a Society for the Promotion of Medical and Chirurgical Knowledge.' It was originally composed of nine members, with a provision that it might be increased to twelve, but that it should never exceed that number. When they were so kind as to elect me into it, in 1808, Fordyce, John Hunter, and Dr. John Hunter, three of the original members, had been removed from it by death. The existing members were Dr. Baillie, Mr. Home, Dr. (afterwards Sir Gilbert) Blane, Dr. John Clarke, Dr. Robertson Barclay (a son of Dr. Robertson, the historian), Dr. Wells, Mr. (afterwards Sir Patrick) Macgregor, Mr. Wilson, Dr. David Pitcairn, and Dr. Lister. The society had already published two volumes, and another was being prepared for publication. We met at dinner once in a month (except during the summer) at Slaughter's coffee-house in St. Martin's Lane. The papers communicated were first read, and then discussed and corrected after dinner. Dr. Wells, who acted as secretary, was the most active member, and took a great deal of trouble even in correcting the literary composition of the papers. The third and last

volume of their transactions was published in the year 1812, and contained one short paper of very little value contributed by myself. From this time the society continued to exist merely as a dining club, Dr. Wells having resigned the secretaryship, to which, though it had become little more than a nominal office, I succeeded. The meetings, however, were very regularly attended, and were, to myself at least, very useful and instructive. In the year 1817, Dr. Wells, who had always been a person of delicate health, became affected with a serious illness, which after some months terminated fatally. Not long before his death, he addressed, through me, a letter to the Society, which I still possess, proposing, as it was not probable that they would ever publish another volume, that the Society should be dissolved. I suspect that he was apprehensive that, if it continued to exist, its future volumes would not maintain the reputation of those which had preceded them. However that might be, the Society acted on his suggestion, and on June 2, 1818, the formal dissolution of it took place, it being agreed that

the book containing the minutes of their proceedings should remain in my hands.

Dr. Wells was one of the most remarkable persons with whom it has been my lot to be personally acquainted. He is too well known by his writings, among which his Essay on Dew' deserves more especial notice, for it to be worth while for me to speak of him as a philosopher; but I may venture to give some account of him otherwise. He was never married, but lived by himself, with (I believe) only a single maid-servant, in a small house in Serjeant's Inn, Fleet Street. Although he had paid great attention to his profession, and had ample opportunities of studying it as physician to St. Thomas's Hospital, he had never more than a very limited practice. For this, indeed, he was in many respects very unfit: having dry and, in general society, ungracious manners, and being apt to take offence where no offence was intended. Yet he had great kindness and warmth of heart mixed up with these less amiable qualities, and while he was greatly respected by those who really knew him, he was

even beloved by the very few with whom he was intimate. His autobiography, which is prefixed to the posthumous edition of his works, is very characteristic, and, when I read it, reminded me very much of that of David Hume, to whom, indeed, as to the character of his intellect, he bore a considerable resemblance, however different he may have been from him in some other respects.

In the course of the year 1812, I communicated to the Royal Society two other papers : one being a continuation of my paper on Poisons; the other containing an account of some further experiments illustrating the influence of the nervous system on the production of animal heat. My former paper on this subject had been very incomplete, inasmuch as I had made no examination of the air expired with reference to the consumption of oxygen and the generation of carbonic acid. In my second series of experiments I endeavoured to supply this deficiency. The experiments were made by means of a very simple apparatus, which fully answered the intended purpose, and were conducted with

the greatest care, the expired air being examined by my friend Brande. Although the conclusions which I had ventured to draw from my first series of experiments were certainly premature, they were fully confirmed by my subsequent observations. They have since been further confirmed by those of Le Gallois, as I have shown in the notes which are appended to the republication of my physiological papers in the year 1850.

During this time my private practice was slowly increasing at the rate of about 2007. or 250l. annually. I continued to pursue my physiological investigations, but was chiefly occupied with the business of the hospital; with taking and arranging my notes of cases, and with adding to my lectures on surgery whatever additional information I had acquired.

During the time of my being house surgeon of the hospital, I had the opportunity of examining, by dissection, a case of what has been called 'spontaneous dislocation of the hip,' consequent on disease of that joint. It very much excited my interest at the time, and led me to speculate

H