The death of Chris Collins on Monday 19 October deprived the Society of one of its staunchest supporters, and society in general of a worthy and influential citizen. Chris, as we all knew him, became an internationally acclaimed expert on the mycobacteria, especially those concerned with tuberculosis, and on the prevention of laboratory acquired infections. He had a most successful career though the route he followed had some unusual features.

Christopher Herbert Collins was born in Luton in 1919 and was educated from the age of 11 at a county Grammar School of which, according to his own biographical notes, he had a low opinion. Fortunately he received much valuable instruction in art, music and literature from his aunt. He did well in school examinations but despite obvious academic ability did not attend university; this will seem strange to those who grew up after the Second World War, but not to earlier generations. Few went to university in the 1930s unless they had access to family money or scholarship funding. Chris, lacking both, sought employment and obtained a position as trainee sanitary inspector, and also acted as part-time laboratory assistant to the Medical Officer of Health of the Borough of Luton.

In 1939 he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and had the good fortune to be posted to the RAF Institute of Pathology which enabled him to increase his knowledge of bacteriological practice and so further his career while serving. Indeed, the Service flew him to London to take the intermediate examination of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology (IMLT). It was during his service in Iceland that he sustained a crushed foot in an air accident; this caused him considerable trouble in later life.

The TB laboratory at County Hall was among the first to be equipped with microbiological safety cabinets and, with characteristic enthusiasm, Collins embarked on a study of such cabinets and laboratory safety in general. He became known in this field through several publications and this led to collaboration with the safety officer of the Microbiological Research Establishment at Porton Down and appointment to the Special Programme on Safety in Microbiology of the World Health Organization.

On his official retirement in 1985 he was awarded membership, soon followed by Fellowship, of the Royal College of Pathologists, an honour rarely given to those who are not medically qualified. Chris received an MBE in 1972 and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science in 1986. He was also appointed a Research Fellow at King's College Hospital and a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the National Heart and Lung Institute, now part of Imperial College School of Medicine. He was made an honorary member of the European Biosafety Association (EBSA) in 2002 for his outstanding contribution to biosafety. At the age of 80 he enrolled at the University of Kent at Canterbury to read for an MA which was awarded in 2003 for a thesis entitled 'Cholera and the sanitary revolution of 19th century England'.

In addition to his practical contribution to medical microbiology, notably in the fields of mycobacteria and laboratory safety, for which he produced some 50 scientific papers, he distinguished himself as an author of many books and monographs. Three of his books have been published in more than one edition. The first of these, Microbiological Methods (1964), written in collaboration with his second wife, Patricia M. Lyne, herself a long-serving member of the then Society for Applied Bacteriology, is now in its eighth edition. Laboratory acquired infections appeared in 1983 (4th edition 1999) and Organization and practice in Tuberculosis bacteriology in 1985; a second edition (1997) of the last mentioned was re-named as Tuberculosis bacteriology - organization and practice. At the time of his death he had just finished a new book, provisionally entitled Filth and fevers, an account of the revolution in public health practice in the 19th century.

Chris joined the then Society for Applied Bacteriology (SAB) in 1963 and served it well by making use of his considerable editorial skills as a co-editor of the Journal and as a member of the Editorial Board over many years. He was made an Honorary Member of the SAB in 1994. He was also an organiser of the 25th Society Symposium on Mycobacterial Disease — Old Problems, New Solutions in 1996 and co-editor of its Proceedings, published as a Supplement to the Journal (Vol. 81). As a companion, Chris was a delight to be with. He was a great raconteur and a source of numerous anecdotes, many of them highly entertaining. He spoke in glowing terms of the many distinguished microbiologists he had encountered in his long professional career and gratefully acknowledged the help and support that he had received from them. In turn he generously helped and encouraged many fledgling microbiologists. He had a great and abiding respect for genuine leaders, including Sir Graham Wilson and Sir James Howie who were Directors of the Public Health Laboratory Service, but little time for administrators who hide their incompetence behind a veil of self-importance and status. In conversation, Chris revealed himself as a man of wide interests, with a keen but kindly appreciation of the deeds and misdeeds of his fellow humans, and a strong sense of humour which was never far beneath the surface. He was enthralled by the characters in the TV programme 'The Magic Roundabout' (a preference not unknown among senior academics!) and by the antics of those comic strip adventurers, Asterix and Obelix. In a slightly more serious mood he would draw the listener's attention to the subtle differences of character that distinguish one single malt from another. I always enjoyed talking to Chris - somehow he made one feel better. I cannot think of a better epitaph than that.

In 1942 Chris married his cousin Elizabeth and they had two sons. Elizabeth died in 1966 and he married Patricia Lyne two years later: there was one son by this second marriage. Chris died on the day following his 90th birthday.

Fred Skinner

An Honorary member and until recently, a Custodian Trustee of the Society, Muriel Rhodes-Roberts died of Cancer in her 83rd year. Born and educated in Lincolnshire, Muriel spent the war years in a milk testing laboratory, an experience that probably kindled her interest in microbiology. After the war she read Botany with some microbiology, at the then University College of Nottingham. She subsequently fulfilled a long held ambition to study for the Diploma in General Bacteriology at the University of Reading. On completing the course she was appointed to the post of Junior Lecturer becoming one of the founding members of the first independent Microbiology Department in the UK. Depsite the work involved in assisting with the organisation and teaching of a novel degree course, Muriel put much effort into a research programme concerned with the then little understood and unwieldy genus Pseudomonas. This led to the award of a Ph.D. In 1959 Muriel spent a very happy time as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Ontario, Canada. She returned briefly to Reading before taking up a Lectureship at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. There she remained as lecturer then Senior Lecturer for almost 30years. Although Muriel remained active in research right up to her retirement, she will be best remembered for her dedication to the teaching of microbiology. Her wise counsel and warm personality endeared her to staff and students alike. She was valued member of the Microbiology in Schools Advisory Committee (MISAC) for 19 years, 13 of which (1985-1998) as the official SfAM delegate. She also served as Vice-Chairman and Treasurer. Although heavily committed to teaching and research, Muriel contributed in many ways to the work of the Society viz she was a local organiser for a summer conference and demonstration meeting as well as joint organiser of a SAB/FEMS meeting. After her retirement in 1990, Muriel spent a few months at Multan, Pakistan where she taught a foundation course in microbiology. Thereafter she remained in Aberystwyth where, in addition to maintaining an active correspondence with colleagues and ex-students in many parts of the world, she participated enthusiastically in the life of the town, especially her local church and the town museum. She will be sadly missed by many especially her nieces and their children to whom she was a devoted aunt.
R.G.Board
Dorothy Jones