54 
years there was a great deal of it, and in others very little; and 
raised some questions as to how the disease had originated lately. 
Mr. Perry, as one interested in ships, pointed out that timber 
kept in contact with salt water never got the dry rot. 
The Presmwent thought that although salt might be very well 
applied to a ship to prevent the dry rot, it would not do in a house, 
as it would gather the moisture from the atmosphere, and the 
boards would generally be wet. 
A member stated that wherever there was a confined atmosphere 
and a certain amount of damp, dry rot would be likely to be pro- 
duced. He then thought it would more properly be called damp, or 
stagnant rot. As the practical remedy, he suggested ventilation 
from corner to corner, which would be sufficient to remove it. 
Dr. Carpenter briefly replied to the observations which had 
been made upon his lecture. He considered that the potato 
disease might be propagated by local circumstances—i.e., local with 
regard to a district—such as thunderstorms, and that thus one range 
of hills would sometimes be affected, because the proper electric 
state was present, while on another there would be no trace of 
disease. Ags showing the importance of paying attention to the 
subject of dry rot, he mentioned that during the Crimean War, our 
ships in the Black Sea suffered immensely from it, and there was a 
great destruction of timber. He also showed that in various other 
ways dry rot was a most destructive agent, and that it was desirable, 
both from sanitary and economic considerations, to study its causes 
and prevent its action. 
A cordial vote of thanks having been given to Dr. Carpenter for 
his highly instructive and admirable lecture, the proceedings of the 
evening were brought to a close. 
The following members put their microscopes at the service of 
Dr. Carpenter :—The President, Messrs. H. Ashby, J. Berney, P. 
Crowley, J. 8. Johnson, H. Long, K. McKean, G. Manners, G. 
Perry, J. G. Price, EK. B. Sturge, A. D. Taylor, and H. T. 
Whitling. 
November 26th, 1873.—Soirée at the Public Hall. 
The Soirée, held on Wednesday evening under the auspices of 
this Club, was even more successful than those which have preceded 
it. Not only was the number of visitors larger, but the objects 
exhibited were on a more extensive scale than hitherto; and the 
acquisition of the small hall and other rooms prevented the incon- 
venience to visitors which must have been experienced had they 
been restricted to the use of the large hall. 
