vm CONTENTS. 



FACE 



— Lectures before the Numismatic Society, 21st January, on Electro- 

 Metallurgy — Elected Surgeon to the Bank of England — Elected Fellow 

 of the Royal Society, 10th June, in the twenty-third year of his age. 

 1842. Elected Surgeon to the Boyal General Dispensary, Aldersgate 

 Street — Paper ' On the New Definition of the Voltaic Circuit, with 

 Pormulse for ascertaining its Power under different Circumstances ' — 

 Writes various medical papers — Makes a durable writing ink. 1843. 

 Lecture at the Eoyal Institution, ' On the Cause of the Eeduction of 

 Metals when Solutions of their Salts are subjected to the Galvanic 

 Current ' — Paper ' On the Inhalation of Ammonia Gas as a Remedial 

 Agent' 16 



CHAPTER IV. 



Age 25 to 29—1843 to 1847. 



1843. ' Sources of Physics ' (book), published 1st September — Is Lecturer to 

 the Aldersgate School of Medicine. 1844. His introductory lecture — 

 His lecture ' On the Detection of Needles impacted in the Himian 

 Frame.' 1845. Paper ' On the New Application of Electricity to 

 Surgery ' — Paper ' On Vessels in Fat smaller than the Capillaries ' — 

 His carmine injections — Visit to Switzerland. 1845-46-47. Potato 

 disease. 1846. Publishes ' The Potato Plant, its Uses and Properties, 

 together with the Cause of the Present Malady ' (book) — Corre- 

 pondence on the Potato disease — Rancorous animosity and skits on 

 A. S. — Aphis vastator, nomenclature of. 1847. Famine Food soiree — 

 Lecture at the London Institution on the ' Potato Plant ' — Skeleton 

 of the lecture drawn up by Alfred Smee — Prepares many himdred 

 microscopical preparations of aphides and slices of diseased potato — 

 Their use in 1876: — Last researches on the potato disease — The rate at 

 which aphides multiply — Alfred Smee is engaged on the ventilation 

 of large buildings — Invents an ether-inhaler .. .. .. .. 25 



CHAPTER V. 

 Age 30 to 31-1848 to 1849. 



1848. Publishes ' The Eye in Health and Disease ' (book) — Smee's opto- 

 meter — Smee's horizontal fish-tail burners — Sheet of ' Directions for 

 Accidents and Emergencies' — Royal Society: Mr. Smee's opinion on 

 its reducing its number of Fellows ; also on the system by which the 

 publication of learned papers are determined — Paper 'On Electric 

 Light and Gas Companies,' &c. — Personal appearance of Alfred Smee — 

 Love of his family — His powers of abstraction — His untidiness — Indif- 

 ference to dress — His walk— Jingling keys — Quick temper — Quick in 

 action — Sensitive to a slight — Not jealous — Impatient of opposition — 

 Disliked arguments — Expected others to have the same quickness of 

 apprehension as himself — Worked for others — Disposition — Never feared 

 responsibility — His dislike of routine work — His charity — Genial and 

 social — Loved society, yet disliked the London season being in summer 

 — His readings — Keen-sense of imagination and of fun .. .. .. 38 



