president's address. 29 



all strictly scientific purposes " ; and as regards the last sentence, 

 I consider that the teleological determination there referred to is 

 incapable of incorporation in the working hypotheses of experi- 

 mental science, except to that extent to which it can be translated 

 into terms appropriate to the connections and relations of a 

 material system. 



But, after all, the points of agreement far outweigh the points of 

 difference in the two stand-points compared. For both alike, the 

 interpretation of the phenomena of life as in their essential 

 character merely mechanical is based upon the untenable "meta- 

 physical assumption that the universe, interpreted as it is in the 

 physical sciences as a universe of matter and energy, corresponds 

 to absolute reality, and is for that reason incapable of any further 

 interpretation." 



The full significance of Nature is not to be apprehended by the 

 externalising operation of purely scientific interpretation, be the 

 scope of its investigations never so extended. Not even a com- 

 plete "astronomical knowledge" of the molecular dance of 

 elementary physical particles could absolve us from the necessity 

 of finding the ultimate explanation of all phenomena in terms of 

 that single spiritual principle which alone makes knowledge 

 possible, and for which alone even material bodies either live or 

 move or have any being at all. 



" Ihr folctEt falscher >Sfur ; 



Denkt xicht, wir scherzen ! 

 1st nicht der Kern der Natctr 



Menschen im Herzen ?" 



On the motion of Mr. A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., a very cordial 

 vote of thanks was accorded to the President for his interesting 

 Address. 



The Hon. Treasurer, Mr. P. N. Trebeck, presented the balance 

 sheet, duly certified by the Auditors. The Society's total income 

 for the financial year ending December 31st, on both General 

 and Bacteriological Accounts was £2,296 10s. 2d. ; the total 



