The President's Address. By L. S. Beale, F.B.S. 207 



way of making out the structure of an orpjanism, or its tissues, is to 

 examine it alive or immediately after its death by immersion in the 

 simplest fluids, such as water, salt and water, serum, vitreous 

 humour, and the like, shows that his training has been imperfect, 

 and proves thereby that he has not tried experiments in investiga- 

 tion and is not acquainted with many things he ought to have 

 learnt, and is probably ignorant of many structures and arrange- 

 ments which exist and have been seen by others, and are all-essen- 

 tial ; while it follows that his ideas concerning many of the 

 phenomena which occur during the development and growth will 

 be more or less narrow, cramped, and incorrect. There is some 

 danger of such a person convincing himself that he is able to dis- 

 cern things far beyond the limit of microscopic investigation, 

 because he happens to be totally ignorant of so many things within 

 the microscopic limit, which are well known, but which would, 

 however, be found to be altogether out of accord with his discern- 

 ments beyond it. Infallibility seems to be an endowment of 

 authorities who insist that they are able to discern what other 

 mortals cannot see ; but in fifty or more years common folk are to 

 enjoy the privileges now restricted to these seers of science. While 

 asseverating much about fact and law, observation and experiment, 

 demonstration and truth, scientific speculators carry the public from 

 fiction to fiction. Some teachers of this class underrate the value 

 of technical skill, and have no taste for the slow, sure steps of 

 repeated observation. 



We may see a scientific authority, eminently successful in one 

 department, bursting the bounds of science, and lapsing, by an 

 easy and f gradual process of descent, into the condition of an over- 

 confident boasting pretender. There is no branch of human know- 

 ledge in which facts of observation establishing important principles 

 have been so lightly thrust aside, or the results of patient work so 

 ruthlessly discarded, as in some departments of microscopic inquiry. 

 There would be less danger of such conduct being successful if there 

 were more to defend our methods, and a greater number qualified 

 to test statements which are made, by the repetition and confirma- 

 tion of the facts and observations impugned. We have amongst us 

 men eminently skilled in every department of microscopical inquiry, 

 and well qualified to instruct others in practical investigation and 

 to detect errors or confirm facts of observation. Continually joining 

 us are men who desire to follow in our footsteps, and to outstrip us 

 as soon as possible. In order to expedite this much-desired end, it 

 seems to me we should do what we can to help them on the 

 road, wide enough for all, along which so many have journeyed 

 towards a goal that may be approached, though perhaps never to be 

 reached. 



