TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 



143 



the same horizontal plane with that of the microscope stage. An incision is made, 

 ■which extends for two inches at most from the outer edge of the left rectus muscle, 

 a little below (behind) the end of the ensiform cai'tilage horizontally outwards so 

 as to divide one or two costal cartilages. The muscles must next be divided and 

 the peritoneum carefully opened. The stomach can then be drawn out of the 

 abdominal cavity without difficulty, especially if the additional precaution be 

 employed of first removing some of its contents. In doing this, very little mani- 

 pulation is necessary, and special care must be taken to avoid touching the deli- 

 cate structiu'e attached to its border which is to be subjected to observation. The 

 moment that the organ is fairly out of the abdomen, the membrane must be floated 

 into the warm bath prepared for it, and is then ready for examination. It is, 

 however, found very advantageous to cover those parts of it which do not lie 

 directly under the microscope with sheets of blotting-paper. This arrangement 

 lias two advantages ; the risk of evaporation is diminished, and the undulatory 

 movements of the water are prevented, so that the object is rendered much steadier 

 than it would otheiwise be. The enlargements we have hitherto employed are 

 inconsiderable, the most useful objective being the quarter of Ross. We have no 

 doubt, however, that we shall eventually be able to apply both air and immersion 

 objectives of higher magnifying-power. 



The objects which present themselves to the observer in the omentum of the 

 guineapig are manifold. We content ourselves viiih barely enumerating them. 

 Veins and arteries may be studied of various diameters, some of them siu-rounded 

 by sheaths containing fat-cells, some by similar sheaths containing the cells of 

 which mention has already been made, others so free that their structm'e can be 

 perfectly studied. LabjTinths of capillaries of surpassing beauty can be studied 

 Both in the sheaths of the vessels and in the little nodules of tissue in their neigh- 

 bourhood ; and finally the epithelial elements with their characteristic spheroidal 

 nuclei by which the wonderful connective-tissue network of the omentum is every- 

 where covered. 



After the conclusion of the Meeting the method was exhibited to a large number 

 of medical gentlemen by the authors. 



On Lefthandness. By Dr. P. H. Siiiin. 



On the Cranial Osieoloc/y of Polypterus Bircbii. 

 By Professor Eamsat H. Teaqttair, M.D. 



On the Intimate Stnicture of the Human Lung. By A. T. H. Waters, M.D. 



On the Anthropolocjy of Lancashire. By John Bedboe, M.D. 



The author said that it had been supposed that the Teutonic character of the in- 

 habitants of South Lancashire might date from the occupation of Manchester, du- 

 ring the Roman period, by a cohort of Frisians. Possibly the blood of the Celtic 

 Britons, here as elsewhere, might have been somewhat aifected by colonization of 

 this kind under Roman auspices ; but it seemed more probable that the southern 

 part of Lancashire was not really Saxonized until the reign of Ethelfiith of Nor- 

 thumbria, who made gi-eat conquests in this direction. But the northern portions 

 of the county remained British much longer, and were not thoroughly Teutonized 

 until their colonization, in common with Cumberland and Westmoreland, by Scan- 

 dinavians from Ireland and Man. Certain Scandinavians also found their way into 

 South Lancashire, and thus a few local Danish names were found, such asFormby; 

 and in Domesday Book certain Drenghs appeared as holding lands at Warring- 

 ton, " drengage " being a Scandinavian tenure, and the word " drengh"' being still 

 in use in Norway. Since the Norman Conquest no ethnological change worthy of 

 mention had occuiTed in the northern part of the county, and the physical type in 



