Professor George Wilson.

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ART. IX.-Works of GEORGE WILSON, M.D., F.R.S.E., F.R.S.S.A., Regius Director of the Industrial Museum of Scotland, and Professor of Technology in the University of Edinburgh.

1. Chemistry, in Chambers' Educational Course. 1850. Twentyfourth Thousand.

2. The Life of the Hon. Henry Cavendish. Cavendish Society, 1851.

3. Life of Dr John Reid. Sutherland and Knox. 1852. Second Edition.

4. Researches on Colour-Blindness. Sutherland and Knox. 1855.

5. The Five Gateways of Knowledge. Macmillan and Co. 1856. Second Edition.

6. Electricity and the Electric Telegraph. Longmans. 1858. Second Edition.

1844.

7. On Isomeric Transmutation. 8. Experimental Demonstrations of the Existence of Haloid Salts in Solution. Transactions of British Association, 1839.

9. On the Employment of Oxygen as a Means of Resuscitation in Asphyxia, and otherwise as a Remedial Agent. Transactions Royal Scot. Soc. of Arts, 1845.

10. Account of a Repetition of several of Dr Samuel Brown's Processes for the Conversion of Carbon into Silicon. By GEORGE WILSON, M.D., and JOHN CROMBIE BROWN, Esq. Ditto, 1844.

11. On a Simple Mode of constructing Skeleton Models to illustrate the Systems of Crystallography. Transactions Royal Scot. Soc. of Arts, 1845.

12. On Dr Wollaston's Argument from the Limitation of the Atmosphere as to the Finite Divisibility of Matter. Transactions of the Royal Soc. of Edinburgh, 1845.

13. On the Applicability of the Electro-Magnetic Bell to the Trial of Experiments on the Conduction of Sound, especially of Gases. Edin. New Philosophical Journal, 1848.

14. On the Solubility of Fluoride of Calcium, etc. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edin., 1846.

15. On some Phenomena of Capillary Attraction observed with Chloroform, Bisulphuret of Carbon, and other Liquids. Ditto, 1848.

16. On the Action of Dry Gases on Organic Colouring Matters, and its Relation to the Theory of Bleaching. Do., 1848. 17. A few Unpublished Particulars regarding the late Dr Black. Do., 1849.

18. On the Specific Gravity of Chloroform. Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 1848.

19. On the Argument for the Binary Theory of Salts. Read before the Chemical Society, 1848.

20. On the Extraction of Mannite from the Root of Dandelion. Royal Society, Edin., 1849.

21. On the Decomposition of Water by Platinum and the Black Oxide of Iron at a White Heat. Journal of Chemical Society, 1847.

22. On the possible Derivation of the Diamond from Anthracite. Edin. New Philosophical Journal, April 1850.

23. On the Proportion of Fluoride of Calcium present in the Baltic. (FORCHAMMER.) Edin. New Phil. Journal, April 1850. 24. On the Crystallization of Bicarbonate of Ammonia in Spherical Masses. Royal Society, 1851.

25. Presence of Fluorine in Blood and Milk, etc. Edin. New Philosophical Journal, 1850.

26. On Two New Processes for the Detection of Fluorine, when accompanied by Silica, etc. Royal Society of Edin., 1852. 27. On a supposed Meteoric Stone, alleged to have fallen in Hampshire in Sept. 1852. Ditto.

28. On the Organs in which Lead accumulates in the Horse, in Cases of Slow Poisoning by that Metal. 1852.

29. On Nitric Acid as a Source of the Nitrogen found in Plants. Transactions of the Royal Soc. of Edin., 1853.

30. Recent Scientific Ballooning. British Quarterly Review, Jan. 1854.

31. On the Extent to which the Received Theory of Vision requires us to regard the Eye as a Camera Obscura. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edin., 1855.

32. On the Artificial Preparation of Sea Water for the Aquarium. Edin. New Philosophical Journal, 1855.

33. Chemical Final Causes. Edin. University Essays, 1856. 34. On the Transmission of the Actinic Rays of Light through the Eye, and their Relation to the Yellow Spot of the Retina. Royal Society, April 1856.

35. On M. J. Nickle's Claim to be the Discoverer of Fluorine in the Blood. Philosophical Magazine, March 1857. 36. On the Production of Photographs on Fluorescent Surfaces. Journal of Photographic Society, 1857.

37. On the Recent Vindication of the Priority of Cavendish as the Discoverer of the Composition of Water. Royal Society, April 1859.

38. On Dryness, Darkness, and Coldness, as means of preserving Photographs from Fading. Journal of the Photographic Society, 1859.

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39. On the Fruits of the Cucurbitacea and Crescentiacea. Edin. New Phil. Journal, Oct. 1859.

40. What is Technology? Nov. 7th, 1855.

41. On the Physical Sciences which form the Basis of Technology. Nov. 1856.

42. The Objects of Technology and Industrial Museums. Feb. 1856.

43. The Relation of Ornamental to Industrial Art. 1856. 44. On the Chemistry of Building Materials. Nov. 1854. 45. The Progress of the Telegraph, being the Introductory Lecture on Technology for 1858-59.

