The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-11 00:00:00

SECTION D.-ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY.

This section sat longer than any, and indeed almost
reached three o'clock, the hour named on the paper as
the limit for all. The papers read were these:—
Hogg, Mr. John, F.L.S.—Additions to a Synopsis of
the Classification of the Genera of British Birds.
Blackwell, Mr. John.—List of Periodical Birds at
Llanrwst.

King, Mr. W.—Notice of New Species of Animals
round on the Coast of Northumberland.

Owen, Professor.—On the Homologies of the Ver-
tebr, and on the Temporal Bone.
Alder, Mr. Joshua.—On New British Nudibranchiate
Mollusca.

Forbes, Professor Edward.—On the Pulmograde Me-
dusas of the British Seas, with Notices of the Medusas at
present abundant at Southampton Water.
Mr. King's paper described some animals brought up
by dredging, and found in the pleistocene beds of the
tertiary strata. He was considered to have confirmed
Captain Laskey's observations, which announced the
discovery of these animals many years ago. One of the
species found by the captain was the terebratula cetacea,
of such animals in our seas when made by Lackey was
doubted.

Professor Owen's paper defended the study of compa-
rative anatomy on the principle of the unity of composi-
tion ; instead ofits leading to an opposition to the
doctrine of final causes, he believed it was in perfect har-
mony with that doctrine, and illustrated his position by
instances. He applied his views to the structure of the
bones of the head, and pointed out the errors of Cuvier
and Agassiz with regard to the nature of the homolo-
gies of the temporal bone.
Professor Agassiz expressed his delight at finding
that Mr. Owen had taken up this subject. He felt that
he could not defend his own views. and promised to re-
examine the whole matter. The subject of trans-
cendental anatomy could not have fallen into better
hands than those of Professer Owen.

Professor Edward Forbes's paper was on jelly-fishes.
This family of animals had hitherto been imperfectly
understood and studied. By means of the dredge and
the labours of Mr. M'Andrew, of Liverpool, he had
been enabled to study this family, and proceeded to
classify above 50 species, 30 of which had hitherto been
undescribed. He recommended the example of Mr.
M'Andrew to other possessors of yachts, as by their
means and the use of the dredge many most important
points in natural history might be worked out. He
also exhibited some curious living animals which he had
recently taken on the British coast. Amongst others,
living'specimens of the curious fish, the lancelut. (Am-
phioxis lanceolalus of Yarreil.)
SECTION E.—PHYSIOLOGY.

Dr. Searle read a paper on the cause of the blood's
circulation through the liver ; and Dr. Fowler another,
on the sense of touch, with relation to the higher mental
processes. This latter was a sequel to a former paper
read by him, on a sixth sense (the muscular sense, as it
is called), being, in fact, a modification of the sense of
touch. It was a very abstruse metaphysical discourse,
—one of the many which suggest a doubt whether the
excitement of a public room is a favourable condition in
which to test and weigh statements upon subjects that
require calm and profound thinking.
Si CTION F.—STATISTICS.

At the hour for commencing business, the audience
consisted of two persons. Mr. Porter, the chairman,
however, desired one of the two secretaries who attended
him to begin the business of the day. Subsequently the
number present increased to six, besides those three
official personages ' • beyond that number it never rose.
A report was read, written by Dr. Alison, of Edin-
burgh, on the medical relief to the parochial poor of
Scotland under the former law. Dr. Alison considered
that this inquiry would supply the best test of the effi-
ciency of the voluntary system of relief; which had pre-
vaile.t in Scotland until the New Poor-law. Returns
had been obtained from 40 towns, and it was found that
in 16 of them the parochial authorities had supplied no
medical relief at ail, and in the rest only trifling occa-
sional payments had been made, chit fly during the pre-
valence of some epidemic. 25 practitioners had made a
return of the estimated money value of their unrequited
professional labour bestowed on sick paupers ; the
average was 401. ss. 7d. a year. In thirty-three out
of the forty towns in question, no alteration had
yet taken place. Of 325 professional men in the
country districts of Scotland who had been ap-
plied to, 305 had furnished information respecting
their remuneration for attending sick paupers; 94 of
them had been receiving some remuneration, 39 of them
an annual one varying from a few shilling for drugs up
to 201., but only 13 received above Si. a year; among
those who had received no regularlannual sum, two had
been paid 3s. each; in one case that was the sole remu-
neration received during 12 years of attendance on a
number of paupers averaging 70 constant, and 13 occa-
sional; in the other instance it was given for attendance
on passing paupers to other parishes, and the medical
gentleman in that case had received nothing for 21 years
attendance on paupers numbering 44 constant patients.
Of the 305, 211 bad never received any remuneration
of any kind for their professional attendance upon the
parochial poor, or for drugs ; one of these had at-
tended 400 paupers for eight years. Another calcu-
lated his loss by this at 704 a year; 208 had had occa-
sion to give wine, food, clothing, &c., to the sick poor,
from their own limited income, or to beg such things
from their wealthy neighbours for them; one had known
the Session sell the effects of his deceased pauper pa-
tient, and appropriate the proceeds without paying
him. 136 returns had been obtained of the estimated
value of unrequited professional labour in the country
districts; on an average the parties had been ten years
in practice, and the sum total given by them to the poor
in professional labour and outlay was 34,4471., or about
253/. each on an average; they calculated the average
for each pauper, including drugs, at 4s. a year. Four-
fifths of these practitioners reported their opinion to be
in favour of giving the poor the right of applying to any
medical man in the district, instead of being compelled
to resort to such as had been appointed for them by the
parochial boards.
A desultory conversation followed, in which
Professor More, of Edinburgh, observed that Scot-
land owed her poor-law almost wholly to Dr. Alison's
exertions. The relief now given was generally 2s. 6d.
a week to a single poor person; and, considering the
price of food there, that was a tolerable provision for
them.

Another paper was then read; a review of the Mines
and Mining Industry of Belgium, by Mr. Richard Valpy,
founded on the report of the Minister of Public Works