1887.] Address. 69 



Biological Laboratory. — The operations of the Biological Laboratory 

 have been continued daring the year, and the most interesting results 

 obtained, in so far as work specially relating to cholera is concerned, 

 were those in a series of experiments on the effect of subcutaneous inocu- 

 lation of the so-called choleraic comma-bacilli into the bodies of guinea- 

 pigs. These in the first place clearly showed that any such inoculations 

 are not unattended by serious risks, as, where a sufficient quantity of the 

 bacilli were introduced, death with very well defined lesions occurred 

 in a large proportion of cases. Great multiplication of the bacilli within 

 the system was found to have occurred, especially along the lymphatic 

 channels, with extensive softening of tissue and sanguineous effusion. 

 The spread of the bacilli was not limited to the subcutaneons lymphatic 

 spaces, but also involved the peritoneal cavity, which is, of course, merely a 

 huge lymphatic space. From this they extended into the interior of the 

 intestinal canal, where they had multiplied in excess, extensive softening 

 and desquamation of the epithelial layer having occurred, sometimes to 

 the extent of complete denudation of the entire mucous surface. The 

 bacilli could not be detected in the substance of the solid organs, but 

 cultivations showed that they were present in limited numbers in the 

 blood. It could not be definitely shown that the morbid condition in 

 the animals was of a truly choleraic nature, and the principal importance 

 of the results lies in the fact that they clearly show that, whether the 

 comma bacilli be or be not the cause of cholera, the mere presence of 

 excessive numbers of them within the intestinal tract in any animal is no 

 proof that this was necessarily the site of primary invasion of the 

 system. 



The late Dr. Stoliczka. — As a fasciculus of the memoirs published 

 in the series known as the ' Scientific results of the second Yarkand 

 mission,' we have a paper on the life and work of the late F. Stoliczka, 

 the well-known palaeontologist of the Geological Survey, and for 

 years a distinguished member and office-holder of this Society. The 

 paper has been written by Prof. V. Ball, also a member of this 

 Society, and contains much of interest to all engaged in biological work. 

 I may be allowed to quote from one of Stoliczka's papers as bearing on 

 one of the reasons why such attention is paid to the preparation of 

 accurate lists of species occurring in each region. He writes : — " the study 

 of local faunas must, for some time at least, continue one of the most im- 

 portant means of leading to a full understanding of Indian Zoology. 

 India combines such an enormous variety of physical conditions, namely, 

 differences of level, climate, and vegetation, all of which have to be 

 studied in connection with the animal life, that one is almost lost in the 

 chaos of information required, and is very apt to overlook conditions 



