248 PROCEEDINGS OF THE N. Y. COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. 
MEMOIR OF CONSTANTTNE ADAMSON, 
Late President of the College of Pharmacy, of the city of New York. 
Read before a meeting of the College, November 2Ath, 1846. 
Constantine Adamson, the son of Cuthbert Adamson,was 
born at New-Castle-upon-Tyne, England, September 11th, 
1784. He went into the army at the age of 17 or 18 ; and 
in consequence of hard service in Flanders, he contracted a 
severe inflammation of the lungs, which induced him to 
procure a furlough and return home. His father being a 
captain in the navy, he went to sea with him, where his 
health became again established. 
On his return from sea, he took a situation in a Drug 
store at Hull. To this business he appears to have been 
attached, and here he served his apprenticeship. Wishing 
to better his condition, or perhaps having a desire to travel, 
he came to Pictou, Nova Scotia, in the spring of 1810. He 
returned to England for a short time, and again to Nova 
Scotia. He soon after appears to have resumed the mili- 
tary profession, as we find that he was a major in the pro- 
vincial army during the war from 1812 to 1815. About the 
same time he entered into the lumber trade, and made large 
shipments of this article to England, but in consequence of 
a great falling off' in the price of lumber, on the return of 
peace, he lost the capital he had brought with him and em- 
barked in that business. Having married in the mean time, 
and finding himself with a family growing up around him, 
and his means greatly reduced, he was under the necessity 
of giving up an elegant style of living and favourite sports, 
and turn his attention seriously to providing a livelihood for 
himself and family. With this view he came to the city of 
New York in April IS 17, and commenced teaching; but was 
soon after attacked with inflammatory rheumatism, which 
asted several months and made it necessaryfor him to give up 
his school. He was attended by Dr. Richard Seaman, of 
