400 i General Notes. [April, 
of weak shocks rapidly following one another is applied, the more 
likely is it to cause contraction.” 
The intensity of the slowly repeated shocks which produced 
dilatation, was usually much greater than that of the rapid stimu- 
lation which caused constriction; but when the total stimulations 
to which the nerve is subjected, obtained by multiplying the inten- 
sity of each shock by the number of shocks applied, are compared 
in the two cases, it is found that when dilatation is obtained, the 
total stimulation is much less than when constriction is caused. 
These experiments indicate the existence of two separate per- 
ipheral vaso-motor mechanisms, one having the function of vaso- 
constriction, and the other of vaso-dilation—Zhe Journal of 
Physiology, Vol. vi, p. 437. 
PSYCHOLOGY. 
_ANTHROPOLOGY AND PsycHotocy.—At the Aberdeen meeting of 
the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Dr. 
Alexander Bain, lord rector of Aberdeen University, read a paper 
“Qn the scope of anthropology, and its relation to the science 
of mind.” He endeavored to point out that the bringing together 
of the six departments—named respectively man’s place in nature, 
i the origin of man, the classification of races, the antiquity of man, 
he language and the development of civilization—did not contribute 
ee to the mutual elucidation of the several topics, but merely concen- 
trated into a whole the subjects connected with the higher mys- 
teries of man’s origin and destination. He next dealt at length 
with a survey of the researches having in view precise measure- 
ments of the bodily and mental characteristics of human beings, 
and indicated lines on which research might be made so as to 
also reverted to the research into the conditions and the measure 
_ of memory as wholly within the means of actual experimenta 
determination ; also the important intellectual function of seeing 
similarity in the midst of diversity, which can be reduced to more 
or less precision of estimate by suitable means. Taking along 
with these results the inquiries into the faculties of the lower 
_ animals, the author put special stress on the number and delicacy 
=- Of their senses as the foundation of every attempt to explain the 
_ — higher aptitudes. Intelligence commenced with the power of dis- 
crimination, and increased as that power increased. The record 
of marvelous feats of exceptional ingenuity was of very little aid 
in revealing the secrets of the animal mind, In conclusion, he 
urged the admission of psychology in a more avowed and sy 
-© matic form into the anthropological section. He would exclude 
_ the topics of metaphysical and ethical controversy, and welcome 
~ all the researches into the intellectual and emotional regions of 
_ the mind, Dr. Burdon Sanderson said any one teaching physt- 
_ ology would not be expected to include anthropology, and Dr. 
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