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The late Dr. Voelcker. 
the late Professor George Wilson, in whose private laboratory 
he worked for a short time, with whom he was on terms of 
the closest friendship, and for whom he always entertained 
the highest regard, owing to him, as he was wont to say, 
guidance which materially influenced him through life. 
In August 1849, after spending about two and a half years at 
Edinburgh, Dr. Voelcker was appointed Professor of Chemistry 
at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester ; and from this 
time began a still more active life of lecturing, writing, and 
experimenting. His income at the College was small, but he 
supplemented it by writing, and by analytical work. The 
articles on Chemical subjects in Morton's Cyclopaedia of 
Agriculture, from the letter M. to the end, were contributed 
by him. It seems appropriate here to refer to the fact that, 
although a German, there was scarcely a trace of foreign idiom 
ever observable in his written English, which was remarkably 
clear. The facility- of so writing was, however, only attained 
by great determination. Finding that speaking his own language 
in the family interfered with his freedom in lecturing and 
writing in English, he entirely gave up speaking German. 
It was about, or soon after this time, that he contributed 
papers on various subjects of investigation to some Scotch 
Scientific and Agricultural Journals. For example — to the 
'Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal' — "Analysis of the 
Anthracite of the Calton Hill, Edinburgh." To the 'Annals 
and Magazine of Natural History ' — " On the Chemical com- 
position of the fluid in the ascidia of Nepenthes.^' " On the 
composition of the ash of Armeria maritima, growing in 
different localities, with remarks on the Geological distribution 
of that plant, and on the presence of Fluorine in Plants." " On 
the watery secretion of the leaves and stems of the Ice Plant." 
To the ' Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society 
of Scotland :' " The chemical composition of the seed of Cheno- 
podium quinoa." "Composition of house-coal soot." >"On 
artificial manures in general and bone manure in particular." 
" The effects of burnt clay as a manure." " On the com- 
parative value of White Scottish, and Black English Oats ; " 
and " On the Composition of Rice Meal." 
In 1852 Dr. Voelcker went to Frankfort to be married, and 
he returned to Cirencester with his wife. Mrs. Voelcker, four 
sons, and one daughter survive to mourn his loss. His eldest 
son, George, died in 187G, at the age of 23, after having prose- 
cuted his studies in Medicine with great industry and success, 
and nearly completed his course, with apparently a career of 
much promise before him. He had contracted diphtheria in 
