and convulsive disorders to the Memoirs of the London Medical Society in 1790, In 1792 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. In 1797 he published the work on which his professional reputation chiefly rests, entitled "Medical Reports on the Effects of Water, Cold and Warm, as a remedy in Febrile Diseases." The name of Dr. Currie is best known to general readers by his edition of the works of Robert Burns, including his poems and letters, with a criticism, by himself, on the writings of Burns. This was edited by Dr. Currie for the benefit of the poet's family. In 1804 Dr. Currie felt his health giving way, and abandoning practice, he spent some time at Bath and Clifton. The following year, considering himself better, he took a house at Bath and recommenced practice; however, he soon failed again in health, and died on the 31st August, 1805, at Sidmouth.—E. L.
CURTIUS, Mettus, a Sabine of the time of Romulus, from whom, according to one tradition, the name of the Lacus Curtius in Rome was derived. After the rape of the Sabine women, when the two armies were opposed, two champions stood forth between them—Mettus Curtius for the Sabines, and Hostus Hostilius for the Romans—the former was victorious, but was immediately after attacked by the Romans. He fled, and in despair leaped into the marsh, the site of which ever after received his name. The other tradition traces the name to Marcus Curtius, who, it is said, in 362 b.c., leaped into a chasm which opened in the forum, and which the oracle declared could only be closed by throwing into it that on which Rome's greatness was based.—J. B.
CUSA, CUSS, or CUSEL Nicolas, de, a celebrated German cardinal, was born in 1401, and died in 1464. His real name was Chryfftz or Krebs. Cusa, who was born of poor parents, studied law, and afterwards entered the church. His influence in the great ecclesiastical assemblies which were common in those days, dates from the council of Basle, during the sitting of which, he wrote his "Catholic Concordance." He advocated reform in the church, but after the rupture between Eugene IV. and the council of Basle, his love of peace moderated the expression of his sentiments. Cusa was an humble holy man, versed in the learning and philosophy of his time, and eminent also as a writer. He was attached to the mystics, although he did not admit their doctrine of immediate intuition.—R. M., A.
* CUSACK, James William, M.D., a lineal descendant of Sir Thomas Cusack, the celebrated lord-chancellor and speaker of the Irish commons in the reign of Edward VI., was educated in Trinity college, Dublin, where he obtained a scholarship, and subsequently a classical gold medal. On receiving his testimonial-letters from the Royal College of Surgeons in 1812, he became resident-surgeon to Steeven's hospital, and was appointed surgeon to Swift's asylum for lunatics. With the former of these institutions he was connected, as resident or as visiting surgeon, during the lengthened period of forty-five years. From the time of his appointment his fame as an operating surgeon rapidly rose; and his practice soon became extensive. Mr. Cusack was one of the original projectors of the Park Street school of medicine, where he lectured for many years. On the death of the late Sir Philip Crampton, Bart., he was appointed surgeon-in-ordinary to the queen in Ireland; he is also university professor of surgery in Trinity college, Dublin, and was, in 1858, for the third time appointed president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Mr. Cusack's contributions to medical literature are very numerous, consisting of valuable essays on practical subjects to be found in the medical periodicals of the day.—W. D. M.
CUSACK, Sir Thomas, knight, lord-chancellor of Ireland, was one of the most eminent men in that country, from a period extending from 1530 to his death. Having adopted the study of the law, he rapidly rose to eminence, and filled in succession the highest offices therein and in the state. He became justice of the common pleas, chancellor of the exchequer for life, by patent dated 13th March, 1535, master of the rolls in 1542, keeper of the great seal in 1546, lord-chancellor in 1550, and was three times lord-justice of Ireland, and president of the council of English; he was in great favour with the English government, and was rewarded by several grants of priories and monasteries by Henry VIII.; he was styled by the English as "Honest Sir Thomas Cusack." Many letters are still preserved of his in the state paper office and British museum. He died 1st April, 1571, and was buried with his second wife before the high altar of Trevet church, where his tomb still exists.—J. F. W.
