PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 25 



interest to us at our meetings. I am sincere, and sure 

 that I am but expressing your own feelings, in saying that 

 his loss will be severely felt by this Society, and that the 

 absence of his striking figure and kindly genial personality 

 will make a distinct blank at our meetings. 



The late Mr. John Young was a very old member of the 

 Society, and was at one time Mayor of Sydney. His public 

 work lay in other directions than attending our meetings, 

 but nevertheless he continued always a member, and there 

 is plenty of opportunity for service to us by mere member- 

 ship. It is an example which I would that more would 

 follow. Do they not also serve who only stand and wait ? 



Sir Michael Foster, m.d., k.c.b., f.r.s. Born in 1836, he 

 entered the medical profession and practised for six years, 

 but in 1867 he was appointed Demonstrator of Practical 

 Physiology at University College, London. In 1870 he 

 went to Cambridge, where he became Professor of Physi- 

 ology in 1883. It is to his efforts that is mainly due the 

 establishment of the now important Medical School of 

 Cambridge University. He was elected to the Royal 

 Society of London in 1872, and for 21 years was Secretary 

 of the Society. He w T as President of the British Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science in 1888. He is most 

 widely known as the original author of Poster's Text Book 

 of Physiology, which " reads like a novel," as I have heard 

 it expressed. He was an Honorary member of our Society 

 and of some of us here he was a valued personal friend, 

 whom we shall greatly miss if we once again visit the old 

 country. 



Improvements and Additions to the Society's House.— 



It has fallen to my lot to be President at a time of 

 building activity by the Society. This seems to be my 

 constant fate — University, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, 

 Board of Health, Industrial Blind Institution — everywhere 



