4 2 HISrORr of the 'SOCTEfr. 



bufinefs there was in the hands of a few eminent practitioners 

 who had been long eftablifhed ; fo that no opening was left for 

 a young man whofe merit was yet unknown, who had no 

 powerful connections to aflift him on his firft outfet, and very 

 little of that patient and circumfpect activity by which a man 

 pufhes himfe If forward in the world. 



These considerations feem to have made a very deep impref- 

 fion on his mind, and he wrote on the fubject of his future pro- 

 fpects with confiderable anxiety to his friends in Edinburgh. 



One of thefe friends was Mr James Davie, a young man 

 nearly of his own age, with whom he had early contracted a 

 very intimate friendfhip, that endured through the whole of his 

 life, without interruption, to the mutual benefit of both. The 

 turn which both of them had for chemical experiments formed 

 their firft connection, and cemented it afterwards. They had 

 begun together to make experiments on the nature and produc- 

 tion of fal ammoniac. Thefe experiments had led to fome va- 

 luable difcoveries, and had been farther purfued by Mr Davie 

 during Dr Hutton's abfence. The refult afforded a reafon- 

 able expectation of eftabliihing a profitable manufacture of the 

 fait juft named from coal-foot. 



The project of this eftablifhment was communicated by Mr 

 Davie to his friend, who was ftill in London, and it appears to 

 have lefTened his anxiety about fettling as a phyfician, and pro- 

 bably was one of the main caufes of his laying afide all thoughts 

 of that profeflion. Perhaps, too, on a nearer view, he did not 

 find that the practice of medicine would afford him that leifure 

 for purfuing chemical and other fcientific objects, which he 

 fancied it would do when he faw things at a greater diftance. 

 Whatever was the caufe, it is certain that foon after his return 

 to Edinburgh in furamer 1750, he abandoned entirely his views 

 of the practice of medicine, and refolved to apply himfelf to 

 agriculture. 



The 