CUTTS, Lord John, an English officer, died in 1707. He served under Monmouth and the duke of Lorraine, and distinguished himself greatly in the wars of William III. It was he to whom Steele, who was indebted to him for his captain's commission, dedicated his first work, entitled "The Christian Hero." He was created a baron of the kingdom of Ireland, with the title of Baron Cutts of Gowran.—R. M., A.
CUVIER, Georges-Chretien-Leopold-Dagobert, Baron, the most distinguished naturalist of his age, and eminent as a writer and statesman. He was born at Montbeliard, now in the department of Doubs, in France, but at the time of his birth the chief town of a principality dependent on the duke of Wurtemberg. His family appear to have originally come from a village in the Jura of the name of Cuvier. His father, who married late in life, was a half-pay officer of a Swiss regiment in the service of France. His mother was young and accomplished, and paid great attention to the early education of her son. He was born on the 23rd of August, 1769. His parents were protestants, and throughout life Cuvier was distinguished for his attachment to the protestant religion. When at school he was distinguished for his great memory, and the avidity with which he studied Greek, Latin, and French. He also acquired great skill in drawing. In 1784 he obtained a presentation to the Carolinian academy at Stuttgard, which had been founded by the duke of Wurtemburg for the training of young men for public and diplomatic offices. The studies in this institution were divided into five classes, and Cuvier distinguished himself most in the department devoted to the study of the principles and science of government. In his subsequent career he expressed himself strongly in favour of such a branch of study for young men. He also cultivated with great zeal the various branches of natural history, and became the favourite pupil of M. Abel, the professor in that department. Whilst in the academy he obtained prizes in every department of study, and at the end of his course was one out of five or six who were presented with a medal for their general proficiency. In this academy he was the fellow-student of Schiller, the great German dramatist, and of Soemmering, the anatomist. Although thus distinguished, he did not remain at Stuttgart long enough to obtain any public employment, and perhaps to this circumstance we may trace his distinguished career as a naturalist. At the age of nineteen he accepted the post of tutor to the only son of Count d'Henrich in Normandy. The residence of the count was near the sea, a situation well adapted to foster the love of the study of natural objects that he had acquired under the guidance of Professor Abel. The turmoil of the great Revolution, which was so soon to place him beside its hero, did not reach him in his quiet residence, and he was enabled to lay the foundations of his great natural history knowledge in seclusion and peace. But even here an event occurred which quickly brought him to the sphere of his future activity. The Abbe Tessier, known for his articles on agriculture in the Encyclopedie Methodique, was obliged to fly Paris, and, under the garb of a surgeon, sought refuge in Valmont, a small town near the residence of the count. Here a society was formed for the promotion of agriculture, and at one of its early meetings young Cuvier detected, in the surgeon of Valmont, the writer of the articles in the Encyclopedie. This incident led to a friendship between the two, which eventually resulted in the invitation of Cuvier to Paris, whilst in Normandy, Cuvier worked with so much diligence at the anatomy and forms of the lower animals, that after Tessier's introduction he became a constant correspondent of Lacepede, Olivier, Geoffrey, and other eminent men in Paris. It was here that he pursued those researches which enabled him to reorganize the whole of the invertebrate division of animals, which had been included by Linnæus in his class Vermes. Here he also diligently dissected the mollusca, which subsequently enabled him to follow with so much success the classification of the mollusca, pointed out by Adanson, and founded rather upon the structure of the animal than of its shell.
In 1795, through the exertions of Tessier, he was invited to Paris as a member of the new commission of arts. He was also appointed assistant to Mertrud in the superintendence of the Jardin des Plantes, and professor of natural history to the central school of the museum. In these positions he commenced that career by which he acquired the reputation of being the greatest teacher of his day, and the museum of the Jardin des Plantes became the most famous collection of com-
