374 
MA TORE 
[dugust 19, 1886 
The effect on the fossils which they contain is similar ; these are 
sometimes enlarged into the most grotesque forms, and hence 
Agassiz was misled in distributing the fossil fish of the older rocks 
into eighty distinct species, a considerable number of which were 
of the same species but deformed in various ways so as to appear 
different. 
Subsequently the members were present at the inauguration 
of a monument erected to the memory of Gosse, the founder of 
the Society. Much interest was attracted by the new geological 
map of the Republic exhibited in the hall. It has just been 
completed, and is the fruit of twenty-seven years of the labour 
of a number of geologists under the superintendence of M. 
Alphonse Favre, who has now the satisfaction of seeing the end 
of this great task, 
On the second day, in the Botanical Section, Prof. Miiller, of 
Geneva, spoke of his systematic researches into the lichens of the 
Graphide group, of which he is about to make a general revision ; 
Dr. Fischer, of Berne, described a new fungus (Hyfecrea) ; Dr. 
Nuesch, of Schaffhausen, read a paper on the origin of Bacteria ; 
and Prof. Schuetzler described a curious moss which grows at a 
depth of 200 feet in the sub-lacustrine moraine of Yvoire. It 
contains grains of chlorophyll perfectly formed, and is probably 
a variety of Zhamnium alopecurum. Prof. Magnus, of Berlin, 
recounted his observations on the fecundation amongst aquatic 
plants, and more especially species of the Mazas. M. Pittier 
spoke of the modifications being slowly made in the Vaudois 
flora, certain plants having disappeared wholly, while new ones 
have taken theirplaces. M. Casimir de Candolle described his 
investigations into the action’ of low temperatures in germination. 
In the Section of Zoology and Physiology Prof. Auguste Forel 
communicated a written memoir of the perception of violet by 
ants. He came to the conclusion that they perceived it with 
their eyes, and not through the skin. The so-called photoder- 
matic sense does not appear to exist in ants, or at least is of small 
importance compared with ocular vision. M. Goll read a paper 
recording his observations on the fauna of Lower Egypt, espe- 
cially of the fishes of Fayoum, There exists a well-marked dis- 
tinction between the fauna of the desert and that of the Nile, 
particularly in colour. 
development of the Scolex polymorphus, a kind of parasitic worm 
which he studied at the Naples Zoological Station. He thinks 
that Wagener’s classification of the Scolices is not a natural one. 
Prof. Blauce, of Lausanne, continues his studies of the fauna of 
the Lake of Geneva, and presented a memoir on anew Protozoa 
which he discovered in a.deep part of the lake, and which he 
names. Gromia brunn-vi. 
In the Geological Section Dr, Schmidt, of Freiburg in Brisgau, 
read a paper on the geological and mineralogical nature of the 
schists of the Grisons, which, it is now demonstrated, belong to the 
Jurassic. He spoke particularly of the mica which is one of 
their constituent elements. MM. de Fellenberg and Baltzer 
described the remains of great vegetable fossils found at Guttanen 
in the crystalline schists in the mass of Finsteraarhorn. M. 
Greppin exhibited a beautiful collection. of fossils, not yet deter- 
mined, of the oolite, found in the Jura in the neighbourhood of 
Basle. Prof. Renevier, of Lausanne, read a report on the ex- 
cursions made by the Swiss Geological Society in the Vaudoise 
higher Alps during the five days preceding the meeting. M. 
Schardt described the geological structure of the Dent du Midi. 
M. Steinmann gave an account of a journey extending over two 
years in the Cordilleras of South America, between Bolivia 
and Patagonia. He sketched rapidly the characteristics of 
this great chain. The fossil fauna and flora are almost identical 
with those of European formations. The Upper Trias, Rheetian, 
Lias, Jurassic, and Cretaceous are all represented. 
Of the pleasures as apart from the business of the meeting it 
is needless tospeak. The Genevese authorities and people gave 
the members a hearty reception, and the whole town was en él. 
Among the honorary members elected was Dr. J. H. Gladstone. 
