146 . 



The President gave an account of the cysticercus or immature 

 tape-worm, found in the muscles and hrain of a man. In the 

 usual course of production, the hind joints containing the eggs of the 

 tape-worm are voided in human excrement, and thence get into the 

 stomach of the pig; the eggs are hatchi d in this animal, and the 

 minute globular embryos burrow into the blood-vessels and muscles, 

 as is familiarly seen in " measly pork ; " this eaten, by man, introduces 

 what is in him developed into a tape-worm, which produces eggs, and 

 these go through the same circle of growth. It is not easy to 

 account for the development of the cysticercus in the tissues of the 

 human body. The eggs have been supposed to be introduced upon 

 vegetables from land manured with night-soil, as is common in the 

 neighborhood of cities, or to be transferred from some other animal, or 

 from man, where cannibalism is practised. 



Dr. White mentioned that in long-continued vomiting, where the 

 peristaltic action of the intestines has become reversed, the eggs of 

 the tape-worm have entered the stomach, and the embryos have been 

 set free to buiTOw into the blood-vessels. 



The President made the following commnnication ; — 

 I have great pleasure in stating that, since our last meeting. Dr. 

 William J. Walker has presented, and, by the necessary legal pro- 

 cess, has conveyed to this Society the Estate recently occupied by 

 him in this city. The property has been placed in the hands of 

 trustees to be devoted, under wise and liberal conditions, in such a 

 manner as they may deem most expedient for the promotion of our 

 best interests and of the study of Natural History. This is the 

 largest gift which we have received from any individual. Under any 

 circumstances it would be munificent, now it is both munificent and 

 timely. It is all the more gratifying inasmuch as it was wholly un- 

 solicited. It naturally follows, from the emotions which this benefi- 

 cence calls forth, that we should rejoice at being the recipients of 

 such a gift, and, in accepting it, should express our gratitude and 

 sense of deep obligation. But we must not rest here, there are other 

 considerations to which we must allow a place at this time. 



Standing before the community, identified with the study of natural 

 history and the diffusion of a knowledge of it, we have been liberally 

 endowed in this and other ways. I believe that with our very in- 

 adequate means, we have done much to ju&tify our benefactors and 

 the public in their encouragement of us. But every benefaction has 

 imposed and every new one will impose additional and more exacting 

 obligations. Societies are frequently charged, and it is to be feared 

 too often justly, as less faithful to their trusts than individuals. We 

 must have care that such a charge may not apply to us. In accept- 

 ing the gift now offered us, we bind ourselves, though tacitly yet 



