ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING.* 

 David Howard, Esq., D.L., in the Chair. 



The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. 



The following lecture, entitled "Water Essential to all Life," was 

 delivered by Professor Lionel S. Beale, F.R.C.P., F.E.S. :— 



WATER ESSENTIAL TO ALL LIFE. 

 By Professor Lionel S. Beale, F.R.C.P., F.R.S. 



Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, — Tlie first thing 

 I must ask to be allowed to do is to return my best thanks 

 for the honour which the Council have recently conferred on 

 me by electing me one of the Vice-Presidents of the Victoria 

 Institute. I have always felt much interested in the work 

 of the Listitute, and have been anxious to help in every way 

 within my power the important objects for which the Victoria 

 Institute, or Philosophical Society of Great Britain, was 

 founded in 1867, and which now includes nearly one 

 thousand members and associates who support its principles 

 and are interested in its work. 



The subject to which I venture to draw attention this 

 afternoon is one of very great interest ; and perhaps I may 

 begin by affirming a proposition which I daresay everyone 

 here will accept: "that water is absolutely necessary to all 

 life." 



As far as I can make out, there is no living thing from 

 which water can be entirely removed. There are many 

 organisms that live in dry lands and that are protected in 

 various ways from being injured by wet ; but I do not think 



* Monday, February 3rd, 1902. 



