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of Edinburgh, Session 1878 - 79 . 
tion was the use of the microscope as a guide to the diagnosis and 
the prevention of disease. More than a year before the publication 
of the first edition of Dy Golding Bird’s “Urinary Deposits,” he 
read before the Sheffield Medico-Chirurgical Society an “ Essay on 
the Changes in the Urine affected by Disease, and the Tests to 
distinguish them,” which was published in the Lancet He became 
medical officer to the Rotherham Board of Health, but his micro- 
scopic examination of the town water gave such offence to that 
Board that they speedily got nd of him. He had, however, done 
his work, and he cared little for the consequences. He had 
thoroughly opened the eyes of the people, and a new era followed. 
In his scientific tastes he was somewhat discursive, and too apt to 
wander from subject to subject. To this circumstance we may attri- 
bute his failure to attain that eminence amongst his contemporaries 
which his talents and enthusiastic devotion to his profession, and to 
every study connected with it, would have secured him, had he con- 
centrated his attention on some special subject. As it was, he was 
a useful and thoroughly instructed medical man, loved and respected 
by a wide circle of patients and friends. He died in his eighty-first 
year. 
Sir James Coxe was born at Gorgie in 1811. His father died 
when he was young, and the bringing up of the family devolved 
on his mother, the sister of George and Andrew Combe. 
In early life he pursued his studies on the Continent, and acquired 
a competent knowledge of Erench and German. He graduated in 
the University of Edinburgh in 1835, and shortly afterwards joined 
the College of Physicians, on the list of whose Eellows he stood 
fourth at his death. From the commencement of his professional 
career he gave considerable attention to diseases of the mind, in 
which he was no doubt encouraged by his uncles the Combes. He 
was naturally of a shy and reserved disposition, and thus his good 
points, indomitable industry and strong common sense, were long 
hidden from the public, to his no small injury. Indeed, had it not 
been for his marriage in 1841, to the sister of Dr William Cumming, 
which resulted in his being brought under the notice of the Duke 
of Argyll, he might probably have waited long for the opportunity 
of making his powers known to the world. As it was, Sir James 
