earliest　indication　I　can　call　to　mind　of　the　strong　clerical
  affinities　which　my　friend　Mr。　Herbert　Spencer　＇5＇　has　always
  ascribed　to　me；　though　I　fancy　they　have　for　the　most　part　remained
  in　a　latent　state。
  My　regular　school　training　was　of　the　briefest；　perhaps
  fortunately；　for　though　my　way　of　life　has　made　me　acquainted　with
  all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men；　from　the　highest　to　the　lowest；　I
  deliberately　affirm　that　the　society　I　fell　into　at　school　was　the
  worst　I　have　ever　known。　　We　boys　were　average　lads；　with　much　the
  same　inherent　capacity　for　good　and　evil　as　any　others；　but　the
  people　who　were　set　over　us　cared　about　as　much　for　our
  intellectual　and　moral　welfare　as　if　they　were　baby…farmers。　　We
  were　left　to　the　operation　of　the　struggle　for　existence　among
  ourselves；　and　bullying　was　the　least　of　the　ill　practices　current
  among　us。　　Almost　the　only　cheerful　reminiscence　in　connection　with
  the　place　which　arises　in　my　mind　is　that　of　a　battle　I　had　with
  one　of　my　classmates；　who　had　bullied　me　until　I　could　stand　it　no
  longer。　　I　was　a　very　slight　lad；　but　there　was　a　wild…cat　element
  in　me　which；　when　roused；　made　up　for　lack　of　weight；　and　I　licked
  my　adversary　effectually。　　However；　one　of　my　first　experiences　of
  the　extremely　rough…and…ready　nature　of　justice；　as　exhibited　by
  the　course　of　things　in　general；　arose　out　of　the　fact　that　Ithe
  victorhad　a　black　eye；　while　hethe　vanquishedhad　none；　so
  that　I　got　into　disgrace　and　he　did　not。　　We　made　it　up；　and
  thereafter　I　was　unmolested。　　One　of　the　greatest　shocks　I　ever
  received　in　my　life　was　to　be　told　a　dozen　years　afterwards　by　the
  groom　who　brought　me　my　horse　in　a　stable…yard　in　Sydney　that　he
  was　my　quondam　antagonist。　　He　had　a　long　story　of　family
  misfortune　to　account　for　his　position；　but　at　that　time　it　was
  necessary　to　deal　very　cautiously　with　mysterious　strangers　in　New
  South　Wales；　and　on　inquiry　I　found　that　the　unfortunate　young　man
  had　not　only　been　〃sent　out；〃　but　had　undergone　more　than　one
  colonial　conviction。
  As　I　grew　older；　my　great　desire　was　to　be　a　mechanical　engineer；
  but　the　fates　were　against　this　and；　while　very　young；　I　commenced
  the　study　of　medicine　under　a　medical　brother…in…law。　　But；　though
  the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　would　certainly　not　own　me；　I
  am　not　sure　that　I　have　not　all　along　been　a　sort　of　mechanical
  engineer　in　partibus　infidelium。＇6＇　　I　am　now　occasionally　horrified
  to　think　how　very　little　I　ever　knew　or　cared　about　medicine　as　the
  art　of　healing。　　The　only　part　of　my　professional　course　which
  really　and　deeply　interested　me　was　physiology；　which　is　the
  mechanical　engineering　of　living　machines；　and；　notwithstanding
  that　natural　science　has　been　my　proper　business；　I　am　afraid　there
  is　very　little　of　the　genuine　naturalist　in　me。　　I　never　collected
  anything；　and　species　work　was　always　a　burden　to　me；　what　I　cared
  for　was　the　architectural　and　engineering　part　of　the　business；　the
  working　out　of　the　wonderful　unity　of　plan　in　the　thousands　and
  thousands　of　diverse　living　constructions；　and　the　modifications　of
  similar　apparatuses　to　serve　diverse　ends。　　The　extraordinary
  attraction　I　felt　towards　the　study　of　the　intricacies　of　living
  structure　nearly　proved　fatal　to　me　at　the　outset。　　I　was　a　mere
  boyI　think　between　thirteen　and　fourteen　years　of　agewhen　I　was
  taken　by　some　older　student　friends　of　mine　to　the　first　post…
  mortem　examination　I　ever　attended。　　All　my　life　I　have　been　most
  unfortunately　sensitive　to　the　disagreeables　which　attend
  anatomical　pursuits；　but　on　this　occasion　my　curiosity　overpowered
  all　other　feelings；　and　I　spent　two　or　three　hours　in　gratifying
  it。　　I　did　not　cut　myself；　and　none　of　the　ordinary　symptoms　of
  dissection…poison　supervened；　but　poisoned　I　was　somehow；　and　I
  remember　sinking　into　a　strange　state　of　apathy。　　By　way　of　a　last
  chance；　I　was　sent　to　the　care　of　some　good；　kind　people；　friends
  of　my　father's；　who　lived　in　a　farmhouse　in　the　heart　of
  Warwickshire。　　I　remember　staggering　from　my　bed　to　the　window　on
  the　bright　spring　morning　after　my　arrival；　and　throwing　open　the
  casement。　　Life　seemed　to　come　back　on　the　wings　of　the　breeze；　and
  to　this　day　the　faint　odor　of　wood…smoke；　like　that　which　floated
  across　the　farm…yard　in　the　early　morning；　is　as　good　to　me　as　the
  〃sweet　south　upon　a　bed　of　violets。〃＇7＇　　I　soon　recovered；　but　for
  years　I　suffered　from　occasional　paroxysms　of　internal　pain；　and
