518 LANCASHIRE VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
Messrs. J. Welsby, E. Sudren, Geo. Morgan, J. O. Martin, C. E. Elam, 
E. Woolner, and W. Dacre. 
The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, after which 
Mr. P. Taylor proposed for election as a member of the Association 
Mr. J. B. Wolstenholme, of Manchester, seconded by Mr. S. Locke, and 
carried unanimously. Mr. Whittle proposed Mr. J. O. Martin, of 
Manchester, seconded by Mr. P. Taylor, and carried unaminously. Mr. 
Woods proposed Mr. IT. Thompson, of Aspatria, Cumberland, as a member, 
seconded by Mr. W. A. Taylor, and carried unaminously. Mr. Shocke 
proposed Mr. J. H. Ridler, The Mall, London, which was seconded by 
Mr. W. A. Taylor, and carried unanimously. 
The Secretary then read the report of the Fleming Testimonial Com¬ 
mittee. There were twenty-nine subscribers, the total amount subscribed 
being £68 10s. 6d. 
Mr. T. Hophin next read an interesting paper on “ Antisepticity.” He 
said—Gentleman, we have latterly been so favoured with lectures and 
papers from professors and others learned in our art that when one of 
the multitude takes the place of essayist, unless he is possessed of 
unlimited amount of assurance, must feel no little trepidation. 
This vaunted 19th century of electricity and accelerated locomotion 
has divided and subdivided all branches of science in such a manner that 
the general practitioner finds it no light task to master the new theories 
and facts that scientific specialists are from day to day supplying him 
with, and engaged as we are with the multifarious duties of our active 
calling, it cannot be expected that we should undertake the solution of 
abstract problems, but after the specialist has by careful research and 
experiment ascertained certain facts tending to unravel the laws of nature, 
that have up to that time been mysterious and secret, it is clearly a part 
of our duty to apply them in such a manner that an enhanced success 
should follow their adaptation, and thus be ableto advance our profession 
by battling more successfully with disease and its sequels. The object 
of this paper will be to call your attention to investigations that have 
been latterly directed to the way in which “Antisepticity” may be 
successfully applied to surgery. It will be taken for granted that the 
old ideas of our forefathers, that all they required was a certain number 
of receipts or nostrums to be applied in a case as the best or only thing 
requisite for the successful practising of our profession, has exploded, and 
that any light thrown on the working of nature’s laws, any unveiling of 
her mysteries, will be received as priceless knowledge, such knowledge 
being power. 
If we take as an example the discovery of the circulation of the blood 
by Harvey, and contemplate the amount of labour that must necessarily 
have attended the experiments, the painstaking research, the careful 
noting of facts, that discovery entailed on the memorable and honoured 
discoverer, and, on the other hand, the boon it has been to mankind, you 
will see that Harvey did a work of far greater magnitude than a genera¬ 
tion of ordinary practitioners. His discovery must remain a monument 
to him for ages, whilst the others glide away with scarce moments left 
to mark their existence. To the most casual observer the intimate rela¬ 
tion existing between cause and effect must be patent in thousands 
of ways, but modern science with her appliances, teaching as it does the 
infinity of the infinitely little, requires both perseverance and intellect to 
follow her. A man may fracture a limb by falling; be he possessed of 
the slightest power of reason he will easily recognise the fact that the fall 
was the cause and the fracture the result, but it will require the educated 
scientist to recognise the causes and effects of many of the complicated 
processes that will have to come into operation before it terminates in 
