> from the Society. 



14 



"The Annals of Natural History" ... by purchase. 



" The American Naturalist" ... ...in exchange. 



" Proceedings of the Belgian Microscopi- 

 cal Society" 



Ten slides ... ... ... ... „ Mr. F. Coles. 



Photographs of Physalis ... ... ,, Dr. Habirshaw. 



The President said that in addition to the foregoing list, a special gift had 

 been made to the club, which they could not possibly include in the usual 

 vote of thanks to the donors. Mr. Cronch had presented to them a magni- 

 ficent binocular microscope stand, which was placed upon the table before 

 them. Without further enlarging upon its merits, or upon Mr. Crouch's 

 liberality, he would ask them to pass a special vote of thanks for this very 

 valuable present. They would observe that in the box containing the 

 instrument Mr. Crouch had wisely left a number of vacancies for the 

 reception of objectives and various apparatus, and he threw this out as a 

 hint to members that any future donations would be acceptable. 



A vote of thanks to the donors and a special vote of thanks to Mr. Crouch 

 for his valuable gift were unanimously passed. 



Mr. Chas. Stewart then delivered an address to the members " On the 

 Histology of the Human Skin." As regained the physical properties of 

 the skin and its general appearance, it might be described as that structure 

 with which the whole surface of the body was invested ; it was flexible, 

 tough, strong, and elastic ; these properties rendered it eminently fitted 

 for the protection of the more delicate structures within ; and being on the 

 surface of the body it likewise had to be sensitive to the touch and to 

 alterations of temperature. It also afforded means by which various waste 

 products were poured out, which, if retained, would be highly injurious to 

 the system. It was not alike all over the body, but might be divided into 

 the common skin which covered most of the surface, and which was more 

 or less covered with hair, and the palma and planta skins of the hands and 

 the feet on which no hair grew. Taking that portion of the skin which 

 formed the chief covering of the body, it was found to be divided into two 

 layers — the Epidermis or scarf skin and the deeper layer known as the 

 Dermis or true skin. The Epidermis was composed almost entirely of 

 minute cells, which had upon their surface a vast number of small spine- 

 like processes. Formerly it was held that these spines were of use for 

 interlocking with those of other cells, but more recently they had been 

 taught that this was not the case, biit that they were opposed to one 

 another ; for his own part, however, he inclined to the belief that the inter- 

 locking was the rule and the opposition the exception. The cells were 

 built up in layers — the outer one being the horny layer and the inner being 

 a living layer known as the " rete-mucosum." Between the two there was a 

 special transitional layer known as " Schon's " layer, and besides this it was 

 exceedingly probable that certain processes of the dermic cells also 

 penetrated amongst the cells of the Epidermis, which also received 

 the delicate nerve fibrilloe that passed into it from the Dermis. 

 Beneath the Epidermis came the Dermis or true skin, and the exceeding 



