ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OP SCIENCE. 



47 



"It is only ten years since the section acquired a 

 definite and assured place in the organization of 

 the association. The history of the gradual rec- 

 ognition of anthropology as'a distinct subject by 

 this association is an epitome of the history of 

 its gradual growth. One of the great difficul- 

 ties with regard to making anthropology a special 

 subject of study is the multifarious nature of 

 the knowledge comprehended under the title. 

 One of the most potent means of registering 

 facts and making them available for future 

 study and reference is to be found in actual col- 

 lections of tangible objects. These branches are 

 two : 1, collections illustrating the physical struc- 

 ture of man and its variations in the different 

 races ; 2, collections showing his characteristic 

 customs and methods of living, his arts, arms, 

 and costumes as developed under different cir- 

 cumstances, and also modified by different racial 

 conditions. The anthropological museums are 

 all of recent growth, and they are making prog- 

 ress everywhere. More modern even than mu- 

 seums has been the introduction of any sys- 

 tematic teaching of anthropology, and still no 

 professorship of this branch exists in the British 

 Isles." The condition of the teaching at various 

 institutions was described in detail, and the plea 

 made for increased instruction. The develop- 

 ment of anthropometry, as the study of the 

 modifications of the human body dependent 

 upon sex and age, upon race, and upon individ- 

 ual variability is called, was next taken up. Its . 

 application as an aid in administering justice by 

 methods perfected by Bertillon in France is a 

 striking illustration of the practical utility of 

 anthropometry. The identification of prisoners 

 was discussed, and mention made of the finger- 

 mark system. The Tichborne case hung upon 

 an issue that might have been settled in two 

 minutes if Roger Tichborne, before starting on 

 his voyage, had but taken the trouble to imprint 

 his thumb upon apiece of blackened paper. An 

 anthropometric laboratory has been carried on 

 since 1888 in the -South Kensington Museum, 

 and an important work now in hand is the or- 

 ganization of a complete ethnographical survey 

 of the United Kingdom based upon scientific 

 principles. The application of the nose as a ra- 

 cial test was referred to, and the work among 

 certain tribes in India along this line was alluded 

 to. Other researches in anthropology were de- 

 scribed, especially that now in progress in the 

 United States. 



The following papers were presented before 

 the section : 



" Distribution of Mythical Beliefs as Evidence in 

 the History of Culture," by E. B. Tylor; "On the 

 Plateau Flint Implements of North Kent,'; by Rupert 

 Jones, which was read and discussed in a joint session 

 with the section on geology ; " Complexioual Differ- 

 ences between Natives of Ireland with Indigenous 

 and Exotic Surnames respectively," by John Beddoe ; 

 "A New System of Hieroglyphics and a Pre-Phoeni- 

 cian Script from Crete arid the Peloponnese," by Ar- 

 thur J. Evans ; " Pygmies in Europe," by J. 'Koll- 

 mann; "The Troglodytes of the Bruniquel, a Grotto 

 of Iron Works on the Borders of A veyron " and " The 

 End of the Stone Age on the Borders* of the Mediter- 

 ranean Basin," by Emile Cartaihac; "The Present 

 State of Prehistoric Studies in Belgium," by Goblet 

 d'Alviella; "Ancient Bone Skates,"" by Robert Mun- 

 roe; "The Explorations of British Camps and a 

 Long Barrow near Rushmore," by Gen. Pitt-Rivers ; 



"On Three Neolithic Settlements in Kent," by 

 Mrs. II. Stopes; "On the Native Tribes of Africa 

 between Zambezi and Uganda," by Lionel Docle; 

 "On the Lex Barbarorum of the Daghestan," by 

 Max Kovalevsky ; " On Snails and Mussels in the 

 Housekeeping of the Indoneses," by J. D. C. 

 Schmeltz ; " On the Ancient Religion of t iii," by Basil 

 H. Thomson ; ""On Ceremonies observed by the Kan- 

 dyans in Paddy Cultivation," by B. P. Kehlpannala ; 

 " Natives of the Iladramaut in South Arabia," by The- 

 odore Bent; "Distribution of the Picts in Britain, as 

 indicated by Place Names," by J. Gray " Brain of 

 a Young Fuegian," by L. Manouvrier ; " Classification 

 System of Relationship," by Lorimer Fison ; " On 

 the Tobas of South America," by G. Graham .Kerr; 

 " On the Native Buildings at Chichen Itsa, Yucatan," 

 bv Alfred P. Maudsley ; Notes on Some of the Na- 

 tives of British New* Guinea," by H. Bellyse Bail- 

 don ; and " On the Philosophy of Holes," by Miss A. 

 W. Buckland. Also reports from various committees 

 were presented as follow : " On the Anthropological 

 Laboratory"; "On the Ethnographical Survey"; 

 "Anthropometry in Schools"; "On the Lake Vil- 

 lage at Gastonbury ; and "On the Northwestern 

 Tribes of Canada." 



I. Physiology. This section, in common with 

 medicine, had been one of the earliest in the 

 association, but from 1847 till the present time 

 it had lapsed. It was presided over by Prof. Ed- 

 ward A. Schaefer, who discussed certain phases 

 of the science in his address. At the outset he 

 spoke of it historically, contrasting its condition 

 in England with various countries in Continental 

 Europe. Concerning the revival of physiology, 

 he ascribed it as due in each country to the in- 

 fluence of one teacher. In England that teacher 

 was William Sharpey. Michael Foster was his 

 pupil. The physiological investigations of Bur- 

 don Sanderson were assisted and encouraged by 

 him. From Sharpey, therefore, we may trace 

 the rise of the great school of physiology in 

 Cambridge, and we have only to look at the mag- 

 nificent laboratory which has been erected here 

 to observe a monument of the influence of the 

 same teacher. Passing to the antivivisection 

 movement, he spoke of it as having to a certain 

 extent hampered the full development of the 

 science. In lieu of accomplishing its purpose, 

 its effects had been almost the opposite, and its 

 attacks led (1) to the establishment of the Physi- 

 ological Society; (2) to the passing of the so- 

 called Cruelty to Animals act ; (3) the establish- 

 ment of the Association for the Advancement of 

 Medicine by Research ; and (4) the re-establish- 

 ment of the section of physiology in the British 

 Association. Certain obscure subjects in the 

 range of physiology which are creating a great 

 interest at the present moment were, then dis- 

 cussed. Protoplasm and nucleus form the liv- 

 ing substance of the cell. Recently it has been 

 observed that in certain specialized animal cells 

 the protoplasm showed a tendency to radiate 

 from or converge to a particular point, and on 

 further investigation it was found that at this 

 point there was a minute particle. This has 

 been shown to be an organ of the cell having a 

 definite existence of its own. It is, notwith- 

 standing its minute size, concerned in directing 

 the general growth of the individual, and ulti- 

 mately the propagation of the species. The 

 ductless glands came in for consideration, and 

 more especially the thyroid gland, a small, red- 

 dish organ, weighing about 2 ounces, found at 

 the front of the throat, which, when diseased, 



