Intimate Structure of Cartilage. 155 



Crooke appears to reckon, as arising out of his scheme, is, 

 that the course of the river between Dight's mills and the 

 outlet, being thereby reduced to about one-third of the 

 length of the present course of the river between those two 

 points, the flood-waters would thus escape the more rapidly. 

 A moment's consideration will show that this is the worst 

 feature of his scheme. At present, the rate of outflow of 

 the waters of the Yarra, in time of floods, is dangerously 

 rapid. If the distance between the two points above 

 referred to were to be reduced to one-third of the present 

 distance, the rate of current would be such as to be beyond 

 control by any ordinary means. I believe there is no 

 important river yet known which has a fall at its outlet at 

 all approaching the fall which the Yarra would have under 

 Dr. Crooke's proposition. 1 am quite sure that the velocity 

 of the stream would be so great as to destroy any limits 

 which might be assigned to it, if any known works of con- 

 struction were to be adopted in forming the channel, and I 

 am equally certain that if works, capable of withstanding 

 the vast erosive power of the current were to be adopted, 

 the cost would be enormous. 



I have purposely abstained from remarks or suggestions 

 as to the mode of constructing any of the works I have 

 suggested as necessary for preventing future floods in the 

 Yarra. It has been my desire to limit the discussion to 

 general issues. The first point to be decided upon, is the 

 course of the outlet. When that has been settled, it will be 

 early enough to discuss as to how the works shall be built. 

 An argument, on matters of professional detail, at the present 

 moment, could serve no useful purpose, and would draw 

 the attention of members from the more important points 

 involved in this question. 



Art. XXXVI. — On the Intimate Structure of Cartilage. 

 By George Britton Halford, M.D., M.R.C.P., Lond., 

 Professor of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology, 

 University of Melbourne. 



[Read 29th August, 1864.] 



The preparations beneath the various microscopes from 

 which the diagrams on the walls have been copied, furnish 

 evidence of the existence of two, if not of three, distinct and 

 separable elements of cartilage. 



