The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-16 00:00:00

SECTION D.-ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY.

T is erection 11204 in the Mineral Water Hospital, end was
presided over by Dr. J. K GRAY, F.R.S.
A raper was also read in this section by Mr. J. Gwyn
Jeffreys, being a further report on Shetland dredging, who
also reed some remarks on Stylifer, a genus of quasi-ma-
Arc molluscs, with particulars of the European species
S. Tallow._

liir7f;;;;dest of the maim mad the preliminary report
d the Acclimatisation Committee; Mr. F. Calton, F.R.S..
read s paper cm the first stops towards the domestication of
animals ; and Mr. W. Bird Herapath. M.D.. F.R.S.. read a
paper on the pool Syrup* with new British species.

SUB-SECTION D.—PHYSIOLOGY.
This section was presided over by Dr. EDWARD Barra,
LL.B.,P.R.S, who read a long sod molt interest's/paper en
the present state of the dietary question, of which we regret
that our mime permits us to give no more than an abstract.
Be ads tried to the fact that out of 700 poor-law dietaries of
paupers in workhouses, not two were alike. The condition
of the dietary of the army cud navy was until recent yearn
most deplorable. At the latter end of the last, and early
part of the present century, scurvy, due to ill-selected food,
biscuits which could not be broker, and salt meat that
could not be cut, was rife, even in our national navy, and
inquiries made by Dr. Budd, some 20 years ago, and by Dr.
Barnes this year, had shown that this disease was still not
anfruneet in the fore cabins of our merchant navy, bat it
was Dot found is the master's cabin, not amongst the wa-
fted alms, but arougat the ill-fed seamen. The state of
the dietary in our prison populations was not only less satis-
factory than that of our army and navy, but was very un-
satisfactory. He referred to several instances in which
it had been found requisite to diminish the allowance
et food to convicts, and to others in which it had bees in-
creased ; changes made ender the influence of mere public
opinion by medical gentlemen, on grounds which were illo-
gical, end without making use of the only plan by which the
fitness of the change could be proved—that of scientific io-
vary into the conditions in which the dietary was to be
wed ; and he suggested that a government officer should be
appointed to make the requisite scientific inquiries. With
regard to dietary in hospitals, an approach to uniformity
was possible, but at present there was a greet difference.
There was the bestrews to believe that the dietary of our
private schools and colleges, and charitable inetitutioos for
the maintenance and education of the young, had greatly
improved ; but it was a subject which still demanded public
attention. There were multitude. of cheap schools is the
country, in which the sum paid with the ponds wits mani-
festly inadequate to ruthomate the proprietors of the
schools. A consideration of the dietary of the postal com-
munity must have regard to two classes at least, viz., the
well-fed middle and higher classes, and the moderately-fed,
or ill-fed labouring clitoris : but time would not permit him
to refer to the former, further than to offer a few
ebservatiou era Bantingism. He was not concerned is the
medical question sa to whether it was desirable to reduce
the hulk of • given individual, a circunistaeoe which must
always ho left to the medical man in charge of the case, but
he thought it would be an evil to this nation, both bodily
end mentally, if the system of reduction were to become at
all general, and that, on the contrary, rewarding the whole
population, we needed to add to rather than take from the
weight of the body. Even in the well fed classes he had seen
very serious diminution of both bodily and mental vigour
follow the working out of the plan. There was no neceoity
for the ...owlets excilion of fat and sugar, and the extreme

•
redacting, is the quantity of bread, any more than for the
great ioerease in the quantity of meat. The bulk of the
body might be reduced simply by lessening the amount of
the kinds of food usually taken, and as the reduction was
more slowly effected, it was a process attended by lees
&nem to the health. Turning to the question as it affected
the labouring classes, be observed that an inquiry of •
character unique, at lesst in extent, bad just been completed
by him ter the government, which would afford
a clearer insight than bad hitherto bees ob-
tained into the dietary of our labouring population.
It had been made at the houses of the agricultural labourers
in every county in England, in Wales, the west and north of
Inland, and the weet and south of Scotland, at the bonus
of certain town populations, silk and cotton wearers, he.,
with all the ewe and minuteness which science could sug-
gest, the detail, of which might be found in the sixth report
at the medical officer of the Privy Council. The coarse
bode of bread which were in ordinary use by our fore-
fathers, even to the early part of the present century, were
air very rarely eaten. Barley bread wee still eaten io the
boom of labourers in South Wales, and in the farmhouses of
Ala and South Wales and Angles's ; also in Northam-