VI 



the conception of lichens as autonomous organisms. His method of 

 work, partly no doubt cramped by the inroads on his time of official 

 duties, made him more and more disinclined to generalise from large 

 series of facts. In striving for minute accuracy he, especially in his 

 later work, somewhat lost the gift of seeing things in a larger 

 perspective. 



He was never married, and to his friend Bornet fell the lot of 

 watching his last moments. — W. T. T. D. 



Sir James Alderson was born at Hull on the 30th December, 1794. 

 He was the youngest son of Dr. John Alderson, an eminent physician 

 of Hull, who had for many years an extensive practice in the East 

 Riding of Yorkshire. Young Alderson received his early education 

 at a school in his native town kept by the Rev. George Lee, a Dis- 

 senting clergyman, and afterwards (in the year 1818) proceeded to 

 Cambridge and entered at Pembroke College, and four years after 

 took the degree of B.A. with the distinction of being Sixth Wrangler 

 of that year. He was soon afterwards elected a Fellow of Pembroke, 

 and in due course received the degree of M.A. Having chosen medi- 

 cine as his profession, he pursued his studies in London and Edin- 

 burgh, and subsequently went to Oxford, and being incorporated 

 at Magdalen Hall, received the M.D. degree in 1829. The following 

 year he became a Pellow of the College of Physicians, and for a short 

 time settled in London with the object of practising his profession, 

 during which period of his career he held the office of Physician to 

 the Public Dispensary. On the death of his father, however (in 

 1829), he removed to Hull, where he rapidly acquired a large con- 

 sulting practice in the town and neighbourhood. He was much 

 respected by his professional brethren and by the general public, and 

 took a warm interest in promoting every scheme likely to advance the 

 educational movement of the day. 



In 1845 Dr. Alderson returned to London, and was elected one of 

 the Physicians of St. Mary's Hospital, the duties of which appoint- 

 ment he discharged with great zeal for nearly twenty years ; and on 

 his retirement after this long service, he still retained a connexion 

 with the institution by accepting the compliment paid to him by 

 the Governors in unanimously electing him Consulting Physician. 



Having been elected a Fellow of the College of Physicians in 1830, 

 and shown much interest in the changes which were gradually taking 

 place in the medical corporations, and more especially in the College 

 of Physicians, he was appointed Treasurer of the College in 1854, an 

 office for which, from the methodical and exact bent of his mind, he was 

 peculiarly fitted. This office he resigned in 1867 on his being chosen 

 President of the College, receiving the honour of re-election in the 

 four following years. He was the representative of the College at the 



