addresses, not because he was indifferent to the convenience of
others or careless about the quality of his teaching, but because he
became so engrossed in the work of the moment that he could not tear
himself away from it so long as any improvement seemed possible. This
same quality made him slow over his hospital rounds and often over
operations, with the result that his own meal-times were most irregular
and his assistants often had trouble to stay the pangs of hunger. This
handicapped him in private practice and in some measure as a lecturer.
He gave plenty of thought to his subjects, but rarely began to put
thoughts in writing sufficiently in advance of his engagement. When he
was in time with his written matter the credit was chiefly due to his
wife. On the occasion of this paper she wrote for seven hours one day
and eight hours the next, and her heroic industry saved the situation.

Towards the end of 1859 Lister decided to be a candidate for the
Surgical Professorship at Glasgow, which appointment was in the gift of
the Crown; and in spite of some intrigues to secure the patronage for a
local man, the post was offered by the Home Secretary, Sir George Lewis,
to the young Edinburgh surgeon. Syme's opinion and influence no doubt
counted for much. Lister's appointment dated from January 1860, but it
was not till a year and a half later that his position in Glasgow was
assured by his being elected Surgeon to the Royal Infirmary. Before this
he could preach his principles in the lecture-room, but he had little
influence on the practice of his students and colleagues. Thanks to the
reputation which he brought from Edinburgh, his first lecture drew a
full room, and his class grew year by year till it reached the
unprecedented figure of 182, and each year the enthusiasm seemed to
rise. But in the hospital he had an uphill task, as any one will know
who has studied the history of these institutions in the first half of
the century.

To-day the modern hospital is an object of general admiration, with its
high standard of cleanliness and efficiency; and few of us would have
any hesitation if a doctor advised us to go into hospital for an
operation. Seventy or a hundred years ago the case was very different;
and when we read the statistics of the early nineteenth century,
gathered by the surgeons who had known its horrors, it is hard to
believe that we are not back among the worst abuses of the Middle Ages.
Such terrible