THE AU STEAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACY. 
433 
After some discussion, it was resolved that a committee, consisting of 
Messrs. Huntsman, Harrison, and the hon. secretary, be appointed to draw up a 
circular on the subject, to be forwarded to every pharmacist in business in 
Yictoria, asking for their co-operation and assistance. 
THE INDIAN AND COLONIAL EXHIBITION. 
A letter was received from the acting secretary, asking that the exhibits 
of the society might be presented to the proposed Colonial Institute. It was 
resolved that the request be complied with. 
THE MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF YICTORIA. 
The annual meeting of the above society was held on Thursday, the 28th 
October, at the College of Pharmacy, Swanston-street, the president, Dr. Ralph, 
occupying the chair. The secretary read the committee’s annual report, which 
showed that the society was in a fairly prosperous condition, financially and 
otherwise. It was mentioned in the report that, with a view to encourage the 
formation of a thoroughly representative collection of mounted microscopic 
objects, the committee had purchased a cabinet capable of containing 1200 slides, 
and members were asked to contribute specimens, more especially of such objects 
as were used in the illustration of papers read before the society. The gentlemen 
nominated at the preceding meeting as officers and committee for the ensuing 
year were duly declared elected, namely, as president, Dr. Ralph ; vice- 
presidents, Messrs. F. Barnard and A. H. S. Lucas ; treasurer, Mr. R. G. Haig ; 
secretary, Mr. W. M. Bale; committee, Messrs. J. Gabriel, J. Lindsay, J. O. 
Moody, W. Ball, and C. A. Topp. The president then delivered his annual 
address, which mainly consisted of a retrospect of microscopical literature, 
commencing with Hooke’s “ Micrographia,” which was published by the Royal 
Society in the year 1660, and dealing very fully with the great increase in the 
number of works devoted to microscopical science, which took place soon after 
the successful application of the achromatic principle to the microscope about 
1840. The progress of the science of microscopy, as exemplified in section- 
cutting, staining processes, and other methods of histological research, was briefly 
spoken of, and the address, which was listened to with interest and attention, 
concluded with some personal reminiscences of some of the well-known pioneers 
of accurate microscopical research, including Rainey, Bowerbank, Quekett, Owen, 
Forbes, and others less celebrated. 
SCIENTILEGIUM* 
By Alfred H. Jacison, B.Sc., F.C.S.. M.P.S., Ac., Director of the College 
of Pharmacy, Melbourne. 
The Origin of the Atlantic Ocean. 
This was the topic broadly and impartially handled by Sir J. William Dawson, 
C.M.G., LL.D., F.R.S., &c., in his presidential address at the meeting of the 
British Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Birmingham on the 
1st September, 1886. 
Sir J. W. Dawson illustrated the cooling of our globe by the drying of a 
plum or peach. There were the three parts — a solid core, corresponding to the 
itone ; a viscid zone, analogous to the pulp ; and a crust, represented by the 
skin of the fruit. And as a plum shrivels in process of drying, so did our 
earth wrinkle whilst cooling. He inclines to the belief that the centre of the 
* Omitted from last issue owing to pressure of other matter. 
