32 PKOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



the microscopist, and the flame though small was sufficient, with the 

 help of the bull's-eye condenser, for the illumination of most opaque 

 objects. The price with stand was, for the paraffin lamp, 10s. ; for 

 the spirit lamp, a modification suited to benzoline, 7s. 6d. The thanks 

 of the meeting were presented to Mr. Richards for exhibiting this 

 lamp. 



The Secretary announced that a communication had been received 

 from Dr. Anthony, of Birmingham, relating to the " Markings of the 

 Battledore Scales of the Lepidoptera ;" and also from the Chevalier 

 Huyttens de Cerbecq in reference to the minute structure of the scales 

 of insects, and especially bearing upon Mr. Mclntire's observations 

 upon this question. The Chevalier's note was accompanied by a pre- 

 sent of slides of selected scales. 



Mr. J. Beck suggested that when papers were "taken as read" 

 through press of time, an opportunity should be afforded the Fellows 

 of discussing at the following meeting any points of interest that might 

 be found in such papers. 



Dr. Beale then read a paper " On the Nerves of the Capillary Ves- 

 sels and their Probable Action in Health and Disease." 



The President proposed, and the meeting unanimously accorded, 

 a vote of thanks to Dr. Beale for the paper which he had read. 



Dr. Berkart said he perfectly agi-eed with Professor Beale on his 

 throwing some doubt on the supposed influence of the nervous system 

 on nutrition. There was a tendency at present to refer almost all 

 pathological changes primarily to the nervous system, without there 

 being sufficient anatomical facts to prove the assumption. There was, 

 for instance, a class of diseases called Tropho-neuroses. The substance 

 of the muscular tissue was entirely disregarded, and the atrophy ob- 

 served in the muscles traced to disease of the nerves. Now he had 

 lately seen a case of atrophy of the right pectoral muscles in a sailor 

 who had been in the habit of pressing the rudder always against the 

 right side of his chest. After death he (Dr. B.) could not find any 

 trace of disease in any part of the nervous system, though the whole 

 muscular tissue was replaced by connective tissue. It was therefore, 

 and especially in this case, more natural to suppose, that the pressure 

 that primarily acted on the muscle itself (the myoline) had destroyed 

 it, without the active intervention of the Trophic nerve. Though in 

 very many cases of nutritive changes the direct influence of the 

 nervous system could not be made out, there were, however, many 

 physiological experiments which forcibly showed the influence of the 

 nerves on secretion. He would remind the Fellows of the experi- 

 ments of Claude Bernard, Ludwig, Eckard, and Adrian on the salivary 

 glands. The difierence in quantity and quality of the saliva obtained 

 in the various experiments could not well be exj)lained, without allow- 

 ing the nervous system some share in the cause of it. 



Dr. Murie said Dr. Beale had very clearly divided the contents of 

 his paper into two headings ; under the first head treating of facts, 

 under the second of theories. With regard to facts. Dr. Beale 's name 

 was a sufficient guarantee that what he said might be taken on 

 trust. As respects his theories, more liberty of judgment might be 



