883 



ham. Here he succeeded in organizing an excellent system of prac- 

 tical instruction, and was highly successful as a teacher, notwith- 

 standing the declining state of his health for the last two years of 

 his life. 



The name of Dr. Fownes is connected with two popular works — 

 a Manual of Chemistry, and the Acton Prize Essay of the Royal 

 Institution, entitled ' Chemistry, as exemplifying the Wisdom and 

 Beneficence of God,' published in 1843. But the high scientific re- 

 putation which he rapidly obtained was chiefly founded upon his 

 researches and discoveries in organic chemistry, which indicated 

 great clearness of perception and precision of analysis, and gave 

 promise of a distinguished career. The most important of these was 

 his paper on the Artificial Formation of Furfurine, a substance evi- 

 dently of the same interesting class as the natural vegeto-alkalies, 

 which was published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1845, and 

 was rewarded by the Royal Medal in Chemistry. This was followed 

 by the discovery of another organic base, benzoline. He has also 

 papers in the Transactions upon the Existence of Phosphoric Acid in 

 Rocks of Igneous Origin, and on the Value in Absolute Alcohol of 

 Spirits of different specific gravities. Several communications by him 

 were also published by the Chemical Society, in which Dr. Fownes 

 discharged for several years the office of Secretary. 



Dr. Robert Waring Darwin was born at Lichfield on the 30th 

 of May 1766, and died at Shrewsbury in his eighty-third year on 

 the 13th of November 1848. He was the third son of Erasmus 

 Darwin, author of the ' Zoonomia ' and ' Botanic Garden.' He was 

 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1788, and in the year 1786 

 contributed a paper to the Transactions on Coloured Spectra. Having 

 commenced medical practice before he was twenty- one years old, he 

 was unable to pursue any scientific studies, but was actively engaged 

 in his profession for the unusual period of sixty years. In his youth 

 he studied at Leyden, Edinburgh, and Paris ; at the latter place he 

 was encouraged to familiar intercourse with Franklin, then in the 

 height of his glory; and at Edinburgh he spent much of his time with 

 the celebrated Dr. Black, of whose extreme simplicity of character 

 and kindness of heart he often repeated anecdotes. In his private 

 character Dr. Darwin was remarkable for sagacity, benevolence, and 

 strong feelings of sympathy, which made him widely beloved by the 

 poor and rich. 



Sa-muel Cooper, late President of the Royal College of Surgeons, 

 and Surgeon to University College Hospital. The general educa- 

 tion of his boyhood was received at the celebrated school of Dr. 

 Burney. His professional studies commenced at St. Bartholomew's 

 Hospital about the year 1800, and he became a Member of the 

 College of Surgeons in the year 1803. At an early age he entered 

 the Medical department of the army, and obtained the appoint- 

 ment of a staff- surgeon ; but it appears that his actual service in 

 the army was confined to a limited period. His subsequent pro- 



