REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. xlii 
— 
From Section H. 
‘That this Association co-operate with the Royal Anthropo- 
logical Institute in urging upon His Majesty’s Government the desir- 
ability of instituting an Imperial Bureau of Anthropology, and that 
the General Officers be empowered to take such action as may be 
necessary for this purpose.’ 
It was reported to the Council that a letter had been received from 
the Royal Anthropological Institute, intimating the intention of the 
Council of the Institute to issue a memorial on the above subject to 
Cabinet Ministers, and to include therein the substance of the above 
recommendation. The Council of the Association were invited to 
appoint a representative on a deputation to wait on the Colonial Secre- 
tary, and perhaps also on the Prime Minister. Sir William Ramsay 
(President) was accordingly appointed to serve on such deputation if 
arranged. 
VIII. A Resolution, referred to the Council by the General Com- 
mittee at Portsmouth, has been received 
From Section I. 
‘ With reference to Dr. A. D. Waller’s paper on the Claim of Sir 
Charles Bell to the Discovery of Motor and Sensory Nerve Channels: 
* (1) The author of this paper has called the attention of the Sectional 
Committee to the fact that his communication conveys a serious charge 
relating to the republication by Bell, in 1824 and subsequently, of papers 
originally published in the ‘‘ Phil. Trans.’’ of the Royal Society in 1821. 
* (2) In view of the importance attaching to the real authorship of the 
discovery of the distinction between motor and sensory nerves we have 
examined the printed documents quoted at pp. 12, 18, and verified the 
accuracy of the quotations given by Dr. Waller of the original passages 
of 1821 and of the republished passages of 1824. 
* (3) In our opinion it will be necessary to reconsider carefully the 
claim first put forward by Bell in 1824 to the discovery of the distinc- 
tion between motor and sensory nerves. 
(4) Dr. Waller’s paper on the subject contains sufficient grounds 
for the revision of the conclusion published in the Report of the British 
Association for 1833, and we recommend that it be published in extenso 
in the Report of the present year. : 
* (5) In view of the importance of the historical claim of Bell, we re- 
commend that a Committee be appointed to consider the case fully, and 
report upon it. 
‘ (6) In spite of the fact that many years have elapsed since Novem- 
ber 12, 1824, we are of opinion that a formal communication should be 
made to the Royal Society, calling its attention to the existence of a 
spurious version of papers received by the Royal Society and published 
on its authority on July 12, 1821. 
“ (7) The Sectional Committee recommends that the text of the fore- 
going resolutions be printed as an Appendix to Dr. Waller’s paper.’ 
The Council resolved to take no further action. 
