Transcribed by Roger Thomas, who adds that these reports were read by the meetings secretary during the meeting dinner at the next event, and then signed as a correct record by the presiding host. The original reports (or ‘minutes’) are held in the Wellcome Library. Younger members may not realise that The Society started as a dining club.

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.110.21

The Physiological Society’s Charing Cross/Ciba Meeting, 12-13 January 1968

At the invitation of W. Burns and G.P. Lewis, a meeting of the Society was held in the Department of Physiology, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School on Friday 12 January 1968 and at the Ciba Laboratories, Horsham, on Saturday 13 January 1968.

Beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday with W. Burns in the chair, ten papers were heard before tea followed by demonstrations until 6 p.m., when it was time for members and guests to make their way to the House of Lords where dinner had been arranged through the kindness of Lord Pargiter. Before dinner members were shown round both Houses of Parliament after which sherry, generously provided by members of the department, was served to ensure the proper mood for the appreciation of the excellent dinner which was to follow.

After dinner, G.W. Theobald, in proposing the Society’s thanks to their hosts, very properly paid tribute to the excellent choice of sherries and somewhat improperly raised the question of the distinction between English and Scottish Peers. W. Burns, in reply, expressed his pleasure at entertaining the Society and his gratitude for the help he had received from so many members of his staff in arranging the meeting. He was particularly grateful to Lord Pargiter, an old friend of the Charing Cross Hospital, for arranging the splendid dinner they had just eaten. W. Burns then proposed the health of Lord and Lady Pargiter. Lord Pargiter, in his reply, returned to the vexed question of Scottish and English Peers and wondered what effect Scottish Nationalism might have on the former: on this thought, at least one of the Secretaries relapsed into unaccustomed contemplation.

Saturday started badly, with heavy snow and a biting wind. In spite of this, 40 members turned up at 9.15 a.m. in the Board Room at Charing Cross Hospital, awaiting the Ciba bus to take them to Horsham. By 9.30 doubt had set in, which the automatic telephone-answering service at Horsham did not dispel. At 9.45 members and guests rushed off into the snow to try to catch the 10.02 from Victoria: surprisingly, almost everyone did. From then on the day steadily improved. The train was warm, comfortable and on time. Ciba quickly arranged cars to collect members from the station, so that finally some 80-90 members guests gathered for coffee only 15 minutes late. The meeting started at 11.30 with G.P. Lewis in the chair and all the papers were heard by 1.15. Paper 12 was not accepted for publication.

The lunch which followed was one of the best that the present minutes-writer can remember. After lunch the programme of demonstrations by Eidophor large-screen television showed exactly how a single muscle fibre or a single active nerve unit is dissected, and the demonstration in 12 minutes flat by W. Feldberg of perfusion of the lateral ventricles in the cat was a delight to watch.

The meeting ended with tea at 4.30, after which five people returned to London in the bus which had by now arrived.

Signed: E.C. Amoroso

Friday, 12 January
Tea 120 – Dinner 70

Saturday, 13 January
Coffee 100 – Lunch 93 – Tea 100

The Physiological Society’s University College London Meeting, 22-23 March 1968

On the invitation of A.F. Huxley, a Meeting of the Society was held in the Department of Physiology, University College London, on the 22nd and 23rd March. Beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday in the Botany Lecture, with A.F. Huxley and H.O. Schild successively in the chair, ten papers were heard before tea. The new lecture theatre was a great improvement in comfort for members used to the packed and tropical atmosphere at the rear of the Physiology Theatre. The one disadvantage, the absence of communication with the projection room other than a buzzer, affected only the Chairman, who was required on occasions to bound from the theatre at great speed and, as members could judge, to great effect.

Tea at 4.30 was followed by some excellent demonstrations, including one extra by M.J. Holmes. Dinner was notable first for a striking reversal of the increasing prices over the past two or three years, and secondly for the clear evidence of a very poor correlation between price and the standard of food provided. After dinner A.L. Hodgkin proposed the Society’s thanks to their hosts and expressed the pleasure he was sure all members felt at the large number of distinguished scientists from Europe who were present. A.F. Huxley, in reply, welcomed members and their guests and particularly the many members from other countries, including Professor S. Weidmann from Berne and Professor S. Thesleff from Lund. Both he and the Society were indebted to Miss Mollie Kirk and Charlie Evans for once again taking most of the responsibility for organizing the meeting.

Beginning at 9.45 a.m. on Saturday, with B. Katz in the chair, a further thirteen papers were taken in one continuous stretch until lunch at 1 p.m., and it says much for members that the discussion at the end was as vigorous as at the beginning. The remaining four papers were heard in the afternoon, beginning at 2.15 with A.F. Huxley in the chair, and the scientific meeting ended at 3.15 to be followed immediately by the Annual General Meeting.

Signed: J.N. Mills

Friday, 22 March
Tea 337 – Dinner 198

Saturday, 23 March
Coffee 49 – Lunch 143 – Tea 244