Ixiii 



probability is that the meeting, at which I wished you to be present, on 

 the 24th may not take place. From the same cause I am unable to see 

 Mr. Home previously, or to make the inquiries of himself necessary to 

 satisfy the queries in your letter." 



He was made Honorary Member of the Medical Society of Edinburgh. 



m. 70 (1862). 



On the 20th of June he gave his last Friday discourse, on Gas furnaces. 



He gave seventeen reports to the Trinity House, and two to the Board 

 of Trade. The most important of the Trinity House reports were still on 

 the magneto-electric light. On the 12th of February he went to Dunge- 

 ness, examined the engine-room, the machines, the lanthorn, the lamps, and 

 the photometric effects. The keepers he examined, and found them not 

 intelligent enough. At night he went to sea, testing at five miles off the 

 effects of oil-lamp reflectors and the electric light, Prof. Holmes himself 

 being in charge of the lamps for the trials. Then he went to the Varne 

 floating-light, and compared Dungeness, Grisnez, and the South Foreland 

 lights. In the morning he went to Dover to examine the upper South 

 Foreland new hydrostatic lamp ; and, in the course of the year, the dif- 

 ferent observations made at South Foreland, Varne, Dungeness, and the 

 pilot-cutters had to be considered and reported on. The House of Com- 

 mons this year called for copies of his reports on the magneto-electric light 

 to be printed. At the International Exhibition he saw Berlio's magneto- 

 electric machine and light, and he reported on the construction of it. 



This year he was examined at great length by the Public School Com- 

 missioners. His most important answers were these : — " that the natu- 

 ral knowledge which had been given to the world in such abundance during 

 the last fifty years, I may say, should remain untouched, and that no suf- 

 ficient attempt should be made to convey it to the young mind, growing 

 up and obtaining its first views of these things, is to me a matter so strange 

 that I find it difficult to understand ; though I think I see the opposition 

 breaking away, it is yet a very hard one to be overcome. That it ought to be 

 overcome I have not the least doubt in the world." In answer to the ques- 

 tion at what age it might be serviceable to introduce the physical sciences, 

 he says, (t I think one can hardly tell that until after experience for some 

 few years. All I can say is this, that at my Juvenile Lectures, at Christ- 

 mas time, I have never found a child too young to understand intelligently 

 what I told him : they came to me afterwards with questions which proved 

 their capability." 



Again he says, <l I do think that the study of natural science is so 

 glorious a school for the mind, that with the laws impressed on all created 

 things by the Creator, and the wonderful unity and stability of matter and 

 the forces of matter, there cannot be a better school for the education of 

 the mind." 



In September he wrote his last letter to Prof. Schonbein ; he says, 