THE BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AT 
BRIGHTON 
“THE annual meeting of the British Medical Association is 
anticipated not only as an occasion for the association and 
communion of medical men of all classes, but as an opportunity 
for, so to speak, taking stock of the progress of medical science 
and practice during the past year. From the choice of a locality 
Dr. Zschokke gaye some details on the | 
near the metropolis, the meeting this year has been very suc- 
cessful, both as to the numbers attending it and the character of — 
the papers read. From the tone of many of the addresses, ; 
indeed, it is easily perceived how intimately chemistry, physio- 
logy, biology, and even physics are becoming. associated with 
medicine, and how, as a result of this, the special medical 
departments of pharmacology and therapeutics, pathology 
and hygiene, are being modified by scientific methods of | 
Investigation. 
Fhe subject chosen by the President, Dr. Withers Moore, for 
his address, viz. the higher education of women, was one which, 
though of interest to all classes of the community, did not lend 
much scope for the introduction of new matter. The chief 
argument on the medical aspect of the question brought forward. 
by Dr. Moore was the statement that the extra tax on woman’s 
intellectual faculties produced by this ‘‘ higher education” leads 
to bodily degeneration and to unfitness of the individual for a 
woman’s peculiar social duties. This is admittedly so with those 
who are subjected to over-pressure ; still, the questions as to how. 
far these bad effects are general among the class of women who 
are subjected to severe intellectual training, and how far these 
bad effects may be counteracted by judicious hygienic surround- 
ings, remain yet to be solved ; and the experiments in the higher 
education of women now being performed in America and Eng- 
land will no doubt yield results which will practically solye the 
question. 
The address in Medicine, which was given this year by Dr. 
J. S. Billings, of the United States Army, dealt chiefly with 
medical politics in America, which, like our own country, needs 
reform in reference to medical education. It is interesting to 
note, from the remarks of one so well qualified to judge as Dr. 
Billings, the great progress made in America in the establish- 
ment of laboratories devoted to scientific medical investiga- 
tion ; and it may be confidently expected that by this means 
important contributions will be added to the stores of medical 
science. : 
It is in the departments of pathology and pharmacology that 
the influence of scientific thought and method is most evident. 
As Dr. Dreschfeld pointed out in his address before the Section 
of Pathology, there is in the modern study of pathology a great 
deal more than was comprised twenty or thirty years ago; for, 
besides the marvellous advances of morbid anatomy due to the 
improvement in histological methods and knowledge, the stimu- 
lus of experimental physiology has initiated impor ant researches 
on various morbid processes. Indeed it is difficult to draw a_ 
hard-and-fast line between experimental physiology and patho- 
logy ; for, in many instances, the investigation of physiological 
function proceeds fav? passw with that of the loss or inhibition 
of that function. On the anatomical side pathology is seizing the” 
facts discovered by purely scientific investigators, and applying 
them with good results. Thus, as Dr. Dreschfeld points out, the 
application of the researches of Flemming, Heuser, Rabl, and 
others, on the composition of the nucleus, to the study of the 
cancer-cell, has shown that this is deficient in chromatin and 
embryonic in character, Again, the selective action of methylene- 
blue for certain nervous structures when injec.ed into the living 
body, as described by Ehrlich, indicates a new method of patho- 
logical research by which the condition of these structures under 
the toxic action of substances may be investigated. If, more- 
over, as Ehrlich thinks, this selective action is due to the con- 
ditions of alkalinity and oxidation in the structure, some light 
may be thrown by future research on the still very obscure reac- 
tions of the nucleus and cell, and, more particularly in pathology, 
on the chemical changes occurring in the nerves in chronic 
peripheral paralysis due to poisons, such. as alcohol and lead. 
Though a strong advocate of the study of experimental patho- 
logy, Dr. Dreschfeld insisted on the necessity of an investigator 
having a clear idea of the object and, as far as possible, of the 
methods of the research which he is undertaking. This point, 
which is of course the basis of all useful experimentation, is 
very important in experimental pathology, owing to the peculiar 
conditions under which experiments on animals. are performed 
in this country. : 
In pathology, which deals.more closely with the facts of dis- 
ease—disordered structure, disordered function—progress has 
been rapid, but not more so in its scientific aspect than pharmaco- 
logy and therapeutics. A great deal of attention has of late 
years been devoted to this subject, as shown by the rapid accu- 
mulation of facts concerning old and new remedies. It is on such. 
an occasion as the meeting of the Association that it is well to 
