476  OBITUARY. 
earnest  belief  in  the  magnitude  and  justice  of  his  claims  as  a  chemical 
philosopher,  which,  whilst  they  placed  him  above  the  bickerings  of  envy,  some- 
times prevented  him  from  listening  to  the  suggestions  of  friendship.  A  cotem- 
porary  describes  him  as  "a  man  of  unbending  rectitude,  and  a  faithful  friend, 
both  in  prosperity  and  adversity."  As  a  citizen,  Dr.  Hare  belonged  to  the 
old  Washington  school  of  politics,  and  his  patriotism  was  as  undoubted  as 
it  was  pure.  His  pen  occasionally  strayed  beyond  the  boundaries  of  science 
and  invaded  the  domain  of  politics  and  political  economy,  and  it  is  said  he 
even  "  occasionally  indulged  in  poetical  composition."  The  last  few  years 
of  his  existence  were  marked  with  an  aberration  as  remarkable  as  it  was 
sincere  and  earnest.  After  a  long  life  spent  in  the  culture  of  material  sci- 
ence, his  intellect  seems  to  have  abandoned  the  stern  requirements  of 
chemical  evidence,  for  we  find  him  engaged  in  the  investigation  of  that 
modern  psychological  phenomenon  known  as  spiritualism,  the  reality  of  which 
he  advocated  with  a  strenuousness  and  honesty  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 
Whatever  view  may  be  taken  of  Dr.  Hare's  character  in  the  aspects  of  science, 
philosophy  or  religion,  he  was  undoubtedly  an  honest  man  and  a  good 
citizen,  and  is  entitled  to  go  down  to  posterity  among  those  who  have  labored 
for  the  advance  of  knowledge,  and  for  the  benefit  of  mankind. 
Dr.  William  Gregory,  the  eminent  chemist,  died  on  the  24th  of  June, 
1858,  at  Edinburgh,  from  a  violent  rheumatic  attack,  which  disease  he  had 
suffered  by  for  several  years  past.  Dr.  Gregory  was  unable,  from  this  cause, 
to  lecture  during  the  past  winter.  He  has  been  taken  in  the  prime  of  life, 
and  leaves  a  widow  and  an  only  son.  Dr.  Gregory  was  a  son  of  the  cele- 
brated James  Gregory,  Prof,  of  the  Practice  of  Medicine,  and  author  of  the 
c '  Conspectus."  As  a  chemist,  Dr.  Gregory  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
that  Great  Britain  has  produced,  and  an  admirable  lecturer.  He  was"  a 
favorite  pupil  and  a  great  admirer  of  Liebig  ;  the  late  edition  of  his  organic 
chemistry  is  the  best  text  book,  on  that  subject,  in  the  English  language. 
Dr,  Gregory  has  successively  filled  the  chairs  of  chemistry  in  the  Anderso- 
nian  Institution,  Glasgow ;  King's  College,  Aberdeen  ;  and  the  University 
of  Edinburgh,  with  which  last  he  has  been  connected  for  fifteen  years.  For 
several  years  past  Dr.  G.  has  been  a  firm  believer  in  animal  magnetism, 
and  probably  "  spiritualism,"  but  his  faith  in  these  less  tangible  subjects 
did  not  interfere  with  his  occupation  as  a  chemist. 
