XX 



Heidelberg."* ..." Our friendship has remained unclouded to 

 the last." 



Bonders took, from time to time, a very conspicuous part in the 

 assemblies and congresses of Science. Here he shone as a star of the 

 first lustre. By universal consent he was a most admirable President, 

 particularly where men of many nationalities were met together ; for 

 his wide and accurate knowledge and accomplishments, his tact, the 

 grandeur of his simple earnestness, and his magnificent personal 

 bearing acted as a spell on all. If the occasion seemed to demand it 

 he would give an address, sentence by sentence, in two or more 

 languages, with perfect mastery. He presided over the fourth Inter- 

 national Congress of Ophthalmologists in London, 1872, and again, 

 for the last time, over the seventh meeting of the same at Heidelberg, 

 in 1888 ; over the sixth International Medical Congress, at Amster- 

 dam, 1879 ; and he was Vice- President, as well as Royal Medallist, of 

 the seventh International Medical Congress in London, 1-881. In his 

 own country, from 1865 onwards, he annually presided over the 

 Physical Section of the Royal Academy of Sciences, and (alternately 

 with the President of the Literary Section), was President in plena. 



Bat in 1883 he expressed the wish to withdraw from some of the 

 more arduous of his many engagements. He was soon, alas ! to cease 

 from the service of the University for which he had done so much- 

 By the law of the Netherlands a Professor must retire at seventy. 

 He was approaching that age, apparently in full vigour, though 

 indications of gouty congestions had more than once occasioned some 

 disquietude to his friends. His Jubilee was celebrated at Utrecht, 

 on the 27th and 28th May, 1888, amid the universal applause of his 

 countrymen and of men of science everywhere. He was decorated 

 by the King, and in his honour a commemorative medal was struck. 

 Forty of his former pupils communicated each an original scientific 

 paper to a memorial Festival volume, published by a committee. f The 

 Royal Society of London, which had elected him a Foreign Member 

 in 1866, asked three of its Fellows, Sir Joseph Lister, Mr. Jonathan 

 Hutchinson, and Dr. Hughlings Jackson, to convey to him its con- 

 gratulations ; our Physiological and Ophthalmological Societies also 

 sent deputations. Indeed, hardly one civilised country but was in 

 some way represented. A large sum had been subscribed, and was 

 placed at his disposal. He assigned it to the establishment of 

 Travelling Fellowships in Physiology and Ophthalmology, to be 

 attached to the Universities of the Netherlands, with Utrecht as 

 a centre; not without a glance, perchance, at an early incident 

 in his own fortunate career. That career he now passed in review 



* Viz., to von Helmholtz himself, 9th August, 1886. Vide ' Festsitzung der 

 Ophthalm. Gesellschaft, &c.,' Rostock, 1886. 



t ' Feestbundel Donders-Jubiteum, &c.,' pp. 546, Plates xvii. 



