SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— H, I. 395 



elves were malevolent. The term ' eUshot ' ■was taken literally, and neolithic arrow- 

 heads were until recent times thought to bo the visible survivals of it. Sudden 

 indisposition, stitch, cutaneous diseases, and nightmare were especially ascribed to 

 the elves. Cattle as well as men were their victims. The Laonunga contains two 

 charms, one against stitch and one for nightmare, which vividly illustrate the fear 

 with which the elves were regarded ; the story in ' Heimskringla ' of the death of King 

 Vanland from nightmare produced by magical means also shows that the terms used 

 to describe these evils — eUshot or nightmare — were taken literallj^. With the advent 

 of Christianity, elfin possession was equated with demoniacal possession, and the 

 remedies employed were modified to suit the new conditions : the warts Vi-ere now 

 dipped in hallowed water, or had Masses sung over them. 



Exhibits in the Department of Human Anatomy. 



University Museum. 



(1) Objects and Skeletal Remains from Mesopotamia. 



(2) Maps and Plans to show the Distribution of Villages in Oxfordshire 

 in relation to their Geographical Situation (Miss Simpson). 



(3) Maps and Plans illustrating the Progress of Regional Surveys at 

 present being conducted in Oxfordshire (Miss Butler). 



(4) Chellean Quartzites from Taivilla (W. of Algeciras, Spain) (Mr. 

 Henry Field). 



(5) Palaeolithic Implements from the North Arabian Desert. 



(6) Tasmanian Stone Implements. 



SECTION 1— PHYSIOLOGY. 



(For references to the publication elsewhere of communications entered in the 

 following list of Transactions, see page 448.) 



Thursday, August 5. 



1. Prof. D. Fraser Harris. — The Reality of Nerve-energy. 



The term ' nerve-energy ' is in common use by physiologists and by writers on 

 medicine, neurology, and psychiatry. Though other terms have been suggested from 

 time to time, none has come into general use. ' Nerve-energy ' was defined by Adrian 

 (1922) as ' the total potential energy in the neurone available for use in the trans- 

 mission of impulses.' If this definition be accepted, three questions arise : (1) What 

 is the relation, if any, of this ' nerve-energy ' to ' vital ' energy, to ' biotic ' energy, 

 and to ' mental ' energy ? (2) Does ' nerve-energy ' include the activity of afferent 

 neurones ? (3) How can this potential energy be measured ? It is suggested that 

 nerve-energy should be measured in terms of other forms of energy. 



2. Miss H. Wells and Prof. R. J. S. McDowall. — The Physiology of 



the so-called ' Psycho-Galvanic Reflex.' 



3. Presidential Address by Prof. J. B. Leathes, F.R.S., on Function 



and Design. (See p. 208.) 



4. Dr. F. W. Edridge-Green, C.B.E. — The Importance of the White 



Equation to the Theory of Colour-Vision. 



The trichromatic theory was founded on the white equation ; that is, 'the equation 

 of a mixture of red, green, and violet lights to match a white light, and in various 

 proportions to match intermediate spectral colours. We are not, however, justified 



