peesident's addeess. 201 



thirty ladies and gentlemeu being present. Two new members 

 of the Field Club were elected, and papers were read as follows : 



1. A revision of the British Species of Freshwater CyclopidLC. and 



Calanidce, by G. S. Brady, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S. 



2. On Agrotis Ashworthii, a rare British Moth, by Llewelyn S. 



Brady. 



3. In what time does the Peewit lay her clutch of four eggs ? by 



Richard Howse. 



These papers will appear in the "Transactions." Conversation, 

 tea and coffee pleasantly brought the evening to a close. 



And now, if you are willing to extend your patience towards 

 me for a short time longer, I propose to bring before you some 

 recent developments and achievements of biological science, 

 which I think can scarcely fail to have an interest even for 

 those who may be in no sense students of science. I refer to 

 the subject of Helminthology — the study of internal parasites, 

 and more especially to a branch of Biology so highly specialised 

 that it may almost be called a separate science under the name 

 of Bacteriology. There can scarcely be a finer example of the 

 blessings which follow the pursuit of science for its own sake 

 than the history of the results which have followed the develop- 

 ment of this youngest-born of the family of biological sciences. 

 For, from the study of minute organisms known as Bacteria, 

 and of creatures closely allied to them, has sprung all our 

 present knowledge of the nature of many forms of disease affect- 

 ing not only man but also the lower animals and plants. It is 

 perhaps scarcely too much to say that few forms of disease are 

 entirely dissociated from these all-pervading beings, or that 

 when our knowledge of their life-history and character becomes 

 complete, we shall have approached nearer to an ideal system of 

 curative and preventive medicine than could have been dreamed 

 of even so short a space as twenty years ago. 



It has long been known that most decaying substances, and 

 more especially organic infusions, when exposed to the air under 

 favouring conditions are certain very soon to be found swarming 

 with countless myriads of animated beings, mostly very minute 

 and each consisting of only a single cell, though doubtless 



