Adam Sedgwick. 



xxvn 



of Professor of Zoology in the Imperial College of Science and Technology. 

 He was succeeded in the Camhridge Chair by one of his ablest pupils, 

 Stanley Gardiner. Once established in London, he threw himself with the 

 utmost zeal into the organisation of the Department of Zoology. He 

 established series of lectures in those branches of zoology which had the 

 most direct bearing on the economic applications of the science. In this 

 way more students were attracted to the department than had ever been 

 in it before, and when Sedgwick died a flourishing sub-department of 

 Entomology, with an able professor at its head, had been brought into 

 existence. The initial task of organisation necessarily involved a considerable 

 expenditure, but Sedgwick's efforts were bearing fruit when sad signs became 

 evident of the failure of his health. 



Already, in 1 904, he had had some attacks of pulmonary disease, but these, 

 it was thought, had been, completely overcome. There was left, however,, 

 some pulmonary weakness, and before accepting the professorship in London, 

 Sedgwick consulted his medical adviser and was assured that he had no 

 disease and was quite competent physically to undertake the duties of the 

 new post. Until the spring of 1911 his health seemed indeed to be improved, 

 and his friends were delighted by his vigour and spirits. In 1911, however, 

 whilst travelling on business in the North of England, he contracted a 

 severe attack of influenza, and from that date until his death his pulmonary 

 troubles increased ; he lost flesh, and his health visibly failed. At the end of 

 1912, yielding to the urgent advice of his physician and his friends, he 

 obtained leave of absence from his teaching duties and went abroad to 

 winter in the Canaries. The change seemed at first to afford some relief, 

 but a relapse supervened, and, despairing of any improvement in his 

 health, he returned to London, and died in his residence at South Kensington 

 on February 27, 1913, thirty-six hours after his return. 



Besides a widow he left three children, two sons and a daughter. The elder 

 son has already entered on an academic career and is a Foundation Scholar 

 in Trinity, his father's college. 



In reviewing Sedgwick's contributions to science, his eager and ardent 

 nature must be constantly borne in mind. He was for ever seeking new points 

 of view and was apt to be somewhat impatient of those who clung to older 

 views. Hence he was wont to state his ideas in somewhat strong language, 

 which roused opposition and delayed recognition of the side of the truth 

 which he was seeking to emphasize. But as old controversies pass into- 

 oblivion the essential truth of many of Sedgwick's ideas comes more and 

 more into prominence. His early work was concerned with the structure and 

 development of the vertebrate kidney, especially the kidney of the higher 

 vertebrates. In this he was following up and completing the researches of 

 his teacher Balfour. Sedgwick's views were not accepted by Continental 

 zoologists and the great authority of Gegenbaur caused them to be regarded 

 as unsound, but a few years ago their truth was completely vindicated by 

 the masterly researches of Schreiner. It was the same with his work on the- 



