Anatomy and Medicine. 4S7 



ble length into the consideration and description of these. Dr 

 Uodgkin's memoir was illustrated by wax models and drawings of 

 beautiful execution. 



Dr Yelloly made some remarks on the importance of distinguish- 

 ing in morbid investigations between the redness produced by sim- 

 ple vascularity and that which results from inflammation, and illus- 

 trated the subject by a drawing of a portion of the spinal cord of 

 a person who met a violent death, when in the enjoyment of per- 

 fect health. 



Dr Allen Thomson made some remarks on the development of 

 the human fcetus, and exhibited a preparation of a very small hu- 

 man embryo, which was contained in an ovum about a month'old ; 

 but which, from its structure, appeared to have been blighted at the 

 twelfth or fourteenth day. The structure of this foetus was illus- 

 trated by a reference to specimens of the fcetus of the cat, sheep, 

 and birds, at early periods, the object of Dr Thomson's remarks be- 

 ing to shew that the human embryo, in the early stages of develop- 

 ment, passes through changes similar to those ascertained to take 

 place in other vertebrated animals. 



Sir Charles Bell continued his discourse on the principles which 

 should guide physiologists in investigating the functions of the ner- 

 vous system, referring particularly to the necessity of a knowledge 

 of the minute anatomy of the brain, to the ascertainment of the 

 functions of its several parts. 



Professor Syme made some remarks on the operation of remov- 

 ing portions of the joints, and combated the objections urged against 

 this operation, as insufficient for the removal of the whole of the 

 diseased parts, and as leaving the patients in possession of a limb 

 rather cimibersome than serviceable. Professor Syme exhibited to 

 the Section several patients on whom the excision of the elbow and 

 shoulder-joint had been performed some time previously, in order 

 to prove that neither of the objections adduced was valid. 



Setcion F. — Statistics.^ 



The Statistical Section met at 1 1 o'clock. Col. Sykes, V. P. in 

 the chair. 



Mr Drinkwater gave an account of the origin and present state 

 of the Statistical Society of London. He stated that this society, 

 which wjis only founded in March last, already contained nearly 

 450 members, and that it was actively employed in encouraging 



