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were so perfect that they would bear examination with a 1 50th inch. 

 He regretted much that many assertions had been made as to the 

 uselessness of these high power injections, and he was quite prepared 

 to produce specimens and to meet anyone— Mr. Huxley if he pleased — in 

 order to put the matter to the test. Mr. Huxley should then make a drawing 

 of the specimen under a l-12th inch objective, and he would himself make one 

 under a much higher power ; he would then ask Mr. Huxley to do the same, 

 and they would then see whether very much more had not been made out under 

 the higher power than with the lower one. It appeared to him to be a most 

 unwarranted statement to say that everything there was to be seen in these 

 preparations could be made out with one of Eoss's l-12th inch objectives ; and 

 he thought it a great pity that Mr. Huxley would not come forward and rjut 

 the matter to the test. In proposing such a trial as he had mentioned, he 

 must make it a proviso, that the specimen to- be examined had not been seen 

 before, but that each observer must then see it for the first time ; for it was 

 well known that after a person had conned a structure over under a l-50th in., 

 he could see muc i more in it with a l-12th inch than he could have been able 

 to do before. He could not himself see at present any limit to the usefulness 

 of magnifying powers, every improvement in which must, he believed, give an 

 increase in results, carrying us on in the way from point to point. Dr. Beale 

 then called attention to a number of coloured diagrams, which were exhibited 

 in the room, to illustrate some of the results obtained by injections, and, in some 

 instances, also the failure of the process from the too great siee of the particles 

 of colouring matter employed for the purpose. Another point with regard to 

 the use of injecting fluids was that a number of other processes may be carried 

 out by means of them- He had been in the habit of demonstrating in this way 

 the existence cf masses of living matter, and it had been shown that an alkaline 

 solution containing a colouring matter — such as an alkaline solution of carmine 

 — had the power of colouring the bioplasm ; it passed through the walls of the 

 vessels, and coloured all the germinal parts, but did not colour the other parts, 

 the striking point being this— that the living matter was coloured, bnt the non- 

 living matter was not coloured. A person who attempted these injections must 

 make up his mind to fail a number of times; he would at length, however, 

 begin to obtain some amount of success after a few trials, and then, stimulated 

 and encouraged by this, he might go on, until by-and-bye he would no doubt 

 obtain some very excellent results. Before proceeding to give the members a 

 practical illustration of the process, he would say a few words with regard to 

 the preparation of specimens to be injected. Very much of the chance of 

 success depended upon the way in which the animal was killed, and upon the 

 time at which the injection was made. It was generally performed some time 

 after the rigor mortis had passed off, because until it has done so the passage of 

 the injecting fluid would be stopped in consequence of the strong contraction of 

 the muscles ; but if a person waited until it had passed off (which it did in 12 

 to 24 hours after death), the most delicate portions of structure would already 

 be decomposed, for decomposition, especially in the summer months, takes 

 place very shortly after death. If, however, the animal was killed suddenly, 

 by shock, and was immediately operated on whilst all the muscles were in a 

 state of relax, the tissues could be most perfectly injected, just in the condition 

 in -which they had existed at the moment of life. Dr. Beale then proceeded to 

 demonstrate the process which he had described, by injecting the body of a 

 white rat, which, during the delivery of his remarks, had been killed, and pre- 



