Proceedings of the British Association. 453 



central excito-motary power; examples were adduced. The reason 

 why mechanical violence to the central ganglia did not exhibit these 

 phenomena (as in the experiments of Fleurens) was, because such an 

 irritation was foreign from the true exciting influence of this part of 

 the nervous system. The phenomena of hemiplegia were adduced as 

 proofs of the author's position ; and the imitative actions of animals 

 were represented as true reflex acts, induced by irritable stimuli received 

 through the cerebral nerves. 



Dr. Bacchetti communicated the particulars of a case of extra-uterine 

 pregnancy. 



Dr. Fowler communicated some additional facts relative to the case 

 of the blind and deaf mute, which he detailed at former meetings of the 

 Association. She had been visited by Dr. Home (of Boston), the 

 instructor of Laura Bridgeman, who found in her intellectual and moral 

 manifestations a strong confirmation of the susceptibility of education 

 possessed by those cases, which some doubted even after the instance of 

 Laura Bridgeman. Several particulars relative to the instruction of 

 the blind were given by the Rev. W. Taylor, and some details of the 

 instruction of a blind and deaf mute, at Bruges, by the Abbe Carton. 



Section F.— STATISTICS. 



'On the Statistics of Malton,' by Mr. Copperthwaite.— This paper 

 detailed every particular connected with the social, moral and economic 

 condition of the agricultural districts of Old and New Malton, in the 

 North Riding of Yorkshire ; but as such details can only have a local 

 interest, we shall merely select some striking particulars. The 

 population in 1831 was 5,377, and in 1841 it was 5,231, showing a de- 

 crease during the decennial period of 2 07 per cent., which is about the 

 same rate of decrease as the " Occupations of the People" Report 

 exhibits in a very large number of the agricultural districts. During 

 this decennial period there has been an increase in the rate of mortality, 

 but the per-centage of the number of persons above 60 years of age is 

 double that of Sheffield or Manchester, though a little below the general 

 average of the North Riding of Yorkshire. There has been an increase 

 in the proportion of marriages ; but a decrease in the per-centage of 

 births, and a pregressive increase in the proportion of illegitimate to 

 legitimate births. In the course of thirty years this proportion has 

 risen from 5-3 to 9-4 per cent. ; that is, it has nearly doubled. The la- 

 bourers are paid at the rate of 12s. per week the year round, and in 



