340 Obituary Notices of Fellmvs 



special laboratory researches should be undertaken by the department, 

 for the elucidation of obscure setiological questions and for bringing 

 the data so obtained to bear on sanitary administration. In both of 

 these directions the sanitary administration of the country had, in 

 1871, attained a high degree of efficiency. The thorough supervision 

 of local sanitary authorities had been rendered possible by the appoint- 

 ment of a staff of highly qualified medical inspectors, and, in conse- 

 quence, the action of the central authority had become more and more 

 influential, so that, although its functions were for the most part only 

 advisory, its advice was promptly and punctually complied with. 



Whether the circumstances which induced Mr. Simon to withdraw 

 from the public service were sufficient to justify that act, may well be 

 questioned; but it can scarcely be doubted that much advantage 

 would have accrued to this country if free scope had been given to the 

 principles and methods which he inculcated. 



In the preceding paragraphs I have referred exclusively to the 

 years which led up to Simon's withdrawal from active life. As regards 

 the next twenty-eight years, it will be sufficient to indicate his principal 

 occupations, and notice one or two events of his life. The same year 

 in which he resigned his official position, he was appointed "Crown 

 Member " of the General Medical Council ; and a few years later 

 (1881) served on the Royal Commission on the Constitution of the 

 Medical Profession. In 1878 he was elected President of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons, and about the same time presided over the 

 Pathological Society. In 1881, in co-operation with his friend 

 Mr. Kingdon, afterwards Master of the Grocers' Company, Simon 

 advised the Company as to the best way of employing an annual grant 

 for the advancement of sanitary science. The plan recommended was 

 the establishment of research scholarships, with reference to which he 

 advised that the conditions of candidature should be unrestricted by 

 any conditions excepting age, and that each candidate should be 

 required to set forth the scope of the investigation proposed by him, 

 and to submit evidence of his qualifications for the work. It was 

 further recommended that on this evidence a selection should be made 

 by a committee of the Company, with the advice of scientific 

 " Assessors." This scheme was carried out by the Company on the 

 lines of the above proposals. At first some difficulty was experienced 

 in finding candidates of adequate scientific attainments, but as time 

 went on, and the opportunities for training in the scientific methods 

 required became more accessible, this difficulty vanished. For many 

 years the Grocers' scholarships have enabled some of the best of our 

 young pathologists to devote themselves to researches of practical 

 value in preventive medicine. 



