1896.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 43 



these masters of the photo-micrographic art could only 

 be productive of good, and our own country has been the 

 gainer thereby, for Dr. Mercer is most generous in freely 

 giving. To Dr. Maddox, the discoverer of the present dry 

 plate process in photography, he is indebted for a share 

 of the suggestive, helpful and generous correspondence 

 with which that Nestor of photomicrography has, for 

 many years, favored his fellow workers on both sides of 

 the Atlantic — with its warmth of friendship and stimulus 

 to progressive work. 



On returning to Syracuse in 1880, Dr. Mercer became 

 instructor in histology and curator in the college of 

 medicine of the Syracuse University; in 1884 he became 

 lecturer in pathological histology and in 1886 he was 

 appointed professor of pathology. Several years later he 

 resigned this professorship, but in 1894 ac(-epted the 

 chair of "Clinical Pediatrics" which position he now 

 holds, together with that of treasurer of the college 

 and several appointments in the hospitals of Syracuse. 

 He was health officer in his native city for three years 

 (1883-1885) and edited the first three annual reports of 

 the local board of health. He has been active in the 

 practice of his profession and has prepared papers which 

 find an honored place in the medical literature of the 

 country. He has served in various positions of honor and 

 trust in medical societies thus showing that he possesses 

 the esteem and confidence of his professional brethren. 

 While he fills an honored place in the medical profession 

 and his main energy and work lie in that direction his 

 interests are very broad, and he has a keen appreciation 

 of the ultimate gain to medicine of the pursuit of pure 

 science, although the connection may seem remote to 

 those Avho cannot seethe invisible threads that bind all 

 truth into a harmonious whole. He has also a keen love 

 of nature for her own sake, and while studying for his 



