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 , and historical sense, as well as the literary grace which was a family heritage. In 1868, following out a suggestion of his father-in-law, Dr. James Craig of Ratho, he wrote two able papers on 'The Treatment of Aneurysm by Iodide of Potassium,' and thenceforth mainly concentrated his attention on diseases of the heart. 'Clinical Lectures on Diseases of the Heart and Aorta,' which appeared in 1876, greatly enhanced his reputation, and 'The Senile Heart,' which was issued in 1894, at once took rank as a classic. With Sir [q. v. Suppl. II] in Glasgow, and [q. v.] in London, Balfour shared the credit of making the most important contributions of his generation to the clinical study of affections of the circulation.

Balfour, who was interested in bibliography, was librarian to the College of Physicians of Edinburgh from 1873 to 1882 and from 1887 to 1899. He was president of the college 1882-4, and was a member of the University Court of St. Andrews for many years. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. at Edinburgh in 1884, and at St. Andrews in 1896. He was appointed physician in ordinary to Queen Victoria in 1900 and honorary physician to King Edward VII in 1901.

In 1899 Balfour retired from Edinburgh to Colinton, the home of his youth, where he died on 9 Aug. 1903. Of impassive demeanour, he charmed his friends by his quaint humour and culture. Although probably the best auscultator of his time, he lacked all appreciation of music. A portrait, by R. H. Campbell, hangs in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Balfour was thrice married: (1) in 1848 to Agnes (d. 1851), daughter of George Thomson, by whom he had one son, Lewis; (2) in 1854 to Margaret Bethune (d. 1879), eldest daughter of Dr. James Craig, of Ratho, by whom he had eight sons and three daughters; and (3) in 1881 to Henrietta, daughter of John Usher, who survived him.

 BALFOUR, JOHN BLAIR, first (1837–1905), lord president of the court of session in Scotland, born at Clackmannan on 11 July 1837, was second son (in a family of two sons and a daughter) of Peter Balfour (1794-1862), parish minister of that place, by his wife Jane Ramsay (d. 1871), daughter of Peter Blair of Perth. Educated at Edinburgh Academy, of which he was 'dux,' or head boy, he passed to the University of Edinburgh, where he had a distinguished career, but did not graduate. Passing to the Scottish bar on 26 Nov. 1861, he rose with almost unexampled rapidity to be the foremost advocate in Scotland, his only rival being [q. v. Suppl. II]. He first engaged prominently in politics at the general election of April 1880, when he contested North Ayrshire, as a liberal, against [q. v. Suppl. I], afterwards permanent under-secretary for Scotland. Balfour was defeated by fifty -five votes, but was returned unopposed on 1 Dec. 1880 for Clackmannan and Kinross when [q. v.], the sitting member, was appointed governor of Madras. Appointed immediately solicitor-general for Scotland in Gladstone's second ministry, he in 1881 succeeded [q. v. Suppl. II] as lord advocate. He was made honorary LL.D. of Edinburgh University in 1882, and became a privy councillor in 1883. He remained in office till the liberals went out in 1885. For nearly 150 years prior to 1885 the lord advocates were practically ministers for Scotland; but during Lord Salisbury's short-lived administration of 1885-6 the ancient office of secretary of state for Scotland, which had been abolished at the close of the rebellion of 1745-6, was revived. Balfour was thus the last of the old line of lord advocates, and though he was always stronger as a lawyer than as a politician, managed the affairs of Scotland with ability in the face of considerable difficulties caused by the crofter question and the movement in favour of 'home rule' for Scotland. In 1886 he was again lord advocate, but went out when the Gladstone government was defeated on the Irish question. In 1885-6 he was dean of the faculty of advocates, and again in 1889-92. From 1892 to 1895 he was once more lord advocate under Gladstone and Lord Rosebery, and, during that period, took a prominent part in carrying through the House of Commons the Local Government Act for Scotland (1894), by which parish councils, framed on the model of the English Act, were established. The defeat of the Rosebery government in June 1895 was the end of Balfour's official career; but at the ensuing general election he was again returned by