Physiology. 373 



Professor P. A. Munch of Christiania. — Ethnological ob- 

 servations suggested by the Philological Characteristics of 

 the remarkable Anglo-Saxon Runic Inscription at Ruthwell, 

 in Galloway. 



Dr R. G. Latham. — On the Distribution of the Germanic, 

 Lithuanic, and Slavonian Tribes, at the beginning of the His- 

 toric Period. 



Physiological Sub- Section. 



Professor Bennett read a communication " On the Molecu- 

 lar Element of Growth in Plants and Animals." He pointed 

 out that the generalisation of Swan was, that all living tex- 

 tures originated from cells. Since he wrote, numerous phy- 

 siologists, especially Henle, Barry, and Goudin, had direct- 

 ed attention to the influence of the nucleus. He (Dr B.) 

 conceived that there now existed many parts which indicated 

 that neither the cell nor nucleus was the primary element, 

 but rather the molecular from which each of these was 

 originally produced. 



" On some Facts in relation to Pathological Cell-Develop- 

 ment," by Dr W. T. Gairdner. 



" On the supposed Relation of the Spleen to the Develop- 

 ment of the Coloured Blood Corpuscle in the Adult," by Mr 

 Sanderson. 



" On a Physiological Mode of Investigating the Meta- 

 physical Difficulties in regard to the Origin of the Notions of 

 Space, of Motion, of the External, of Substances, &c., in con^ 

 nection with the Laws of Nervous Action," by Dr Seller. 



" On the influence which our Instinctive Propensities have 

 on our Intellectual and Active Powers, — that is, on Acting 

 in consequence of Thinking," by Dr Fowler. 



" On the Reproduction of Limbs after Amputation in the 

 Human Subject," illustrated with specimens, by Dr Simpson. 

 — Dr Simpson shewed that the power of reproducing and re- 

 pairing lost parts was greatest in the lowest classes of ani- 

 mals, and decreased as we ascended higher and higher in 

 the scale of animal life. He then pointed out that the human 

 embryo approached in this, as in other respects, the physio- 

 logical life and powers of the lower animals ; and, conse- 



