220 Memoir of the late John Button Balfour. 



Balfour, to form the Botanical Society Club, the original mem- 

 bers of which were the 21 original members of the Botanical 

 Society. This Club is limited to 21 members of the Botanical 

 Society, and meets annually in February, in the house of one of 

 the members, to commemorate the foundation of the Botanical 

 Society of Edinburgh. 



From this time onward the bent of young Balfour's mind 

 became more and more apparent. In 1 840, Dr Balfour became 

 an Extra-Academical Lecturer on Botany, and his first course 

 of lectures on Botany was given in Surgeon's Square, where so 

 many eminent men have taught in connection with the Extra- 

 Academical Medical School of Edinburgh. Many of the most 

 distinguished Professors in the University of Edinburgh, and 

 in other Universities, have commenced their public teaching like 

 Dr Balfour, in the Edinburgh Extra-Academical School of 

 Medicine. 



In the following year, 1841, Dr Balfour was appointed Eegius 

 Professor of Botany in the University of Glasgow, as successor 

 to Sir William J. Hooker, who had been translated to the Eoyal 

 Gardens at Kew. In Glasgow he was popular as a Lecturer, 

 and took a deep interest in his students, and during his weekly 

 excursions had an opportunity of becoming intimately acquainted 

 with the Flora of the west of Scotland. Four years afterwards, 

 on the death of his friend and former teacher, Professor Graham, 

 he was elected by the Town Council of Edinburgh, to the chair 

 of Medicine and Botany in the University of Edinburgh, and 

 his future career amply justified their choice. About the same 

 time he was appointed by the Crown, Eegius Keeper of the 

 Eoyal Botanic Garden. From this time onwards his career was 

 one brilliant success. During the 34 years of his professorship 

 in Edinburgh, his students increased from 160 in 1846, to about 

 400 in his later years. It has been. computed that his students 

 numbered nearly 8000, and many besides Medical students 

 attended his lectures. It may truly be said that his popularity 

 was such, that all ranks and classes came to Edinburgh to study 

 under him. His style of lecturing was lucid, being largely 

 illustrated by diagrams, models, and living plants ; and as 

 he had published excellent text-books, the student was saved 

 the drudgery of taking notes, and was thus free to devote 

 his undivided attention to follow the Professor in his illustra- 

 tions. 



