



having his office in Thompson's Court, off Donegall Street, while 

 Michael Andrews, of Ardoyne, had his residence at 72 Donegall 

 Street and his office in York Lane. The boy Thomas was sent 

 to school first to the old Belfast Academy in Donegall Street, but 

 was soon transferred to the Academical Institution, in which 

 from 1835 to 1845 he was to be the Professor of Chemistry in 

 its Collegiate department. He did much of his important work 

 while in this post, and before he left it in 1845 to join the 

 organizing staff of the projected Queen's College, or rather the 

 Northern College as it was first called, his name was known over 

 all Europe. He was a diligent pupil, paying especial attention to 

 French and having a liking for Chemistry. He left school before 

 he was fifteen to join his father's business, but his heart was not 

 in the woi'k and discussions took jjlace regarding his future. A 

 family friend at that time was Doctor James McDonnell, who was 

 a man of mark and influence in Belfast. He belonged to the 

 famous Antrim family, and was educated by that remarkable 

 teacher David Manson, graduated in Edinburgh in 1784 at the age 

 of twenty-two, and started practice in Belfast, where he soon became 

 one of the leading Physicians. He was the originator of the old 

 Belfast Literary Society and one of the founders of the Linen 

 Hall Library. He was greatly esteemed by our Society, and 

 belonging to it there is a fine bust of the Doctor, still among our 

 collection of pictures, books and manuscripts, a collection which is 

 exceedingly valuable and ought to be available for study in any 

 New Museum to be erected by the City. His graduation thesis 

 was on the treatment of those apparently drowned and he was 

 bold enough to suggest the transfusion of blood as a last resort. 

 Between this man and the school-boy fifty years younger a curious 

 companionship arose more like that between equals in age and 

 acquirements than between persons so different in years. He 

 advised that the youth should be educated for the medical pro- 

 fession, taking care in the course of this education that the subjects 

 studied should be such as would be of service to him, if later on 

 his duty or inclination should call him to commercial life, 



