REMARKS ON PARTURITION IN ANIMALS. 
653 
part of his education disappears out of his mind as soon as he 
enters on the more practical part of his studies. If the pre¬ 
vious training were different it would not only make him a 
better student, hut retain its influence on his mind through 
life. The details might fade away from his recollection, but 
the scientific habitude of mind would be retained. I trust 
that it will not appear to the members of the section that I 
have, in any of the observations I have made, forgotten that 
we are assembled here for the promotion of the science of 
anatomy and physiology. Although I cannot claim a more 
direct interest on scientific education than for others, there 
are reasons, as I have endeavoured to show, why it suffers 
more from the want of it than others, the chief one being 
that, compared with what we physiologists feel and know to 
be its real importance to the future welfare of the human 
race, its practical utility is little appreciated because little 
understood by others. 
“ I have said very little indeed (indeed, I have barely referred 
to it) on another pressing difficulty, which we have now and 
will have, I believe, for years to encounter—the want of 
pecuniary resources—because I know that, in this country, 
if educated public opinion can be interested in behalf of any 
scientific object, and particularly if the intelligent classes of 
the community can be induced to see that the furtherance of 
abstract science is of vital importance to our national exist¬ 
ence, the trifling public expenditure which would be required 
to enable us to compete, at least on equal terms, with Germany, 
Austria, Bavaria, and Russia, would be at once forthcoming. 
In the mean time it is the function and duty of all who, 
possessing means, are also interested in scientific progress, as 
especially of us, the members of this section of the British 
Association, to afford such aid as we can to those who, sup¬ 
ported by their own enthusiasm, rather than by the prospect 
of honour or emolument, are willing to devote their lives to 
physiological and anatomical researches.” 
OBSTETRICAL SOCIETY OE EDINBURGH. 
REMARKS ON PARTURITION IN ANIMALS. 
By Dr. Matthews Duncan. 
I .—Interval between Births in Pluri/parous Animals. 
The advantages for human pathology to be derived from 
the study of comparative physiology and pathology are un¬ 
doubtedly very great, yet, probably, not at present sufficiently 
