The President's Address. Bij L. S. Bedle, F.R.S. 203 



Lecturer on Physiology and Pathological Anatomy in the Sheffield 

 School of Medicine. He was a physician, but at the same time was 

 much interested'in many departments of science. For some years 

 he was Health Officer of Sheffield, and was the author of several 

 works, among which are ' The History of Sanitary Science,' many 

 reports on ' The Sanitary Condition of Sheffield,' and ' On Healthy 

 Dwellings.' 



John Waterhouse, F.R.S., F.G.S., F.R.A.S., of HaHfax, York- 

 shire, elected in 1861, was remarkable for his love of scientific 

 work. He was a good observer, skilled in mathematics and physics, 

 besides being well versed in botany and other departments of 

 natural science. An excellent obituary notice of Mr. Waterhouse 

 will be found in the ' Proceedings of the Koyal Society,' No. 198, 

 November 20th, 1879, from which I copy the following extract: — 

 " His favourite studies were astronomy, geology, electricity, and 

 light. He took part in the early progress of photography, and in 

 the discovery by the Kev. J. B. Eeade, M.A., F.E.S. (a very active 

 Fellow and President of our Society in 1869), of the method of 

 taking portraits, first upon leather, and afterwards upon paper, 

 instead of silver plates or glass ; and also with the chemical means 

 of giving permanence to such images. He was an adept in working 

 with the Microscope, was extremely fond of music, and a good 

 player on the violoncello, while in practical applications few men 

 could handle their tools better than he, for in addition to his 

 scientific acquirements, he was a good mechanician, and many of 

 his turnings in ivory were almost Chinese in their beauty and 

 skilful execution." 



W. Whitaher Collins was elected a Fellow in 1861. The next 

 name on the list of deceased Fellows is that of Peter Matthews, 

 who was elected in 1867 ; and the last of those whose loss we have 

 to regret is — 



Edward Dowson, M.D., who was elected in 1868. Dr. Dowson 

 from the time when he came to London, in 1850, had been an 

 intimate friend of my own, in fact we were fellow-students together 

 in King's College. From boyhood he was much attached to scientific 

 pursuits, and particularly to various departments of Natural History. 

 As a student he devoted much of his time to Botany, took honours 

 in that subject at Apothecaries' Hall, and soon attained sufficient 

 eminence in botanical science to qualify himself as a teacher. For 

 some years Dr. Dowson lectured on this subject at Charing Cross 

 Hospital, but, owing to an attack of rheumatic fever, he was obliged 

 for a time to relinquish work, when his friend, Dr. 1 )raithwaite, 

 lectured lor him. For four years Dr. Dowson discharged the 

 duties of Physiological Instructor under Dr. Acland, at tliat time 

 Lee's Header of Anatomy in the Anatomical Museum of Christ- 

 church, Oxford, and at the t-ame time was engaged in preparing 



