304 Studies Galvanism. [CHAP. XVII. 
constitution had been seriously injured. He had lost the 
elasticity of manhood, and never recovered it again. 
Edward was so completely broken down, that he was in a 
great measure disabled from working at his trade. What, 
then, was he to do? His doctor thought that it would be 
better for him to give up the trade of shoe-making, and try 
something else. He advised him to study electricity, with 
the view of. setting up a galvanic battery. He gave Ed- 
ward books for the purpose of studying the subject. But, 
on considering the matter, Edward came to the conclusion 
that he did not know enough of the mechanism and econo- 
my of the human system to apply the power medicinally. 
Still the doctor urged him. Numerous patients came to 
him to be galvanized, and he had not time to attend to 
them himself; he would send all his customers to Edward. 
But Edward had no desire to be a quack, and to pour gal- 
vanism, of which he -knew little, into a body of which he 
knew less. At length he came to the determination not 
to take up the system of treating disease by electrical 
methods.* 
He was next advised to obtain some situation in connec- 
tion with natural history—such, for instance, as the cura- 
tor of a museum. He was already the curator of the Banff 
Museum, but the remuneration was almost nominal. In 
1852 he had been appointed curator, at a salary of two 
guineas a year. After about twelve years’ service, his sal- 
ary was increased to four guineas a year.+ Even that was 
but a nominal consideration. Edward naturally desired to 
obtain some position with a salary sufficient to maintain 
him. But he possessed no influence; he was too shy to 
* Of the mischievous results of treating disease by electricity with- 
out medical knowledge, a remarkable instance is to be found in the 
“Life of the Rev. F. W. Robertson, Brighton.” 
+ We are glad to find that, since the Museum has been handed over 
to the corporation, the Provost and Council of Banff have been a lit- 
tle more liberal to their distinguished townsman. 
