66 
The Presidenfs Address. 
occurs, that there is more discussion upon matters of com- 
paratively restricted interest, than upon those of greater 
importance, simply because there may be some present who 
have fortunately emancipated themselves from the tram- 
mels of mauvaise honte, and who are unwilling to allow 
an author to labour under the impression that his exer- 
tions for our benefit have not been appreciated. Seeing 
that the conclusion just intimated is a very natural one, I 
trust that for the future we may be able to induce those who 
have any acquaintance with the subjects that maybe brought 
under notice, to give utterance to their views, and thus be- 
come more useful members of our community. 
But to return to the subject of our papers — they may be 
classified as follows, viz., 
Animal Physiology ...... 5 
Pathology ........ 1 
Botanical Subjects ...... 4 
Physics . . . . . . . . 1 
Manipulation and Microscopic Adjuncts . . 3 
Total . 14 
It will be at once seen, by a comparison with our last 
year's classification of subjects treated of, that the former 
deficiency in animal physiology has been amply atoned for ; 
and first in order we have Dr. Harley's interesting commu- 
nication upon " The Organs of Cutaneous Bespiration,'' in 
which he remarks, that though the theory of cutaneous 
respiration may be regarded as an established doctrine, there 
does not exist any description of the organs by which the 
phenomenon in question is brought about; and then pro- 
ceeds to suggest that certain openings, proceeding from the 
superficial layer, and continuing into the cutis vera, where 
they terminate in a blind sac, are to be regarded as the 
apparatus immediately concerned. Dr. Harley discovered 
the openings referred to in the year 1855, and at the time 
imagined that they had hitherto been entirely overlooked, 
but subsequently ascertained that they had been previously 
noticed by Dr. Ascherson, who, however, was ignorant of 
their office. To Dr. Harley, then, the honour of deter- 
mining their peculiar utility belongs. After detailing his 
method of manipulation, he proceeds to describe at length 
the appearance presented by the cutaneous respiratory organs, 
and points out their semblance to, and analogy with, the 
stomata in plants : he also compares the observations of 
Dr. Ascherson and Mr. Huxley, in connection with this sub- 
ject, with his own personal experience, which differs in some 
