of Edinburgh, Session 1869 - 70 . 
3 
his natural talents and theoretical studies. At this period, too, he 
showed those kindly and amiable qualities for which he was after- 
wards distinguished, and which gained him the affection both of 
his principal and of the pupils of Dr Abercrombie, with whom he 
was brought in contact, and who in a great measure were placed 
under his guidance and professional instruction. Dr Begbie in his 
turn became, under the system already noticed, the master of ap- 
prentices of his own, who regarded him with the same feelings, 
and among whom were some of the most esteemed medical men 
now among us. 
Dr Begbie, on relinquishing his connection with Dr Abercrombie, 
became engaged in an extensive practice as a family medical 
attendant, and continued in that branch of the profession till about 
twenty years ago, when he confined himself entirely to the func- 
tions of a consulting physician, in which he was eminently suc- 
cessful, his assistance being extensively resorted to both by his 
brethren in Edinburgh and by practitioners throughout the country, 
who had confidence in his skill, and in his solicitude to do his duty 
to the utmost. 
It is perhaps a remarkable circumstance that Dr Begbie, although 
he had hospital experience during his studies, never acted as an 
Hospital Physician. It is not a little creditable to him that he 
should have been able otherwise to supply the want of those 
opportunities from which he was thus excluded, and we should by 
no means be tempted to recommend a similar experiment in the 
ordinary case. Dr Begbie, however, was specially enabled to 
supply any deficiency in this part of his professional career by 
the very extensive means of observation which were within his 
reach as the assistant of Dr Abercrombie, for whom, to a great 
extent, he conducted those post-mortem examinations and patho- 
logical inquiries which were so intimately connected with Dr Aber- 
crombie’s reputation and success, particularly in certain classes of 
diseases. 
We are inclined to think that in some respects Dr Begbie did not 
do himself full justice. He worked too hard and perhaps too ex- 
clusively at his own profession; he allowed himself scarcely any 
time for relaxation, although he thoroughly enjoyed the too short 
intervals which he occasionally employed in this manner. He was 
