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ference for chemical inquiry, and manifested an aptitude for original 
research. To him is due the discovery of one of the neutral crys- 
talline proximate principles of the vegetable world, elaterine , the 
active ingredient of elaterium, which was also made known by 
the late Mr Hennell of London about the same time. Subse- 
quently, the first appearance of the malignant cholera, in 1832, 
attracted his ardent mind, — at the time a subject of universal and 
intense interest, — and thus, for a period, the practice of his pro- 
fession became the object of Dr Morries’ life ; and he settled in 
London as a physician. Circumstances soon led him. however, to 
give up that pursuit ; and marriage with a lady of property, sister 
of the present Mr Stirling of Kippendavie, occasioned a change of 
name, and the abandonment of all professional objects. Not long 
after his marriage Mr Morries Stirling took up his residence in 
Norway, where he remained several years. The account of the dis- 
covery of the admixture of metals, on which was founded his patent 
iron, and several other patents, which have been successfully worked, 
I owe to the kindness of Mr Andrew Coventry. When residing in 
Norway, Mr Stirling devoted his time to field-sports, in which 
he engaged with great enthusiasm. Hunting, shooting, and fishing 
occupied his days whenever it was possible to get abroad. But, as 
the weather was not always propitious, he was sometimes kept within 
doors. On these occasions, he tried his hand at the construction of 
the implements used in the field. On one occasion, he was astonished 
to find the fish-hooks, which his experiments had produced, to 
possess wonderful toughness, quite different from anything he had 
previously turned out. With a true philosophic spirit, he set about 
diligently to search out the cause. Had he done anything unusual l 
Was there any element, either of matter or of manner, to which he 
might attribute his success? He could discover none. But his 
man, on being questioned, remembered that they had stirred the 
molten metal with a tin spoon. On this hint, he repeated the expe- 
riment, and the result was the patent iron, which consists of a 
mixture of iron with tin or some other metal. To this he has 
added other patents of great value. And here permit me to offer a 
word of caution to our younger Fellows. The principle of division 
of labour seems almost to be a law of nature — it is certainly a law 
of society. The genius which evolves a scientific invention is rarely, 
very rarely indeed, combined with that genius which can turn it to 
