874 SIR MICHAEL FOSTER. 



allowed one small room in which to conduct his lectures and laboratory 

 work in histology and experimental physiology. He was assisted 

 by H. Newell Martin who came with him from London. From this 

 beginning arose the whole Biological School of Cambridge which in 

 1914 had become one of the great centres of physiological research. 



Foster's teaching was a revelation, and his enthusiasm led many of 

 his pupils to devote their lives to physiology. Soon he had gathered 

 round him a group of helpers among the first of whom were Gaskell, 

 Langley, Lea and Dew Smith. 



In 1883 when a professorship of physiology was founded at Cam- 

 bridge, Foster was elected to the chair. He was a strong believer in 

 making the students learn physiology through experiments which 

 they themselves performed; and he insisted that a course of lectures 

 must be closely coordinated with the laboratory program. 



Besides being the leader in bringing physiological research and 

 teaching to their own in England, he did great service in being the 

 prime mover in the formation of the Physiological Society in 1876, 

 and two years later in founding the Journal of Physiology. In 1881 

 he planned with Kronecker the organization of the International 

 Congress of Physiologists which has been held every three years ever 

 since. 



In 1872 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, and from 1881 

 to 1903 he served as one of its secretaries. He gave much of himself 

 to the work of the Society. Through it he came in touch with the 

 Government, and was appointed to serve on various Royal Commis- 

 sions. In 1899 he was made a K. C. B. 



In 1900 upon the urging of his friends he was a candidate for election 

 to Parliament as representative of London University. He was 

 elected and served with considerable influence until 190(3. His duties 

 in Parliament proved to conflict with his professional ones and he 

 resigned his professorship in 1903. After his retirement from Parlia- 

 ment he continued actively at work at his duties on public Commis- 

 sions till the day of his death, January 28, 1907. 



He was married twice. His first wife whom he married in 1863, 

 died six years later, leaving him with two children. His second 

 marriage took place in 1872. 



Foster's original researches were few in number but of the highest 

 quality, both with respect to conception and execution. His great 

 achievement was rather one of personal influence exercised in behalf 

 of science in general and physiology in particular. His 'Text-bcok 

 of Physiology' published in 1877 was recognized as superior to any 

 other and has appeared in six successive editions. 



