184 the president's address. 



torially that Mr. Lowne is absolutely and clearly wrong ; and I 

 wish to put it upon record that I have a very strong objection — 

 derived from the habit of a life and a considerable experience in 

 criticism — I have a very strong objection to the assumption by 

 anyone of the tone, " I am Sir Oracle, and when I ope my mouth 

 let no dog bark." As I have said before, I do not wish in any way 

 — in the least degree — to detract from the valuable work which 

 Professor Ray Lankester has done, or from the very great respect 

 in which I hold any opinion of his in this matter, or any other 

 matter of the kind ; but I do not think that any worker who is 

 really honestly endeavouring to add to our knowledge of a very 

 difficult subject should be, if I may so speak, " snubbed" in the 

 way Mr. Lowne has been snubbed. 



I do not think, gentlemen, that I have anything special to add 

 with regard to the proceedings of this year. I believe they have 

 been quite up to the average of good work, and I have every 

 reason to believe that, under my successor, that average is likely 

 to be increased, and raised rather than lowered. 



I may just mention one or two directions in which scientific 

 inquiry, I think, may very well be prosecuted by those who have 

 the opportunity for it. One is a subject in which I take myself a 

 very great interest — the question whether the bacteria (a proper 

 knowledge of which is becoming of increased importance in every- 

 day life) whether the bacteria have permanent specific forms, and 

 not only specific forms, but distinctive potencies, which some 

 naturalists, very careful observers, are disposed to attribute to 

 them, or whether they are capable of being modified by culture or 

 by natural influences so as to change their potency — to diminish or 

 increase it, or altogether alter their characters. Now, I have 

 always been one, as many of you may be aware, who has taken the 

 view of the very wide range of species, especially among the lower 

 types of animal and vegetable life. I was led to this very early, 

 and I expressed it five-and-forty years ago ; and everything I have 

 seen and known since has increased my conviction that we must 

 always make great allowances for external influences, and the 

 greater allowance in proportion, so to speak, as the vital force is 

 less — that is to say, as there is less power in the germ itself to 

 withstand the influences of external conditions. Since we have 

 come to connect this kind of bacteria growth with the production 

 of diseases, a great number of things have come to be explained, 



