573 



in any regular and formal manner, whatever is put forth under the 

 pretence of it being knowledge, is submitted to a competent tribunal, 

 whose decisions silently and imperceptibly pervade general society, 

 and go far towards exposing the shams and impostures of the day. 



But I feel that I am occupying too large a portion of the time 

 which belongs to this evening's meeting, and that I owe you my 

 apologies for doing so. Allow me, however, to make one more ob- 

 servation, which will, I feel sure, have the cordial assent of every 

 one who hears me ; namely, that it is desirable that the Royal Society 

 should persevere in the independent course which it has hitherto 

 pursued, relying on its own character and on the exertions of its 

 Fellows, seeking no adventitious aid, and satisfied with the conviction 

 that no one can labour in the acquirement of knowledge without, 

 sooner or later, rendering service to mankind. 



On the motion of Dr. Charles Holland, the thanks of the Society 

 were voted to the President for his Address, and he was requested 

 to allow the same to be printed in the * Proceedings.' 



The following communications were read : 



I. "Researches into the Nature of the Involuntary Muscular 

 Tissue of the Urinary Bladder." By GEORGE VINER ELLIS, 

 Esq., Professor of Anatomy in University College, London. 

 Communicated by Dr. SHARPEY, Sec. R.S. Received No- 

 vember 6, 1858. 



(Abstract.) 



In the present communication the author endeavours to show, 

 that the involuntary muscular tissue of the bladder and the voluntary 

 muscle in other parts of the human body have a like composition, 

 and that Prof. Kolliker's view, that involuntary or smooth muscle 

 is made up of fusiform cells, is incorrect. On the contrary, the 

 muscular substance of the bladder is composed of lengthened fibres 

 with fixed and tendinous terminal attachments. The fasciculi of 

 muscular fibres in the bladder are interwoven into a network, and 

 are marked at varying intervals by tendinous intersections, like those 

 of the Rectus abdominis on a small scale. 



The author terms what are usually called the 'nuclei' of the mus- 

 cular tissue ' corpuscles,' and distinguishes two varieties of them, 



