Professor Thomas Thomson. 97 



then resident in London. He continued, however, to deliver 

 the inorganic course only till 1846, when the dangerous ill- 

 ness of his second son, from disease contracted in India, 

 hurried him for the winter to Nice, when his nephew was 

 appointed by the University to discharge the duties of the 

 chair, which he has continued since to perform. Of the 

 hardship of being obliged in his old age thus to toil in har- 

 ness, and to have no retiring allowance, he never murmured 

 or complained. But there were not wanting suggestions, 

 that one who had raised himself to eminence from compara- 

 tive obscurity, and who had benefited his country in no 

 common measure, might have been relieved in some degree 

 by the guardians of the state, without popular disaffection, 

 from fatigues which even a green old age cannot long sustain. 

 Dr Thomson continued to attend the examinations for degrees 

 for some years after retiring from the duties of the chair ; 

 but in consequence of the increasing defect in his hearing, 

 he ultimately gave up this duty, and confined his public 

 labours to attendance at the fortnightly meetings of the 

 winter session of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow (of 

 which he was president from the year 1834), until the last 

 two sessions — his last appearance there having been on the 

 6th November, at the first meeting of the session 1850-51, 

 when he read a biographical account of his old and affec- 

 tionate friend, Dr Wollaston, to whom he was ever most 

 strongly attached. During the early part of the present 

 year, his frame became visibly weaker, and latterly having 

 removed to the country, where it was hoped the freshness 

 of the summer season might brace his languishing powers, 

 his appetite failed ; but no pain appeared to mar the tranquil 

 exit of the philosophic spirit. To inquiries after his health, 

 — " I am quite well, but weak," the good old man replied, 

 within a few hours of his last summons. On the morning of 

 the 2d of July, he breathed his last in the bosom of his 

 affectionate family, on the lovely shores of the Holy Loch. 

 Dr Thomson married, in 1816, Miss Agnes Colquhoun, 

 daughter of Mr Colquhoun, distiller, near Stirling, with 

 whom he enjoyed most complete and uninterrupted hap- 

 piness. He was left a widower in 1834. He has left a son, 



VOL. LIV. NO. CVir. — JANUARY 1853. G 



