SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— I. 391 



Some of the evidence can be classified under the following headings : — hue dis- 

 crimination, red-green confusion, adaptation, visual acuity, halation and blue blind- 

 ness. 



Mr. A. W. Macdonald and Mr. A. Schlapp. — Quantitative Aspects of the 

 Action of Drugs. 



Mr. J. B. Young. — The Pupillary Mechanism of the Teleost Fish, 

 JJranoscopi'.s. 



At the Naples Zoological Station I recently had occasion to study the pupil of 

 this bottom-living fish. It was found that the mechanism is exactly the opposite of 

 that found in mammals in that stimulation of the sympathetic chain causes con- 

 striction of the oculomotor nerve dilatation of the pupil. These results were confirmed 

 by operations on the living animal. It was found that the pharmacological responses 

 of the sphincter iridis muscle were the same as those of the mammalian muscle. We 

 have, therefore, in this fish, a remarkable case of a muscle which has the pharmaco- 

 logical ciiaracteristics usually associated with a parasympathetic innervation and yet 

 receives its motor nerves from the sympathetic. 



A FTERKOON. 



Visit to Bath. 



Tuesday, September 9. 



Dr. Watson Williams. -- Chronic Toxaemia as a Cause of Degeneration of 

 Mind and Conduct. 



In attacks of acute infection accompanied by obvious illness, high fever and 

 delirium, we naturally attribute the patient's altered mentality to germs or toxins 

 reaching the brain through the blood and therefore do not hold him responsible for 

 his acts and conduct until with convalescence he is restored to his right mind. 



It has become recognised of late years that in patients who survive attacks of 

 Encephalitis Lethargica there may develop changes of conduct which may attain 

 definite criminal manifestations. The author pointed out that similar results may 

 follow long-standing focal sepsis without clearly apparent physical illness. 



The importance of this in medico-legal work need not be stressed. 



Prof. J. A. Nixon. — The Factors concerned in Diabetic Coma. 



Although the discovery of insulin has marvellously advanced the treatment of 

 diabetes, the explanation of the symptom-complex of diabetic coma seems further 

 away than ever. It is, indeed, doubtful whether any of the phenomena which attend 

 diabetic coma are responsible either for its production or its fatal ending. Though, 

 as Josli says, air-hunger is ' the most significant clinical finding,' diabetic coma may 

 occur even without air-hunger. Every one of the signs which at one time or another 

 have been considered to play a part in the production of coma seems to have been 

 proved blameless. 



Two of the factors concerned are the fat and the sugar intake and the third is 

 insulin, furnished from within or from without. There is little doubt that diabetic 

 coma can always be averted if the fat intake of diabetic patients is reduced and at the 

 same time a generous allowance of carbohydrate food be given along with adequate 

 insulin. 



Demonstrations : — 



(a) Dr. Carey Coombs. — Conducting Tissue in the Heart. 



(b) Dr. F. W. Edridge-Geeen, C.B.E.— TAe Theory of Vision. 



(c) Miss M. 0. P. Wiltshire. — Reactions to Adrenaline. 



