OBITUARY. 
SIR W. H. FLOWER, K.C.B. (1831-1899). 
Ir is with sincere regret that we have to record the death of Sir William 
Henry Flower, which took place at his residence in Stanhope Gardens, on the 
afternoon of Saturday, July 1, after a protracted period of failing health. It 
was owing to this ill-health that he resigned, in August last, the Directorship of 
the Natural History Branch of the British Museum ; and although a residence 
during the past winter in the Riviera led to a temporary improvement, on his 
return to Stanhope Gardens in May it was but too evident that no permanent 
benefit had taken place in his condition, and that the end could not be far 
distant. After a short rally, a serious relapse occurred on the Thursday pre- 
ceding his demise, which resulted in a fatal attack of pneumonia. 
Sir William was the second son of the late Edward Fordham Flower, of 
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, by his wife, Celina, daughter of the late 
John Greaves, of Radford, Warwickshire, and was born on November 30, 
1831, at his father’s residence, The Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon. The latter part 
of his education was conducted at University College, London, where he went 
through the ordinary course of medical study, eventually qualifying as a surgeon. 
We believe we are right in saying that the career of an army-surgeon was not 
his original intention, but that the need of additional surgeons for the army 
induced him to volunteer at the outbreak of the war for service in the Crimea. 
At any rate, he was at that time attached, in the capacity of assistant-surgeon, 
to the 65rd regiment, with which he served throughout the long campaign, 
recelving at its close the Crimean medal, with the Alma, Inkerman, 
Balaclava, and Sebastopol clasps, and also the Turkish medal. With the close 
of the war his services as an army-surgeon also came to an end; and after his 
return to England he was appointed in 1859 Assistant-Surgeon and 
Demonstrator in Anatomy at the Middlesex Hospital. Mr. Flower (as he 
then was) did not, however, long retain this post, which he vacated in 
1861 to take up the more congenial duties of Conservator of the Museum 
of the Royal College of Surgeons, a position which he occupied till his trans- 
ference to the British Museum in 1884. In the meantime (1870) he was, 
however, chosen to succeed Owen as Hunterian Professor of Comparative 
Anatomy and Physiology to the College—a post which he likewise held till the 
severance of his official connection with the College. The resignation in 
1884 of Sir Richard Owen caused the Directorship of the Natural History 
Branch of the British Museum to become vacant; and to this important 
position Professor Flower was shortly afterwards appointed. During his 
tenure of the Directorship, he was successively gazetted C.B. in 1887, and 
K.C.B. in 1892. In the ordinary course of events, Sir William’s connection 
with the Museum would have terminated on his attaining the age of sixty-five 
in 1896. But, on the earnest recommendation of the Trustees, the Treasury 
was induced to waive the age-disqualification in his case ; and it was during this 
unexpired period of extension of service that Sir William was compelled by ill- 
health to tender his resignation. 
In addition to the distinctions conferred by his Sovereign, Sir William 
Flower was the recipient of numerous other honours from academic and 
scientific bodies. In 1864, he was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal 
Society, from whom, in company with Lord Rayleigh, he received the award of 
a Royal medal in 1882. He served on the Council of the same Society for 
three separate periods, namely 1868-1870, 1876-1878, and 1884-1886 ; and from 
1884 to 1885 filled the office of a vice-president. He was a Fellow of the 
Royal College of Surgeons of London. The degrees of D.C.L. and LL.D. were 
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