The following was the address of the Laryngological Society of London:—
Dear and Revered Master,—Amongst the many friends assembled to-day to lay a tribute of gratitude and admiration at your feet, and a greater number far away who are celebrating to-day's unique event in spirit, there can be none whose congratulations are more sincere or more cordial than those of the members of the Laryngological Society of London. We yield to none in our gratitude for your precious invention, the Laryngoscope, which will keep your memory green through all ages. We, with the rest of mankind, admire in you the distinguished physiologist, the great musician, the teacher of so many celebrated singers: and we, amongst whom you have dwelt for so many years, have in addition had the great privilege of seeing you, our oldest honorary member, with us on many occasions, and have learned to appreciate in you the true friend, the courteous gentleman, the charming speaker. You have been permitted to retain all your brilliant faculties to patriarchal age, and to-day to celebrate your 100th birthday in undiminished vigour of mind and body. That this happy state may continue for many years to come, and that we may often have the pleasure and privilege of seeing the venerable father of laryngoscope amongst us, is the sincere wish of your devoted friends, the members of the Laryngological Society of London.
CHARTERS J. SYMONDS (President).
PHILIP R. W. DE SANTI (Secretary).
Sir F. Semon said there was a large number of telegrams of congratulation, and that in the midst of the great strife which was going on between two great nations, neither of them had forgotten a great benefactor. In addition to the congratulations from St Petersburg and Warsaw, already announced, telegrams had been received from the Moscow Laryngological Society and from the Medical Society of Japan.
Several of the foreign societies, including the Netherlands and the Vienna societies, announced that they had conferred their honorary membership upon Señor Garcia.
The programme was brought to a conclusion by the presentation to Señor Garcia of his portrait, painted by Mr Sargent, R.A., and subscribed for by international contributions of the friends and admirers of the centenarian. The members of the Garcia Centenary Celebration Committee came forward to make the presentation. They were Sir F. Semon (chairman); Mr E. Furniss Potter, M.D., and Mr P. de Santi, F.R.C.S. (hon. secretaries); Mr E. Cresswell Baber, M.D., Mr J. Barry Ball, M.D., Mr J. S. Ballin, Mr A. Bowlby, F.R.C.S., Mr H. T. Butlin, F.R.C.S., Mr H. J. Davis, M.B., Mr J. Donelan, M.B., Mr J. Walker Downie, M.B., Mr F. de Havilland Hall, M.D., Mr W. Hill, M.D., Mr Percy Kidd, M.D., Mr L. A. Lawrence, F.R.C.S., Mr P. M'Bride, M.D., Mr W. Milligan, M.D., Mr L. H. Pegler, M.D., Mr W. Permewan, M.D., Mr H. B. Robinson, F.R.C.S., Mr C. J. Symonds, F.R.C.S., Mr St Clair Thomson, M.D., and Mr F. Willcocks, M.D. Mr W. R. H. Stewart, F.R.C.S. (Ed.), the hon. treasurer, was prevented by illness from attending.
Sir F. Semon made the presentation, and announced that the album containing the names of the subscribers would be handed to Señor Garcia subsequently. About twenty laryngological societies and about 800 persons had united to offer that testimonial.
The portrait was then unveiled amid loud cheers, which were renewed when the aged maestro rose to return thanks. His voice trembled with emotion, for he had been deeply touched by all this loyal recognition and affection. His opening words were addressed to the Spanish Chargé d'Affaires.
"Sir, will you tell my king for me how deeply grateful I am to him for thus remembering that in this country, which has sheltered me so long, he has a loyal and a loving subject? Will you express, what I am not able to say in fitting words, my overwhelming sense of this great honour, and convey to him my reverent—if a subject may be so bold—my loving thanks. You, sir [addressing Professor Fränkel], will undertake of your great courtesy to make known to his Majesty the German Emperor my deep sense of the honour he has conferred on a stranger, and you will ask him to accept my grateful thanks. You, sir [Sir A. Geikie], who represent the illustrious English society that first gave me a hearing [the Royal Society]; you [Professor Stirling], by whom the learning of England's second capital [the Manchester University] sends me greeting." At this point Señor Garcia handed the MS. of his reply to Sir Felix Semon, requesting him to finish reading it. "You who have come from distant Königsberg to recall the grateful memory of those who gave the unknown man a place among them. You, who represent the world-renowned Academy of Sciences of Berlin, among the members of which are some I count dear friends. And you, dear sir, who bring me the greeting of a city of youth whose very name seems to set joy-bells ringing; you, sir, from Heidelberg, how shall I thank you all, if your goodwill should fail to interpret my poor faltering words? But that goodwill is my most trusty staff. You, doctors, laryngologists, dear friends, to whom the little instrument to which such kind allusion has been made owes all its power for good. You, representatives of the great music schools of London, in one of which I passed so many years, working happily beside brother musicians, and to the other of which I have so often come to mark with pride our own great art of music prospering beyond belief under the care of a beloved chief and genial staff. You, too, my pupils, among whom it rejoices me so keenly to welcome faces missed for many years and found again to-day, while others have been with me, near and dear. To you all, thanks, from an old heart that did not know what youth it still possessed till it expanded to embrace you all. This portrait, from the hand of this great master, which grew in happy hours too few for me since they passed so rapidly in his companionship, shall be my pride and joy in the days to come."
When Sir Felix hesitated at this point because he saw that he was coming to a passage about himself, Señor Garcia at once cried, "Yes, yes! read that!" Then, as the Chairman of the Committee looked somewhat embarrassed, the centenarian said with great vivacity, "Well, give it to me; I will read it." With these words he took over the paper once again and read the concluding words of the speech.