Ann Arbor Scientific Association. 27 



October 30, 1875. 



A special meeting of the Association was held at 7^4 

 o'clock, according to previous notice, and was called to order by 

 the President, Dr. Cocker. 



The minutes of the previous meeting were read and ap- 

 proved. 



Bills of R. A. Beal, for printing, amounting to $3.75, were 

 received and referred to the Board of Censors. 



Prof. Harrington offered the following amendments to the 

 By-laws, which were required to lie over one month, under the 

 rule. (For these amendments, see By-Laws.) 



It was moved and supported that a committee )f three, con- 

 sisting of the Board of Censors, be appointed to provide for a 

 course of popular lectures before the Association, with full power 

 to act in the selection of speakers and subjects. Carried. 



Dr. Cocker read a paper on the " Nature of Life," written 

 by Dr. Lionel S. Beale, F. R. S., of London. (See Appenciix 

 E.) The paper was very interesting. 



In the discussion which followed, Prof. A. B. Prescott said 

 that he had difficulty in obtaining a clear and consistent concep- 

 tion of the position of Dr. Beale, and of some other biologists, 

 upon one point discussed in the very able paper of this evening. 

 This point was as to the kind of force which produces and preserves 

 the matter of living tissues, simply as matter, irrespective of 

 structure or of life. Thus, in a piece of living nerve tissue. 

 there are certain kinds of matter, made up of the elements car- 

 bon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Certainly these elements 

 are united by some sort of force or action ; and this is a trans- 

 forming force or action (/. e., it fills the chief definition of 

 chemism) ; otherwise the matter would be only a mixture of dust 

 and gases. The composition of these elements, to form certain 

 kinds of matter is one thing ; the organization of this matter 



