1865.] Zoology, Botany, Physiology. 743 



being prepared to carry it out in a thorough manner, since it was 

 impossible to meet with coal measures except at a great depth ; and 

 he argued that a matter of such great national importance as the 

 accurate solution of the problem, ought to be carried out at the 

 national expense. 



H. C. S. 



Zoology, Botany, Physiology. (Section and Sub-section D.) 



The business of Section D was opened by a few introductory remarks 

 by the President, Dr. T. Thomson ; and that of the Sub-section by an 

 eloquent address by the President, Professor Acland of Oxford. Dr. 

 Acland commenced by discussing the relation which biological science 

 bears to medicine. He pointed out that its objects are unquestionably, 

 1st, simply to ascertain what are the facts in a certain department of 

 nature ; 2nd, how they may be made of value for the practical 

 exigencies of mankind. So that however desirable it may be to have 

 physiology cultivated by persons whose undivided attention can be 

 bestowed upon it, yet that it is the special duty of the physician to 

 promote the advancement of physiological knowlege to the utmost of 

 his power. He argued that physiology was not a subordinate subject, 

 but that it included a knowledge of the characteristics on which the 

 classification of all living entities is based. He showed that the 

 hindrances to a perfectly free study of physiological science arose, 

 1st, from the intrinsic difficulty of the subject ; 2nd, from the pre- 

 judices of mankind. And he concluded by pointing out how impor- 

 tant the cultivation of the subject is in connection with public health 

 and practical medicine. 



One of the earliest papers read was by Professor Lionel Beale, 

 " On Vitality," in which he explained those views regarding the 

 structure of organic tissues which are so intimately associated with 

 his name, and which as they have been made known by him in so 

 many quarters, it is needless for us to enter into here. He contended 

 for the existence of a vital power distinct from the chemico-physical 

 forces operating in the organism. 



He was followed by Dr. J. H. Bennett, who advocated views 

 regarding the origin of many textures opposed to that of Dr. Beale, 

 and, taking the pus cell as an illustration, he stated that it did not 

 arise within a pre-existing cell, but that it was produced by an 

 aggregation of molecules in an exudation. 



Various interesting questions connected with food and diet were 

 discussed by Dr. John Davy. He considered that a diet of animal 

 food was by no means incompatible with fatness, whilst on the other 

 hand a vegetable diet did not necessarily tend to the production of 

 fat. He expressed doubts of the accuracy of the theory, that if a 

 man has not a given quantity of food, sufficient to sustain his physical 

 powers, his health must necessarily suffer. He advanced various 

 illustrations that a deficiency of food, though causing temporary 

 weakness, did not produce any permanent ill effects, and argued that 



