MEDICAL STUDIES

41

The immediate chiefs of the dissection room were nominally my old travelling companion and tutor, William Bowman and John Simon, but Bowman had other College work to perform, and was rarely present. Mr. Simon, afterwards Sir John Simon (b. 1816), of the Board of Health, was practically the only Director. His quaint phrases, full of scientific insight and poetical in essence, were most attractive. His collected essays and reports are models of literary style applied to scientific subjects. He died three or four years ago, quite blind, at a very advanced age.

All the Professors whose lectures I had to attend, were notable men. Dr. Todd (18o9-186o), the Professor of Physiology, gave a powerful impulse to his branch of science. He was then engaged in collaboration with Bowman in bringing out their

I iu°yt',ltnlnci1ia of i hys olu'y, wlai(I) was xi remarkable

work for those days. The signs of advance were all about and in the air. The microscope had rather suddenly attained a position of much enhanced importance ; it was now mounted solidly, with really good working stages and with good glasses. Powell was the principal maker of it, and a Powell's microscope was an object almost of worship to advanced students. The manufacture of microscopes has rapidly and steadily advanced since those times, both in cheapness and in goodness : what was then a rarity is now in the possession of every student.

I enjoyed the lectures of Daniell (1790-1845) on Chemistry ; he was so simple and thorough. I n' those times the galvanic cell was becoming perfected, and the three forms then invented, the Smee, the Daniell, and the Grove (the latter being by my valued friend