The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-05-30
The Father Of
Physiological Teaching
BY DIR. w. II. GAsKELI.

AS one of the few men who formed
Sir Michael Fosters earliest class in
the University of Cambridge, may
add to your obituary notice of the
31st ult. my personal "reminiscences
of the rise OF the biological school at
Cambridge? When Foster came, Sir
George Murray Humphrey was pro-
fessor of anatomy and physiology.
and no practical instruction was
given in the latter subject. The ex-
perimental method had not yet been
introduced into the teaching OF biol
ogy, and physiology was regarded as
branch of medicine. not as part of
the great science of biology. Trinity
College was far-sighted and liberal
enough to recognize the need of the
young and growing subject and de-
termined to endow a praelectorship
in physiology, knowing that the uni
versity was not prepared to found
new professorship. Huxley was APP
preached on the subject, and without
hesitation recommended his young
friend Foster.
The university allowed the use of
small room--now part of the philo-
sophical library-and there Foster
fave his first course of lectures.
From that time till 1888, when he
was made professor of physiology, he
. remained private individual as far
as the university was concerned, hav-
ing no vote in the Senate, no direct
influence on any university board.
Yet, owing to his personality and his
enthusiasm for the advancement of
knowledge, helped by the steadfast
aid and support of Trinity College,
especially by Coutts Trotter, Henry
Sidgwick, j. W. Clark. and later by
+. NJ Balfour, he erected, in despite
of steady opposition in the university,
veritable revolution. No student
who fell under his spell ever desired
to leave him, and so, having gathered
round him band Of enthusiastic pu-
pills, he began to select from them
teachers of various branches of biol
ogy, recognizing always that physiol-
ogy was part of a great scientific sub
iect and not merely branch of medi-
cine. In this way he founded a
school of animal morphology under
Balfour, of physiological botany un-
der Vines and F. Darwin, of expert
mental histology under Langley, and
Of physiological chemistry under Lea.
In his lectures, both on physiology
and on elementary biology, Foster,
acting upon the precepts which he
had himself received from his teach
ers, Profs. Huxley and Sharpey, had
always impressed upon his students
the Importance of the experimental
method In teaching as we'll as in re-
search. These young and enthusias-
tic teachers, imbued with his ideas
and following his methods, soon pro-
dueed a most remarkable effect, and
the university, to it's astonishment,
woke up one day to find that, without
any effort of its own, 1t possessed a
school of biology second in reputa-
tion to no other in the British EN-
pire.
From England Fosters teaching
and methods spread to America, es-
pecially through the energy of his
pupil. Newall Martin, and there to
this day he is looked upon as the
father of modern physiological teach
ing. On the Continent his influence
has been very great, and of late years
in Germany, where the teaching of
physiology used to be confined to
lectures. Fosters methods have been
followed, and practical work In the
laboratory, as part of the teaching
curriculum, is becoming the rule, not
the exception.
1t is impossible to overestimate
what he has done for the teaching OF
physiology. To all of those who
loved him his place can never be
filled.