Transcribed by Roger Thomas

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.103.21

At the invitation of JP Bouckaert, a joint meeting of The Physiological Society and the Belgian Physiological Society was held in the Department of Physiology, Louvain University, on the 22 and 23 April 1966.

Beginning at 2.30 pm on the Friday, with Professor M Seghers in the chair, 13 communications were given by members of the Belgian Physiological Society, all, including two with French titles, in fluent English and followed by a lively discussion. The Scientific Meeting was followed by a Reception in the University Hall given by the Rector Magnificus, and by a most excellent and leisurely Dinner at Arenberg Castle. After dinner, H Blaschko warmly thanked the Rector Magnificus and Professor Bouckaert on behalf of The Society for their hospitality and for the excellent arrangements which had been made for the meeting. He reminded those present of the last joint meeting of the two societies in Louvain thirty-six years before, and observed that of those present only three – Sybil Creed, JP Bouckaert and himself – had been at that earlier meeting.

In his reply, JP Bouckaert welcomed The Society most cordially to Louvain and adopted the customary pose of a head of department in disclaiming all responsibility for the smooth organisation of the meeting, and redirected The Society’s thanks to his secretary, Mademoiselle Pelgrims, and to Dr Casteels. Recalling, in his turn, the meeting in Louvain in 1930, he proposed, to warm applause, sending greetings to those members of The Physiological Society who were at that meeting, and he looked forward to the next meeting in Louvain.

On the Saturday morning, an excellent start was made with coffee. This was followed by 14 demonstrations, with plenty of time for discussion. Lunch was by invitation of the Belgian Physiological Society, and in the afternoon, the British physiologists had their say in twenty-five communications given in two theatres under the chairmanships of JP Bouckaert, JE Desmedt and ZM Bacq.

Before tea, VC Abrahams presented results suggesting that, like iatrogenic disease, the electrical records of the physiologist might in some instances be self-produced, or at least computer-produced. A very similar suspicion must have occurred to many physiologists.

After tea the reflective atmosphere was maintained by MH Pirenne, who, beginning with an analogy from St. Augustine between evil and blackness, moved quickly from the theological to the experimental, and was soon able to convince The Society that blacker than dark was an experimental possibility. Questioners’ attempts to re-apply these results to evil were cunningly countered on the theological plane by a further quotation from St. Augustine. The meeting ended at 6.40 pm.

Signed: GL Brown

The Physiological Society Oxford
Meeting, 4 June 1966

At the invitation of GL Brown, a meeting of The Society was held in the University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford, on the
4 June 1966.

Beginning at 11 am, with GL Brown in the chair, eighteen communications were heard, eight before and ten after lunch. In paper 1, the Chairman’s impression from the recirculated abstract that the rabbits in the Regius Professors of Medicine’s Department were so well trained as to be able themselves to carry out the modified Monnier & Gangloff technique described was unfortunately found to be due to a hanging particle. After tea twenty-one demonstrations, including four extra ones, were given.

After Dinner, which was held in Rhodes House, W Feldberg thank the Chairman for again entertaining the members of The Society so well, accepting in advance GL Brown’s assurances that the arrangements were all the work of his secretary, Mrs Richards, to whom the thanks should go. He went on to entertain members and guests with an account of early collaboration with GL Brown during which his eyes were first opened to the possible value of electrophysiology.

GL Brown, in reply, thanked W Feldberg for his very kind remarks and added that this meeting marked the beginning of his own rehabilitation as a physiologist after two years’ preoccupation with another matter, but after seeing some of the demonstrations that day he felt that there should be no lack of interest in future development.

Lunch 156, Tea 231, Dinner 102.

Signed: Adrian

The Physiological Society University Cambridge Meeting, 15–16 July 1966 

At the invitation of AL Hodgkin a meeting of The Society was held in the Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge, on the 15 and 16 July, 1966.

On Friday morning, members and guests put in a very active two hours among the 31 demonstrations presented at the ARC Institute, Babraham. The visit ended with an excellent lunch in the library, where sherry was generously provided by the ARC.

Beginning at 2:15 pm at Cambridge, with AV Burgen as chairman in one theatre and AL Hodgkin and EN Willmer alternating in a second theatre, 16 communications were heard before and a further 12 after tea. This was followed by sherry party very kindly given by the University in Christ’ s College which, to the surprise of everyone present, had to be held indoors. Dinner was in Trinity College and members were delighted to see Lord Adrian in the chair. After dinner, DW Whitteridge thanked AL Hodgkin on behalf of The Society for arranging such a pleasant meeting and the Master and. Fellows of Trinity College for allowing The Society to use their Hall.

In reply, AL Hodgkin welcomed members and their guests and paid tribute to Miss Sylvia Elton who had so efficiently made the arrangements for the meeting. Trinity College, he pointed out, was a most appropriate place for The Society’s dinner, as it was in this college that an earlier Master, Richard Bentley, had against some opposition, established in the college what was perhaps the earliest experimental laboratory. AL Hodgkin ended by proposing the health of the chairman, Lord Adrian, to which members responded with enthusiasm.

Lord Adrian extended the link with Trinity College when he spoke of the old laboratory at Downing Street, a gift of that college, and of the many distinguished physiologists who had worked there, beginning with Michael Foster and including the names of JN Langley, AV Hill and HH Dale, to which his own must surely he added.

On Saturday, beginning at 10 am with EN Willmer as chairman in one theatre and ASV Burgen in the second, a further 10 communications were heard and 20 demonstrations examined before lunch, and the remaining 11 communications after lunch. Communication 24 was withdrawn. The meeting ended with tea at 4 pm.

Friday: Lunch (Babraham) 140, Tea 262, Dinner 183. Saturday: lunch 178, Tea 200.

Signed: RC Garry