cious mind in
the prosecution of his studies! Be assured he carries with him my
highest respect and sincere affection.

"With respectful compliments to the venerable patriarch of medicine,
Dr. Holyoke (if not translated to a better world),

"I am, dear sir, very sincerely yours,
"Benjamin Rush.
"Dr. B. Lynde Oliver."

On his return to Salem, Dr. Oliver commenced the practice of medicine,
and in July, 1811, as appears from his diary, he connected himself
with Dr. R. D. Mussey, then a rising young surgeon, and with whom he
was afterwards so long associated. From the following entry in the
diary referred to, under date of July 12, 1812, may be learned
somewhat of his tastes at this time, and his mode of passing the
waiting hours of an early professional life:

"This day completed the first year of my connection in the medical
profession with Dr. R. D. Massey. On reviewing this period, I am
sensible of a great loss of time, and of a degree of professional and
literary improvement altogether inadequate to such an extent of time.
Some improvement, however, has I hope, been made. With respect to the
books which I have read during the past year, the most important are
Mosheim's 'Ecclesiastical History,' which I have not yet quite
completed,--a learned and judicious outline of the history of the
church, embracing many collateral topics of learning and
philosophy ...; Homer's 'Iliad' in Greek, with the exception of
the last book; the 'Aeneid' except the last two; two or three books
of Livy, and several of Juvenal's 'Satires.'

"The most important literary enterprise which I have undertaken and
accomplished has been the delivery of a course of lectures on
Chemistry in connection with Dr. Mussey. In Anatomy, also, we have
executed something. Medicine will, in future, claim more of my
attention, but not to the neglect of the two important collateral
branches above mentioned."

In the autumn of 1815, Dr. Oliver was appointed to deliver a course of
chemical lectures before the medical class at Dartmouth College.
Although he had thus far pursued the study of chemistry as a
collateral branch of medical science, he felt warranted in accepting
the appointment, without, however, proposing to himself a more
permanent position in this department.

In 1817, he was married to Miss Mary Robinson Pulling, the only
daughter of Edward Pulling, Esq., an eminent barrister of Salem, and
almost immediately went again to Philadel