Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Memoir of the late Martin Barry, M.D., F.R.SS.L. and E. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![largely iu general society. Being, however, a good classical scholar, conversant witli the literature of his own country, as well as with that of France and Ger- many, familiar with pliysiol<^cal knowledge, full of ardour for its extension, and possessed of great skill in using the artist's pencil, he devoted almost all that time to study which many men with other tastes would have given to wliat is called pleasure. Almost the only evidence res|>ecting the time when Dr Barry turned his special attention to embryological pursuits, is to be inferred from his writings alone; he lias left scarcely any other materials from which we can collect and record the progress of his scientific life. His letters seldom contain much reference to the manner iu which his time was occujded, for some intimate friends with whom he most frequently coriesjxmded weie unconnected with the medical profession, or liad little relation with the scientific world. He never marrieii; and, having no permanent place of resideuci;, s}>ent tlie last twenty years of his life in different jiarts of England, Scotland, and Germany. Edin- burgh was a favourite place of abode, and at intervals, varying from a few weeks to a year or two, ever since his studentship, he has continued to visit this city, and remained during periods varying from a few' days to upwards of eighteen months. His unfailing friends here were John Wigham, Esq., and his excellent lady, of Salisbury Road. With .Mrs Wigham he corresponded more frequently than with any one el.se, except his own relations, and from her we have ever been able to hear of Dr Barry when he was alrsent from Edinburgh. lio appiears to have commenced making himself familiar with the literature of embryology in 18'‘w5 ; and apparently about this time ho was again on the continent, engaged with Professors Schwann and Rudolph Wagner in histolo- gical observations. Few men, indeed, have had more frequent {rcrsoual inter- course with eminent scientihe men abroad than Dr Barry. During the two successive years he closely engaged in original researches. The results of these, entitled, “ Kesearcj^t“s in Embryology,” ap|>eared in two series,in thcI^hilofopAi- cai Tramactioin for IBlttland 1889, and were rewarded by the Royal Society’s medal. His habits of intense study, and almost continuous use of the niicro- •cojie, not by day only at this time, materially injured his eye-sight, and threw him into a state of seriously impaired health, which continued for several years. On somewhat recovering from this illness, his peculiar sensitiveness of temperament was more ap{>arent than before, and became to him a source of unavoidable inconvenience during the after part of his life. We are sure that, if some who once opposed his views on various subjects were only aware of the {lain which they occasioned to this devoted and sensitive-minded man of science, their objections would have been stated with far less asperity. Not- withstanding frequent returns of ill health. Dr Barry eventually resumed the histological observations into which he had been originally invited by the embryological researches. His subsequent pa{ier8 a{>]>eared as follows;— “ Researches in Embryology, Third Series ; a Contribution to the Pliysiology of Cells” (1840) ; “ On the Corjiusclesof the Blood” (1840) ; “ Supplementary Note on (he Fonuation of the Chorion ” (1841); “ On the Chorda Dorsalis” (1841.) “ On the Corpuscles of the Blood,” Parts II. and 111. (1841.) (All the above ]ia|>ers w'ero {mhiished in the Philosophical Transactions.) ” On the Cor- puscles of tlie Blood ” {J’hil. Map., 1841) ; “On Fibre” {Phil. Trans., 1842); “ Spermatozoa found within the Ovum ” (Phil. Trans., 1842-43); “ Facts Relating to the Corpusles of Mammiferous Blood ” (Phil. Map., 18431 ; “ The Cells in the Ovum compared with the Corpuscles of the Blood—On the Differ- ence in Size of the Blood Cornusicles in Different Animals” (Phil. Map., 1843); “ On F'issiparous Geneiation” (E^iin. New Phil. Jour., 1843.) “ On the Nucleus of the Animal and Vegetable Cell (Edin. New Phil. Jour., 1847.) “The last paper in this list ” (says Dr Barry) “ was written mainly for the purpose of bringing together, into tlie compass of a few pages, obsc-rvations made by tlie author years before, and unfortunately so scattered through long memoirs, tlmt they A cre to many physiologists unknown,and liy others greatly misunderstood. ’](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24931652_0003.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
