During these years we find the first indications of
the circumstances which forced him to give up a legal career--namely, his
failing health and his growing inclination towards science. {162} Thus
in the summer of 1869, when we were all at Caerdeon in the Barmouth
valley, he writes that he "fell ill," and again in the winter of 1871.
His health deteriorated markedly during 1872 and 1873. In the former
year he went to Malvern and to Homburg without deriving any advantage. I
have an impression that he did not expect to survive these attacks, but I
cannot say at what date he made this forecast of an early death. In
January 1873 he visited Cannes, and "came back very ill." It was in the
spring of this year that he first consulted Dr. (afterwards Sir Andrew)
Clark, from whom he received the kindest care. George suffered from
digestive troubles, sickness, and general discomfort and weakness. Dr.
Clark's care probably did what was possible to make life more bearable,
and as time went on his health gradually improved. In 1894 he consulted
the late Dr. Eccles, and by means of the rest-cure, then something of a
novelty, his weight increased from 9 stone to 9 stone 11 pounds. I gain
the impression that this treatment produced a permanent improvement,
although his health remained a serious handicap throughout his life.

Meanwhile he had determined on giving up the Bar, and settled in October
1873, when he was 28 years old, at Trinity in Nevile's Court next the
Library (G 4). His diary continues to contain records of ill-health and
of various holidays in search of improvement. Thus in 1873 we read,
"Very bad during January. Went to Cannes and stayed till the end of
April." Again in 1874, "February to July very ill." In spite of
unwellness he began in 1872-3 to write on various subjects. He sent to
_Macmillan's Magazine_ {163a} an entertaining article, "Development in
Dress," where the survivals in modern costume were recorded and discussed
from the standpoint of evolution. In 1873 he wrote "On beneficial
restriction to liberty of marriage," {163b} a eugenic article for which
he was attacked with gross unfairness and bitterness by the late St.
George Mivart. He was defended by Huxley; and Charles Darwin formally
ceased all intercourse with Mivart. We find mention of a "Globe Paper
for the British Association" in 1873. And in the following year he read
a contribution on "Probable Error" to the Mathematical Society {1