of Edinburgh, Session 1870 - 71 . 
271 
apparatus — purchased with his own pocket-money — to enable him 
to carry on chemical experiments for his amusement. 
So early as the year 1818 he had discovered a solvent for 
caoutchouc in the naphtha obtained by distillation from coal-tar, 
and in March of that year addressed a letter describing his discovery 
to Dr Thomson, then editor of the “Annals -of Philosophy,” which 
appeared in that publication in August following. Mr Syme in this 
letter states that “ he had, by means of the discovery, waterproofed 
a silk cloak , so that it afforded complete protection from the heaviest 
rain, and could be employed as a pitcher by turning up its skirt.” 
He adds that he had “ constructed flexible tubes of the same sub- 
stance.” It appears that he had worked at this subject for two 
years before the discovery. The discovery was deemed so important, 
that Dr Thomson and some of his friends recommended young 
Syme to take out a patent, assuring him that it would make his 
fortune. But by this time he had determined on following the 
medical profession, which he thought more respectable than that of 
a manufacturer. He therefore contented himself with publishing 
his discovery, and receiving general commendation for his disin- 
terestedness. Hot long afterwards the discovery was turned to 
good account, as we all know ; by Mr Macintosh of Glasgow, who 
made a large fortune by means of it, and who gave his name to the 
cloth, though in reality invented by Syme. 
Syme became a pupil of Dr Barclay in order to study anatomy ; 
and in 1818 he went into Liston’s dissecting-rooms, as his assistant. 
He was a distant cousin of Liston’s. 
In 1820 he obtained the appointment of Medical Superintendent 
of the Fever Hospital, — an appointment entailing much personal 
risk, as Mr Syme soon discovered ; for he caught the infection, 
and nearly died. 
In 1821 he became one of the dressers in the Edinburgh Koyal 
Infirmary. As such, it was his duty to carry out the instructions 
of the acting surgeon. In this position he showed the possession of 
considerable courage and self-reliance, by disobeying some instruc- 
tions which his judgment condemned. The system of blood- 
letting was then in full operation, and every evening at a certain 
hour, the dressers had to bleed the patients whose names were 
entered in a book, and take from each the number of ounces of 
VOL. VII. 
