1893.] Special General Meeting. 165 



effectual method of sterilising liquids now universally employed by 

 bacteriologists. 



1 have the authority of Sir Joseph Lister for saying that Tyndall's 

 labours greatly facilitated the study of micro-organisms and advanced 

 the knowledge of septic diseases in their various forms, and thus 

 promoted the progress of that antiseptic surgery for which Sir Joseph 

 Lister himself is mainly responsible, and to which we owe the saviDg 

 of thousands, nay, of tens of thousands of lives and the abolition of 

 purgatories of human sufferings. 



I have spoken of Tyndall as a Professor of this Institution, as a 

 teacher, as a writer, as an original investigator ; let me say one word 

 about him as a man, and I have done. And only one word about him 

 in this aspect is needful, for, as a man he was simplicity itself. 

 There was no subtilty about him, no complexity of nature requiring 

 unravelment, no organic incongruity inviting analysis. He was almost 

 boyish in his directness and transparency, almost womanly in his 

 tenderness ; but a true, strong man in all that does become a man. 

 He had a photosphere of charm around him, made up of emanations 

 of intellect and kindly courtesy. Impulsive he was, if you will, but 

 without impulse learning is apt to be pedantic, and science frigid 

 and repellant. In a sordid age, he was untainted by wealth-worship, 

 and amidst many temptations he never turned his talents to mer- 

 cantile account. It was his chivalrous devotion to truth and justice 

 that made him combative, and it was the simplicity of his tastes and 

 the frugality of his life that enabled him to indulge his lavish gene- 

 rosity. A little incident that has come to my knowledge illustrates 

 his benevolence. Many years ago a servant of this Institution had 

 the misfortune to lose his little daughter by scarlet fever. He had 

 only recently joined the staff and thought he was scarcely known to- 

 Professor Tyndall, but he immediately received from him a letter 

 full of consoling sympathy and enclosing a five-pound note. 



Perhaps one touch of humour might have saved Tyndall from 

 some extravagances into which he ran, but it might also have made 

 him tamer and less picturesque than he was ; and we are content to 

 take him as he came to us, with all his human frailties, with all 

 his divine gifts. Of him it cannot be said, to use his own words, that 

 he was as " a streak of morning " vanishing " into the infinite azure 

 of the past," for he has become a bright particular star in the firma- 

 ment of genius, shining through the darkness as long as the world 

 shall last. The clods of Haslemere may claim his ashes, but his 

 memory is the heritage of all mankind. 



The Chairman moved — "That the members of the Eoyal Institution 

 of Great Britain, in special general meeting assembled, hereby record 

 their deep regret at the death of Dr. John Tyndall, D.C.L. LL.D. 

 F.E.S., who was for forty years connected with the Institution as 

 Lecturer, Professor and Honorary Professor of Natural Philosophy • 

 and who, by his brilliant abilities and laborious researches, nobly 



