XXVI 



the late Edwin Quekett, lecturer on botany at the London Hos- 

 pital, at which institution he pursued his medical studies. After 

 passing the usual examinations, he, in June 1840, obtained by com- 

 petition the appointment of Student of Human and Comparative 

 Anatomy in the Museum of the College of Surgeons, and at the ex- 

 piration of the term of his appointment became Assistant-Conser- 

 vator. While holding these appointments, Mr. Quekett was en- 

 abled freely to follow his strong inclination for microscopical re- 

 search, which had very decidedly shown itself in early youth ; 

 and after having formed a most elaborate and valuable collection of 

 specimens of the tissues of plants and animals, including numerous 

 fine injections of the vessels, in preparing which he was remarkably 

 skilful and successful, he was in 1844 appointed by the Council of 

 the College to deliver annually a Course of Demonstrations, with a 

 view to the exhibition and connected description of the collection, 

 and the explanation of the method and resources of microscopical 

 study. This collection, numbering 2500 preparations, was purchased 

 by the College. On the retirement of Professor Owen in 1856, 

 Mr. Quekett was appointed Conservator of the Hunterian Museum, 

 and also Professor of Histology, which appointments he held till 

 his death, which took place at Pangbourne, in Berkshire, on the 20th 

 of August, 1861, at the early age of forty-six. 



Mr. Quekett was the author of an elaborate treatise ' On the Use 

 of the Microscope,' published in 1848, and speedily again in a second 

 edition. He also prepared the ' Descriptive and Illustrated Cata- 

 logue of the Histological Series contained in the Museum of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons of England,' the first volume of which appeared 

 in 1850, and the second in 1855. In 1852 he published a volume 

 of ' Lectures on Histology/ which was followed by a second in 1854. 

 Besides these separate works, Mr. Quekett contributed numerous 

 papers to the ' Transactions of the Microscopical Society,' of which 

 he was one of the founders, and, after labouring zealously in its 

 service for nineteen years as Honorary Secretary, was elected Presi- 

 dent in 1860, He was a fellow of the Linnean Society, and was 

 elected into the Royal Society in 1860. 



Although best known for his microscopical pursuits, Professor 

 Quekett had devoted himself very successfully to the observation of 

 facts throughout the whole field of natural history. In original 



