1915-16.] Obituary Notices. 351 
in him a certain jealousy of the Extra-mural Medical School, so that in 
matters involving the interests of the University and the Extra-mural 
School Turner became a strong University partisan. 
He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh 
in 1861, and was elected President of the College in October 1882, but 
served only one year instead of following the usual course of seeking 
re-election for a second year. The movement for obtaining the patronage 
of the Royal Colleges for the Extra-mural School had begun, and with his 
views of the rights and privileges of the University Turner found the 
position difficult. 
He served as Dean of the Medical Faculty in the University for some 
years. In November 1889 he was one of the four Assessors elected by the 
Senatus to the reconstituted University Court, and sat continuously in 
the Court for twenty-six years as Assessor or as Principal. His power of 
clear and cogent statement, intense loyalty to the University, cautious 
wisdom and experience, gained the confidence and respect of the members 
of the Court, and it is not too much to say that at the end he was regarded 
by his colleagues with the warmest affection as well as with the reverence 
due to his age and office. 
In 1873 Turner was sent to the General Medical Council as representative 
of the Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and held the joint seat 
until 1883, when he was replaced by Sir John Struthers and was out of 
the Council for three years. He was then returned as representative of 
the University of Edinburgh under the Medical Act of 1886, and held 
office until his resignation in 1905. On the death of Sir Richard Quain 
in 1898 Turner became President, and retained the position until he 
resigned it in November 1904. By the special request of Sir Donald 
MacAlister, his successor in the chair, he remained as an ordinary Member 
of Council for another year. Many important decisions were taken on his 
initiative, and many of the reports were drafted by his hand. Undoubtedly 
he greatly influenced his colleagues by his force of character and clear 
contributions to the discussions, although he approached educational 
questions from the Scottish point of view, in which he believed. 
When he became President the finances of the Council were unsatis- 
factory, and criticism of the Council and its officers was severe, and prob- 
ably some of it was deserved. Reforms had to be carried through in the 
face of opposition, and Sir Donald MacAlister gives the credit for success 
to Sir William’s manifest fairness and firmness, his grasp of executive 
detail, and his power of evoking loyal support, and says that his tact, good 
feeling, and surety of judgment never failed. 
