1867.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 59 



of a limb in contracting would, under these circumstances, exercise an 

 injurious amount of pressure on the nerves and vessels of surrounding 

 parts. All such anomalies are obviated by the arrangement I have 

 now described ; for in contracting, the longitudinal bands must shorten 

 on themselves, drawing the transverse bands into closer approximation, 

 and these at the same time uncoil : each fibre therefore increases in 

 breadth exactly to the same amount which it loses in length, the 

 changes, as in a muscle, being accurately proportioned to one another. 

 It is quite possible that as the longitudinal bands are attached to 

 fixed points at either extremity, the tension or relaxation of the 

 transverse bands would be sufficient of themselves, by acting on the 

 longitudinal bands, to cause contraction or relaxation of the muscle ; 

 and I am disposed to favour this idea, because we can thus easily 

 conceive the means by which the remarkably rapid action which 

 muscles are capable of effecting is accomplished ; being kept in 

 a state of perpetual tension depending on the action of the spiral 

 bands. 



" If this be the minute anatomy of muscle, it displays a source from 

 whence animal heat may be derived. Much of Liebig's theory of the 

 combustion of the hydro-carbons being the chief if not only source of 

 animal heat, is falling to the ground ; but in muscle or bone, there is 

 evidence of the existence of forces as capable of engendering heat as 

 combustion, viz. friction, compression, tension and expansion, all 

 necessarily giving rise to molecular motion, and an equivalent amount 

 of heat, quite capable of keeping up the temperature of the blood to a 

 healthy standard. 



" It appears also that we may equally well explain the presence of 

 electricity in a muscle, by the play of the forces above enumerated : 

 they must, in fact, when set in motion, induce electrical phenomena, 

 and that independently of the nervous system." 



A discussion ensued on the subject of the above paper ; after which, 

 on the proposition of the Secretary, the special thanks of the meeting 

 were unanimously voted to Dr. Macnamara for the important commu- 

 nication just read to the meeting. 



The following are the additions made to the Library since the 

 meeting held in February last. 



