AsIwasdoingnogoodatschool，myfatherwiselytookmeawayataratherearlieragethanusual，andsentme（Oct。1825）toEdinburghUniversitywithmybrother，whereIstayedfortwoyearsorsessions。Mybrotherwascompletinghismedicalstudies，thoughIdonotbelieveheeverreallyintendedtopractise，andIwassenttheretocommencethem。ButsoonafterthisperiodIbecameconvincedfromvarioussmallcircumstancesthatmyfatherwouldleavemepropertyenoughtosubsistonwithsomecomfort，thoughIneverimaginedthatIshouldbesorichamanasIam;butmybeliefwassufficienttocheckanystrenuouseffortstolearnmedicine。
TheinstructionatEdinburghwasaltogetherbylectures，andthesewereintolerablydull，withtheexceptionofthoseonchemistrybyHope;buttomymindtherearenoadvantagesandmanydisadvantagesinlecturescomparedwithreading。Dr。Duncan’slecturesonMateriaMedicaat8o’clockonawinter’smorningaresomethingfearfultoremember。Dr。——madehislecturesonhumananatomyasdullashewashimself，andthesubjectdisgustedme。IthasprovedoneofthegreatestevilsinmylifethatI
wasnoturgedtopractisedissection，forIshouldsoonhavegotovermydisgust;andthepracticewouldhavebeeninvaluableforallmyfuturework。Thishasbeenanirremediableevil，aswellasmyincapacitytodraw。Ialsoattendedregularlytheclinicalwardsinthehospital。Someofthecasesdistressedmeagooddeal，andIstillhavevividpicturesbeforemeofsomeofthem;butIwasnotsofoolishastoallowthistolessenmyattendance。Icannotunderstandwhythispartofmymedicalcoursedidnotinterestmeinagreaterdegree;forduringthesummerbeforecomingtoEdinburghIbeganattendingsomeofthepoorpeople，chieflychildrenandwomeninShrewsbury:IwrotedownasfullanaccountasIcouldofthecasewithallthesymptoms，andreadthemaloudtomyfather，whosuggestedfurtherinquiriesandadvisedmewhatmedicinestogive，whichImadeupmyself。AtonetimeIhadatleastadozenpatients，andIfeltakeeninterestinthework。Myfather，whowasbyfarthebestjudgeofcharacterwhomIeverknew，declaredthatIshouldmakeasuccessfulphysician，——meaningbythisonewhowouldgetmanypatients。Hemaintainedthatthechiefelementofsuccesswasexcitingconfidence;butwhathesawinmewhichconvincedhimthatIshouldcreateconfidenceI
knownot。IalsoattendedontwooccasionstheoperatingtheatreinthehospitalatEdinburgh，andsawtwoverybadoperations，oneonachild，butIrushedawaybeforetheywerecompleted。NordidIeverattendagain，forhardlyanyinducementwouldhavebeenstrongenoughtomakemedoso;thisbeinglongbeforetheblesseddaysofchloroform。Thetwocasesfairlyhauntedmeformanyalongyear。
MybrotherstayedonlyoneyearattheUniversity，sothatduringthesecondyearIwaslefttomyownresources;andthiswasanadvantage，forIbecamewellacquaintedwithseveralyoungmenfondofnaturalscience。