122 COMPARATIVE ANATOMY vin 



smoothed, by his encouragement and support, by his candid 

 and judicious criticism, and by the example of his often self- 

 sacrificing devotion to the advancement of scientific truth. 



I also desire, in conclusion, Mr. President, to take this 

 opportunity of publicly expressing the obligations which I, as 

 well as numbers of others, feel towards you and your prede- 

 cessors in that chair, as well as to the former and present members 

 of the Council of the College, individually and collectively, for 

 the immense aid that you have given to the progress of philo- 

 sophical biology in this country, and I may say, in the whole 

 world, by the maintenance and augmentation of John Hunter's 

 Museum. An epoch of revolution appears to be at hand in 

 our profession, which may lead to a material alteration in the 

 respective positions and opportunities of the various corporate 

 bodies. Whatever changes may take place, the College of 

 Surgeons will always look back with satisfaction to the fact 

 that, for the first seventy years of the century, when these 

 studies were less appreciated than they are now, or will be 

 hereafter, it has, with scanty aid from the national resources, 

 cherished the growth of a truly national institution, the benefits 

 of which are not confined to any one class or profession, but 

 are freely open to the whole community. I can say, moreover, 

 with perfect assurance, speaking both from my own experience 

 and from knowledge of the history of the museum, as recorded 

 in its archives, that any deficiencies which exist in the condi- 

 tion of the collection, any needs which it does not supply, 

 must be due to other causes than want of encouragement to 

 the officers of the establishment, or want of liberality in 

 supplying the requisite funds, on the part of the Council of 

 the College. 



