230 the president's address. 



intimate ally of Darwin and Huxley, is an " avowed spiritualist." 

 What an avowed spiritualist may be I know not, but under the 

 directions given to form " spirit circles " I find that " people who 

 do not like each other should not sit in the same circle, for such a 

 want of harmony tends to prevent manifestations, except with well 

 developed physical (!) mediums. It is not yet known why belief or 

 unbelief has no influence on the manifestations, but an acrid (!) 

 feeling against them is a weakening influence." " A prayerful, 

 earnest feeling among the members of the circle is likely to attract 

 a higher and more pleasing class of spirits," and there is much 

 more that I will not quote. Here indeed is a commentary upon 

 the materialistic tendencies of the age, humiliating and painful 

 enough. 



But I think, gentlemen, I have said enough to excite in your 

 minds a desire to examine into some of the curious doctrines be- 

 lieved in in these days. Many think, and I am among that num- 

 ber, that some of the views rest upon a most misty foundation, 

 which requires and deserves the most thorough scrutiny, and I 

 hope that you will not be deterred from submitting it to careful 

 microscopic observation, and report fully the state in which you 

 find its minute structure. 



If members of our Microscopical Clubs and Associations would 

 test the accuracy of the observations of original observers generally, 

 the ends of science would be promoted. Errors would be detected 

 and exposed, and truths confirmed. Observers would themselves 

 be more careful. But if this were done there would also soon be 

 an end of that miserable system which is now so damaging to 

 science — the expression of strong opinions against real honest work 

 on the part of those who are utterly unqualified to judge of its 

 merits. In these days prejudice is excited against certain depart- 

 ments of scientific work in an unfair, underhand manner, that 

 cannot always be met. Fundamental facts concerning structure 

 are denied, the truth of which could be proved by the examin- 

 ation of actually existing specimens. There are some who, 

 never tired of making a great to do about the facts of science, 

 really hate facts if these happen to tell in favour of a view opposed 

 to that to which they have committed themselves. Pretending to 

 venerate fact, they will really only tolerate conjecture. This un- 

 fortunate state of things, inimical to the true interests of science and 

 paralysing to progress, can only be corrected by the examination 



