vi Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



Professor Guthrie exhibited a portion of what looked like a water- 

 worn mussel-shell, alleged to have been taken out of the inside of an 

 eel, where it was found lying alongside the water-bladder. He 

 admitted that he was doubtful as to whether an eel possessed an air- 

 bladder or not, and asked if any member could enlighten him on that 

 point. 



Dr. Fuller read a paper on " Antitoxins," in-which he stated that 

 when the poison of disease enters the blood an effort is ntade to 

 counteract its effect by the body cells. These latter produce a 

 substance inimical to the action of the poison, or toxin, and this 

 substance is known as an antitoxin. Theoretically, it should be 

 possible to have an " antitoxin " for every disease produced by a 

 toxin ; but many practical difficulties occur, such as mixed infection 

 in disease and delayed diagnosis. The poison, or toxin, entering the 

 blood of an individual need not necessarily be one of disease, but 

 may be a poison, such as snake poison, in which case an antitoxin 

 is also produced to counteract its effect if the dose of poison be not 

 a lethal one. In the case of one attack of disease conferring immunity 

 in an individual for subsequent attacks of a disease, it is probably 

 due to the fact of the antitoxin of a particular disease poison being 

 stored up in the system, and so preventing a second attack of the 

 disease. The theory of antitoxins is in its infancy, and great advances 

 may be expected from it in the treatment of disease in the near 

 future. 



Dr. Eoss made some remarks on this paper. 



Mr. Stewart exhibited some specimens of the Table Mountain 

 rocks, and made lengthy remarks upon them. 



Dr. van dee Riet then read his paper " On the Analysis of some 

 South African Prehnites." 



Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 



Wednesday , January 29, 1896. 



Dr. J. A. Ross in the Chair. 



Lieutenant-General Goodenough, C.B., Colonel Nixon, E.E., and 

 Messrs. Henry De Smidt, and W. T. Olive were elected ordinary 

 members of the Society. 



The undermentioned presents were announced, and the thanks of 

 the Society voted to the donors : 



Proceedings of the Scottish Microscopical Society, 1894—95. 



Recent Measures of Double Stars, by H. C. Russell, F.R.S. 



Feuille des Jeunes Naturalistes, Nos. 302, 303. 



