lxx1 
SIR MICHAEL FOSTER, 1836—1907. 
Born at Huntingdon, March 8, 1836, eldest son of Michael Foster, F.R.CS., 
of that town, he was educated at Huntingdon Grammar School until he was 
thirteen years of age, when he proceeded to University College School, in 
1849. 
Here, under the tuition of Dr. Key, the head master, he distinguished 
himself in classics, and in 1854 took his B.A. degree at the London University, 
on the Arts side, taking the first place and the University scholarship in 
classics. So great was his bent towards classics, and so highly did Dr. Key 
think of his abilities, that he would have undoubtedly tried for a classical 
scholarship at Cambridge, had the fellowships been at that time open to 
Nonconformists ; but the Foster family is distinguished among Non-con- 
formists in East Anglia. To this early classical training, and to his great 
friendship with Huxley, that master of lucid scientific writing, is undoubtedly 
due the wonderfully clear and fascinating style of all his writings. 
At University College School he took great interest in cricket, and during 
his time there was captain of the eleven. His love of the game remained 
throughout his life. During his residence at “The Granhams,”’ when his 
students were few in number, he inaugurated an annual cricket match 
beween the staff of the laboratory and the students, in which he always took 
part. This annual match was played on a field belonging to him, and was a 
great success; subsequently, when the class became too large and the physio- 
logical laboratory was but one of many others, this match became replaced 
by one between the teachers in the various laboratories and the assistants. 
Foster was captain of one side, and played in the match regularly up 
to 1895. } 
Cambridge and a classical career being closed to him, it was determined 
that he should follow his father’s footsteps and enter the medical profession. 
Accordingly, in 1854, he entered the medical side of University College, 
- London, and the practice of the hospital. 
In 1856, he obtained gold medals in anatomy and physiology and in 
chemistry, and took his M.B. degree at London University in 1858 
proceeding to the M.D. degree in the following year. 
In the year 1859-1860 he went to Paris to continue his medical studies, 
and returned to England in 1860. At this time, signs of pulmonary disease 
appeared, and he therefore obtained an appointment as surgeon on the 
S.S. “ Union,” which went to the Red Sea to build a lighthouse on the 
Asaruf Rock, opposite Mount Sinai. 
Throughout his life, or at all events through the earlier part of his career 
at Cambridge, the dread of consumption haunted him, and from the time of 
his first arrival, he made up his mind that he could not live in Cambridge 
itself, but that as far as possible he must live an open air life. For this 
VOL, LXXX.—B, a 
