2s 4 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
his mode of treatment was much approved by Dr. David Clark, who had been
brought from Edinburgh. This accidental circumstance added much to his
medical reputation in that quarter.
During his residence at Hamilton, Dr. Cullen became acquainted with Mr.
William Hunter. These two celebrated characters, who were destined to do
so much, each in his own line, for the advancement of medical science, had very
early entered into habits of the strictest intimacy. Dr. Hunter had been
originally intended for the Church j and with that view had attended some of
the classes at the University of Glasgow. Cullen’s conversation, however, gave
a different direction to his studies, and he resolved to study medicine.
In consequence of the extension of his practice, Cullen resolved to apply
to the University of Glasgow for a medical degree, and this he accordingly
obtained upon the 14th September 1740. On the 13th November 1741,
he married Ann Johnston, the daughter of a neighbouring clergyman, by whom
he had a numerous family. His eldest son, Robert, was a Lord of Session and
Justiciary,
During the residence of Dr. Cullen in Hamilton, Archibald Earl of Islay,
afterwards Duke of Argyle, being in that part of the country, required some
chemical apparatus. It was suggested to him that Dr. Cullen was more likely
to have what his lordship wanted than any other person. He was accordingly
invited to dinner by his lordship, and fortunately made himself very agreeable.
This interview was one of the chief causes of his future rise in life. He had
secured the patronage of t,he Prime Minister of Scotland, the future Duke of
Argyle, besides the countenance of the Duke of Hamilton. In 1746 the
Lectureship on Chemistry in the University of Glasgow, which is in the gift of
the College, became vacant. Cullen offered himself as a candidate, and was
accordingly elected. He commenced his lectures in the month of October of the
same year. In 1751 the Professorship of Medicine (in the gift of the Crown)
becoming vacant, the interest of Argyle procured it for him. He appears to
have taught both classes. In 1755 he transmitted a paper to the Physical and
Literary Society of Edinburgh, ‘‘ On the cold produced by evaporating fluids,
and of some other means of producing cold,”-the only chemical essay he ever
published.
In 1756 he was unanimously elected Professor of Chemistry in the University
of Edinburgh, where the medical school was already formed ; and he had
much greater incitements to exertion than he had in Glasgow. Dr. Whytt, who
taught the Institutes of Medicine, died in 1766, and Dr. Cullen obtained the
vacant chair. Dr. John Gregory, a short time before, had succeeded to the
chair of the Practice of Physic; and these two Professors continued each to
teach his own class for three sessions. At the conclusion of the session, 12th
April 1769, Dr. Callen proposed to the patrons that Dr. Gregory and he should
alternately teach the Institutes and the Practice. This was complied with ; and
it was declared that the survivor should have in his option which professorship
he preferred. Upon the lamented death of Dr. Gregory, 10th February 1773,
