istry. In 1773, C. was at last transferred to the chair of the practice of physic, the duties of which he had for some years performed alternately with Dr. Gregory, the latter taking part in return alternately with C. in the lectures on the theory or institutes of medicine.
The rest of Dr. C.'s biography is simply a record of continued success as a teacher and a practitioner. His popularity with his students, and even his scientific reputation at one time threatened to be seriously diminished by the brief but noisy episode of the Brunoniau system (see Bnowx, JOHN, m.n.). In 1778, C. became the proprietor of Ormiston hill, a small but prettily situated property about 8 in. w. of Edinburgh, where he passed as much time as his professional duties would allow in improving his little estate, and renewing his long-dormant knowledge of, and love for, rural affairs. " I have got upon my hobby," he writes to a friend; "my amusement is a little farm, and a little pleasure-ground. . . . I have done a great deal, but it is all leveling work; other people cannot know what earth has been moved, but I have had some amusement in the turning of every shovelful." It was a becoming end to a life of usefulness. He bad here the leisure and the enjoyment of life which were required to wean him from the too exclusive pursuit of his profession; and while his love of science never chilled, and was even made subservient to the adornment of the retreat of his old age, lie was some what withdrawn from the heat and the strife of the world into the purer air of doniestle retirement. C. died on the 5th Feb., 1790, having nearly completed his 79th year, and
having been actively engaged in teaching and consulting practice till within a few months of his death. His most important works are the First Lines of the Practice of Physic (Edin. 1777); Synopsis 1785; Institutions of Medicine, 1777; A Treatise of the .3Iateria 1789. Their characteristics arc great clearness of expression, with remarkable soundness of judgment and common sense, rather than striking originality, or a rapid advance into new regions of thought. But he was emi nently the man for his time, which was distracted and confused by a host of baseless theories, and by many of those " false facts" which C. himself said were more numer ous than even false theories. Amid this farrago, he sought his way towards the truth with remarkable impartiality, and infinite candor as regards the opinions of others. His fame as one of the greatest of teachers has survived the memory of his professional success, and even the credit of his far-famed systematic nosology. His writings have been collected in 2 vols., 8vo., by Dr. John Thomson (Edin. 1827), by whom also a life was commenced, the first volume of which was published in 1832. This biography was continued by his son, and finally completed in a second volume by Dr. Craigie, in 1859.