ORDINARY MEETING.* 
D. Howarp, Esq., D.L., F.C.S., IN THE CHAIR. 
The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 
VITALITY. Lecture by Professor LIonEL 8. BEALE, F'.R.C.P., 
F.R.S. Second Part. For Part I, see. Vol. XXXII 
page 337. 
Mr. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :—This subject of 
vitality is just now of the very greatest interest, not only to 
the scientific, but to everyone. The question of vitality is a 
very old problem. Many and very different views concerning 
it have been entertained, and it seems to me to be time that 
those conclusions, which are justified by science concerning 
the problem of vitality, should now be considered from the 
point of view of modern minute inquiry and microscopical 
investigation. This has not yet been carried out. The 
broad general question of the nature of life certainly has 
been discussed by the wisest for ages, but the bearing of the 
facts ascertained by recent investigation—the structure and 
the manner of growth of living things—have not been 
adequately considered and debated of late years by the light 
of our new knowledge. 
Vitality has an important bearing, not only upon funda- 
mental questions of minute anatomy, physiology, biology, 
botany, zoology, medicine, and surgery, but views concerning 
the real nature of life have always had considerable influence 
upon the religion and philosophy prevalent at the time. All 
scientific men who regard with interest our whole living 
world, in which man occupies the most important place, hope, 
sooner or later, to learn something more definite than has yet 
* Monday, March 6th, 1899. 
