21 I 
Charles Glass Playfair Laidlaw. 
physiological conditions of plants forced under glass: he also 
worked on the effect of temperature on the rate of growth of a 
fungus, Sclerotinia libertiana. Both these investigations, which 
presented considerable difficulties, were left incomplete. In 
collaboration witli Mr. R. C. Knight (also a Board of Agriculture 
scholar) Laidlaw invented a new type of recording porometer for 
investigating changes in the size of the stomatal pore. 
Thoroughness and carefulness were the marks of Laidlaw’s 
research work. With these he combined a sound critical intelli¬ 
gence, and in the opinion of those best qualified to judge, he would, 
had he lived, certainly have carried his physiological work to a 
successful conclusion and obtained valuable results. Professor 
Blackman writes of him : “A somewhat shy manner and a certain 
cautiousness in committing himself—perhaps related to his Scotch 
descent—failed to hide a very attractive nature.” 
In the autumn of 1914 he joined the London Scottish as a 
private, and after a period of training left England for the front on 
March 10th. On Good Friday morning, April 2nd, he was in the 
trenches at Richebourg l’Avouee, resting in the sun behind the 
barricade in an apparently perfectly safe place. A rifle bullet pene¬ 
trated a sand-bag at a weak spot and struck him below the shoulder 
near the third rib, inflicting a wound which his comrades, at the 
time, thought not dangerous. He received first aid at once, and 
about mid-day was taken to the dressing station, and later to the 
3rd Field Ambulance Hospital at Bethune. There it appeared 
there was much internal haemorrhage, and nothing could be done 
beyond making him as comfortable as possible. Towards mid¬ 
night he began to sink and died about 1.45 on the morning of 
April 3rd. He was buried in the cemetery at Bdthune. 
Everyone who knew Laidlaw was fond of him. He was a man 
of that absolutely straight pure type of character which is so unmis¬ 
takable when we meet it. Of singularly gewtle disposition and 
manner, he was always helpful, unselfish and to be depended on. 
From relatives, from old school and college friends, from his 
teachers, fellow students and fellow workers, the same story comes. 
He was a simple, straight, sweet-natured gentleman, and a really 
devout Christian. 
Laidlaw joined the army not because he loved fighting, nor 
because he was carried away by patriotic passion, but against his 
inclination and simply from a high sense of duty. It is such as he 
among the men who fall that we cannot but honour the most. 
A.G.T. 
