Anatomy and Medicim. 387 



the conclusion of the paper, Sir Charles Bell made some observa- 

 tions on the impai'tial spirit in which such inquiries ought to be 

 conducted, and on the importance of their being prosecuted, under 

 the guidance of a minute knowledge of anatomy, and complimented 

 the authors of the memoir on the evidence it bore of these two 

 qualifications. 



Dr Alison read a notice of some experiments by Dr J. Reid, illus- 

 trating the connection of the irritability of muscles with the nervous 

 system, with observations by himself. The result of these experi- 

 ments was (in confirmation of the doctrine of Haller and of Wil- 

 son Philip, and in opposition to that lately propounded by Mr J. 

 W. Earle), that the irritability of muscles, after it has been exhaust- 

 ed, or at least greatly diminished by galvanic irritation, may be re- 

 stored by rest ; although all their nerves be divided, and they be 

 rendered incapable either of sensation or of voluntary motion. 

 Some remarks having been made by Dr Allen Thomson on the 

 sources of fallacy to which he conceived experiments of the kind 

 detailed are exposed, it was resolved to appoint the following gen- 

 tlemen a Committee, to witness the repetition of these experiments 

 by Dr Reid, viz. Dr Bright, Mr Clift, Dr A. Thomson, Dr Hodgkin 

 and Dr Alison. 



Dr Alison stated that he had a communication to lay before the 

 Section, on the vital powers of arteries leading to inflamed parts ; 

 but that he was desirous, as Mr Dick had at present some horses 

 which would afford an opportunity of shewing the phenomena, to 

 which he wished to call the attention of the meeting, that a com- 

 mittee should be appointed to witness these phenomena previously 

 to the reading of the communication. A committee was accord- 

 ingly proposed and appointed, consisting of Mr Broughton, Mr 

 Bracey Clark, Mr Dick, Dr Fletcher, Mr Clift and Dr Alison. 



The meeting then adjourned till Wednesday the 10th, at eleven 

 o'clock. 



Skotion F.— Statistics. 

 CAatrmaTi-^Sir Charles Lemon, Bart. 

 Deputy-Chairmen — Col. Sykes. Benj. Heywood, Esq. 

 Secretaries — Dr Cleland. C. Hope Maclean, Eisq. 

 Cwnmittee. — Howard Elphin^tone, Esq. Rev. E. Stanley. J. 

 is. Drinkwater, Esq. Rev. W. WTiewell. The Earl Fitswilliam. 

 Sir John Sinclair, Bart. Sir Thomas Acland, Bart. John Ken- 

 nedy, Esq. Captain Churchill. R. I. Murchison, Esq. John 