  from　that　time　my　constant　friend；　hypochondriacal　dyspepsia；
  commenced　his　half　century　of　co…tenancy　of　my　fleshly　tabernacle。
  Looking　back　on　my　〃Lehrjahre；〃＇8＇　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　do　not
  think　that　any　account　of　my　doings　as　a　student　would　tend　to
  edification。　　In　fact；　I　should　distinctly　warn　ingenuous　youth　to
  avoid　imitating　my　example。　　I　worked　extremely　hard　when　it
  pleased　me；　and　when　it　did　notwhich　was　a　very　frequent　caseI
  was　extremely　idle　（unless　making　caricatures　of　one's　pastors　and
  masters　is　to　be　called　a　branch　of　industry）；　or　else　wasted　my
  energies　in　wrong　directions。　　I　read　everything　I　could　lay　hands
  upon；　including　novels；　and　took　up　all　sorts　of　pursuits　to　drop
  them　again　quite　as　speedily。　　No　doubt　it　was　very　largely　my　own
  fault；　but　the　only　instruction　from　which　I　ever　obtained　the
  proper　effect　of　education　was　that　which　I　received　from　Mr。
  Wharton　Jones；　who　was　the　lecturer　on　physiology　at　the　Charing
  Cross　School　of　Medicine。　　The　extent　and　precision　of　his
  knowledge　impressed　me　greatly；　and　the　severe　exactness　of　his
  method　of　lecturing　was　quite　to　my　taste。　　I　do　not　know　that　I
  have　ever　felt　so　much　respect　for　anybody　as　a　teacher　before　or
  since。　　I　worked　hard　to　obtain　his　approbation；　and　he　was
  extremely　kind　and　helpful　to　the　youngster　who；　I　am　afraid；　took
  up　more　of　his　time　than　he　had　any　right　to　do。　　It　was　he　who
  suggested　the　publication　of　my　first　scientific　papera　very
  little　onein　the　Medical　Gazette　of　1845；　and　most　kindly
  corrected　the　literary　faults　which　abounded　in　it；　short　as　it
  was；　for　at　that　time；　and　for　many　years　afterwards；　I　detested
  the　trouble　of　writing；　and　would　take　no　pains　over　it。
  It　was　in　the　early　spring　of　1846；　that；　having　finished　my
  obligatory　medical　studies　and　passed　the　first　M。　D。　examination
  at　the　London　University；though　I　was　still　too　young　to　qualify
  at　the　College　of　Surgeons；I　was　talking　to　a　fellow…student　（the
  present　eminent　physician；　Sir　Joseph　Fayrer）；　and　wondering　what　I
  should　do　to　meet　the　imperative　necessity　for　earning　my　own
  bread；　when　my　friend　suggested　that　I　should　write　to　Sir　William
  Burnett；　at　that　time　Director…General　for　the　Medical　Service　of
  the　Navy；　for　an　appointment。　　I　thought　this　rather　a　strong　thing
  to　do；　as　Sir　William　was　personally　unknown　to　me；　but　my　cheery
  friend　would　not　listen　to　my　scruples；　so　I　went　to　my　lodgings
  and　wrote　the　best　letter　I　could　devise。　　A　few　days　afterwards　I
  received　the　usual　official　circular　acknowledgment；　but　at　the
  bottom　there　was　written　an　instruction　to　call　at　Somerset　House
  on　such　a　day。　　I　thought　that　looked　like　business；　so　at　the
  appointed　time　I　called　and　sent　in　my　card；　while　I　waited　in　Sir
  William's　ante…room。　　He　was　a　tall；　shrewd…looking　old　gentleman；
  with　a　broad　Scotch　accentand　I　think　I　see　him　now　as　he　entered
  with　my　card　in　his　hand。　　The　first　thing　he　did　was　to　return　it；
  with　the　frugal　reminder　that　I　should　probably　find　it　useful　on
  some　other　occasion。　　The　second　was　to　ask　whether　I　was　an
  Irishman。　　I　suppose　the　air　of　modesty　about　my　appeal　must　have
  struck　him。　　I　satisfied　the　Director…General　that　I　was　English　to
  the　backbone；　and　he　made　some　inquiries　as　to　my　student　career；
  finally　desiring　me　to　hold　myself　ready　for　examination。　　Having
  passed　this；　I　was　in　Her　Majesty's　Service；　and　entered　on　the
  books　of　Nelson's　＇9＇　old　ship；　the　Victory；　for　duty　at　Haslar
  Hospital；　about　a　couple　of　months　after　I　made　my　application。
  My　official　chief　at　Haslar　was　a　very　remarkable　person；　the　late
  Sir　John　Richardson；　an　excellent　naturalist；　and　far…famed　as　an
  indomitable　Arctic　traveller。　　He　was　a　silent；　reserved　man；
  outside　the　circle　of　his　family　and　intimates；　and；　having　a　full
  share　of　youthful　vanity；　I　was　extremely　disgusted　to　find　that
  〃Old　John；〃　as　we　irreverent　youngsters　called　him；　took　not　the
  slightest　notice　of　my　worshipful　self　either　the　first　time　I
  attended　him；　as　it　was　my　duty　to　do；　or　for　some　weeks
  afterwards。　　I　am　afraid　to　think　of　the　lengths　to　which　my　tongue
  may　have　run　on　the　subject　of　the　churlishness　of　the　chief；　who
  was；　in　truth；　one　of　the　kindest…hearted　and　most　considerate　of
  men。　　But　one　day；　as　I　was　crossing　the　hospital　square；　Sir　John
  stopped　me；　and　heaped　coals　of　fire　on　my　head　by　telling　me　that
  he　had　tried　to　get　me　one