46. On Pharmacy as a Branch of Technology. April 1856. Pharmaceutical Journal.

47. On the Relations of Technology to Agriculture. Jan. 16th, 1856. Transactions of the Society.

48. On the Early History of the Air-Pump in England. Edin. New Philosophical Journal, April 1849.

49. On the Electric Fishes as the Earliest Electric Machines employed by Mankind. Dublin Meeting, 1857.

50. The Industrial Museum of Scotland in its Relation to Commercial Enterprise. 1857.

51. Address as President, Royal Scottish Society of Arts. Nov. 1856. Transactions of the Society.

52. Address as President, Royal Scottish Society of Arts. Nov. 1857.

53. Paper, Pens, and Ink. Macmillan's Magazine, Nov. 1859. 54. Sketch of the Life and Works of Wollaston. British Quar

terly Review. August 1846.

55. Sketch of the Life and Works of the Hon. Robert Boyle. British Quarterly Review, Feb. 1849.

56. Sketch of James Wilson of Woodville. Edin. New Philosophical Journal, July 1856.

57. Biographical Notice of the late Professor Edward Forbes. Royal Society, April 1858.

58. Life and Discoveries of Dalton. British Quarterly Review, Feb. 1845.

59. On the alleged Antagonism between Poetry and Chemistry. Nov. 7th, 1845.

60. Introductory Address delivered at the Opening of the Medical School, Surgeons' Hall, Edin. Nov. 1850.

61. On the Character of God as inferred from the Study of Human Anatomy. Address to Medical Students. A. and C. Black. 1856.

62. On the Sacredness of Medicine as a Profession. Edinburgh,

1849.

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63. The Grievance of the University Tests. A Letter addressed to the Right Hon. Spencer H. Walpole, Secretary of State for the Home Department. 1852.

64. Anaesthetics in Surgery, from a Patient's Point of View. A Letter to Dr Simpson, published in his Obstetric Memoirs, Vol. II.

65. To the Stethoscope. A Poem. Blackwood's Magazine, March 1847.

66. The Wings of the Dove and Eagle. A Poem. Blackwood's Magazine.

67. Verses in reference to Prof. Ed. Forbes. Blackwood's Magazine, Feb. 1855.

68. Lines on the Atlantic Cable. Blackwood's Magazine, 1858.

PURPOSING to give a Biographical Sketch of the late Professor George Wilson, we have placed at the head of this article a list of his various publications. These extend over a wide range of literature and science, and several of them have already been noticed in this Journal. He was a man of exquisite literary power and fancy, and his writings are deservedly popular. By his death, the University of Edinburgh has been deprived of one of its bright ornaments, and Chemistry has lost one of its most felicitous and pleasing expounders.

Dr Wilson was born in Edinburgh, on 21st February 1818; and was thus, at his death, in the forty-first year of his age. "His parents were highly respectable, though not in such an elevated station as to diminish the credit due to his own exertions in attaining the position which he ultimately reached; but it deserves to be noticed, that he may be included in the number of distinguished men who have been in a great degree indebted for the development of their talents to the maternal character and influence."1

His father, Mr Archibald Wilson, was a wine merchant in Edinburgh, and died about sixteen years ago. His mother, Janet Aitken, who is still living, was the youngest daughter of a land-surveyor in Greenock. She is a lady of great intelligence and piety, and she devoted much attention to the education of her children. There were eleven of the family; but of these only three now remain, a son, Dr Daniel Wilson, the wellknown author of "The Prehistoric Annals of Scotland," at present Professor of English Literature and History in the University of Toronto,—and two daughters. From his childhood, George was distinguished by many noble qualities-great truthfulness, self-sacrifice, a delicate sense of honour, and generous feelings.

'Lord Neaves' Opening Address to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, December 5, 1859.

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Studious, and with a marked love for books, he gave early promise of great mental ability.

In 1822 he commenced his studies in a private school, and in 1828 he entered as a pupil of the High School, under Mr Benjamin Mackay, an able classical teacher. He was always among the first five in the class, and was remarkable for his general knowledge a quality which was exhibited during life, and which seemed afterwards to fit him specially for the situation he occupied in the University. So warm were his affections, and such his power of attracting others, that from his boyhood onwards no one was more generally beloved. While at school, in 1828-29, he and his brothers formed among their companions a "Juvenile Society for the Advancement of Knowledge." They met once a-week in his father's house, when papers were read on natural history, mechanics, astronomy, etc. Minutes of their proceedings were kept by his brother Daniel. His mother presided over the youthful assembly, and usually wound up the evening by giving a verse from Proverbs.

Wilson remained at the High School until he was fifteen. On leaving it he selected Medicine as his object of study, and commenced by becoming an apprentice in the laboratory of the Royal Infirmary, where he remained for four years. The suf fering and distress which he witnessed during this period, made an indelible impression on his very sensitive nature, and had a saddening effect on his mind. Many are the stories which might be told illustrative of his sympathy with the patients, and his eager desire to relieve them. In his opening Address to the Society of Arts on November 23, 1857, in referring to apprenticeships, he says," Ah me! when I recall some of the enforced companions of my apprentice days, I feel that I would make the greatest sacrifices rather than permit a youth dear to me to encounter similar temptations."

He entered the University of Edinburgh in 1834, passed as surgeon in 1838, took his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1839, and wrote a thesis "On the Certain Existence of Haloid Salts of the Electro-Negative Metals in Solution." After taking his degree, chemistry became his favourite pursuit. He had studied the subject assiduously under Dr Hope and Mr Kenneth Kemp; and in 1836-37 he had been engaged for eighteen months as chemical assistant in Dr Christison's laboratory, which was at that time the best school of analytical chemistry in the University. His first lectures on chemistry were given to private audiences, in the drawing-room of his father's house, in 1837. In a MS. journal kept by him, we find the following entries:-" September 20th, 1838"-"I meet with scarcely one lady in ten or fifty, who has sufficiently cultivated