Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/299

Rh determination to follow the clerical profession; but after he had attended two sessions at the Divinity Hall of Glasgow, he turned himself to the study of medicine; and, in order to hare every advantage towards acquiring a proficiency in that branch of knowledge, he removed to Edinburgh, which has been so long celebrated as a medical school. Here he remained until he had gone through the usual studies of the science.

In 1799, he returned to Glasgow; and, after an examination by the faculty of Physicians and Surgeons there, he was found 'a fit and capable person to exercise the arts of surgery and pharmacy.' In the same year, he set up as surgeon in the town of Paisley; and soon began to attain great popularity in his profession, and to reap the reward of his talents and perseverance. In a short time he had engrossed so much practice, as to find it necessary to take in, as partner and assistant, Mr James Muir, who had been his fellow student at Edinburgh. This gentleman possessed considerable literary abilities, and was author of various pieces of a didactic character, which appeared in the periodicals of the day. On his death, which happened early in life, he left behind him, in manuscript, a volume of miscellaneous essays, and a poem, entitled "," consisting of 354 Spenserian stanzas. He was, in particular, greatly attached to painting, and exhausted much of his time and money upon that art. Dr Watt, on the other hand, was chiefly attached to that department of human inquiry which comes under the denomination of experimental philosophy—particularly chemistry, to which science he, for a considerable time, devoted his leisure hours almost exclusively. Yet, with these differences of pursuits, they lived in good harmony during a partnership of nearly ten years, each following his own course, and both holding the most respectable station of their profession in the place where they resided.

The period of Dr Watt's residence in Paisley, was perhaps the busiest in his life. He enjoyed, during it, a better state of health than he ever did afterwards; and had, besides, all the ardour and enterprise of one newly entered into a sphere for which he had long panted. The number and variety of manuscripts which he has left, sufficiently attest the persevering activity of his mind during this period. The most important, perhaps, of these is one in quarto, entitled "An Abstract of Philosophical Conjectures; or an Attempt to Explain the Principal Phenomena of Light, Heat, and Cold, by a few simple and ob- vious Laws." This volume contains some curious and interesting experiments; but, of course, since the date of its composition (1805) many new lights have been thrown on the subjects it embraces, which, in a great measure, diminish its importance, and render its publication unadvisable. The only work which he ventured to publish while at Paisley, amid the many he composed and contemplated, was one, entitled "Cases of Diabetes, Consumption, &c.; with Observations on the History and Treatment of Disease in general." This appeared in 1803, and excited considerable interest at the time among the learned of the profession. The method which the author adopted in treating Diabetes, was venesection, blistering, and an abstemious diet; and the various cases which he records, were considered at the time as tending to establish the propriety of this mode of treatment. At the end pf the volume observations are given upon different diseases, as asthma, English cholera, colic, &c.; and these are also illustrated by cases which came under his own observation.

Soon after the publication of this volume, he felt a desire to remove to another quarter, and commence for himself on a higher scale than he had hitherto done. There was no place, however, which he had particularly fixed upon; and, before coming to any decision on this point, he determined to make a