Transcribed by Roger Thomas

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.106.17

Until a few years ago it was the custom at each meeting (of which there were up to ten a year) dinner for the Meetings Secretary to read out his written account, described as ‘minutes’, of the preceding meeting, typically about 500 words and including some mildly humorous remarks. The head of the host department then asked the diners if the account was correct, and signed the minutes. Next, one of the pre-chosen diners thanked the host for a splendid meeting, and the host replied passing his thanks on to the relevant staff.

Guys Hopspital Meeting,
14 January 1967

On the invitation of J.N. Hunt, a meeting of the Society was held in the Department of Physiology, Guy’s Hospital Medical School, on Saturday 14 January 1967. Pressure by authors to read papers at this meeting was particularly heavy and was met by the local chairman very kindly agreeing to split the meeting. As a result, starting at 10 a.m. the first pair of thirty communications was taken in two theatres under the Chairmanship of J.N. Hunt and R.T. Grant, FRS. The opening paper in Theatre I was somewhat prolonged by an inexplicable inability of the lantern to focus the slides unless carried by the projectionists several feet in front of its stand. The discovery by the chairman of an additional focussing device allowed it to be returned to a more conventional position where, other than the failure of a bulb and the blowing of a fuse, it performed satisfactorily for the remaining four papers before the demonstrations at 11.15.

Sherry preceding lunch and beer at lunch were very kindly provided by Smith & Nephew Research, Ltd. After lunch J.E. Cotes drew members’ attention to the activities of a nomenclature sub-committee of the I.U.P.S. which was considering the definitions of some terms used in physiology. Copies of these with the proposed definitions were available, and J.E. Cotes asked members for their comments and also suggestion of additional terms which might be included. A.A. Harper, speaking on behalf of The Society, thanked the local chairman for an excellently organised meeting and, as was to be expected in a department so devoted to gastric physiology, for a splendid lunch. In his reply J.N. Hunt welcomed members and guests to what was the first meeting of the society since he had taken over from W.R. Spurrell, and paid tribute to the work of his staff and his secretaries, Miss R. Lambert and Miss C. Jarratt, in arranging the meeting.

Beginning at 2 pm, with J.M. Robson and J.N. Hunt as chairmen in Theatre I and I.M. Macdonald in Theatre II, the remaining 20 papers were taken in perfect timing to allow the meeting to end at 4.30 with tea.

Signed by: John L. D’Silva

King’s College London Meeting
17-18 February 1967

At the invitation of J.L. D’Silva a Meeting of the Society was held in the Department of Physiology, King’s College, London, on 17 and 18 February, 1967.

Beginning at 2.00 p.m., with J.L. D’Silva in the chair, the time for explanation of demonstrations was used to such good effect by nine of the thirteen authors that communications did not begin until 2.30. The first paper passed without incident, but paper 2, which concerned the role of acetylcholine in adrenergic transmissions, was followed by a most animated, discussion, led by J.H. Burn, which was very much in the traditions of The Society. Eight papers were taken before tea at 4.25, followed by demonstrations in the new laboratories of the Physiology Department and in the Department of Pharmacology. Sherry at 6.45 preceded an excellent dinner in the Senior Staff Common Room. After dinner A.J. Buller, returned for the day to his old haunts, proposed The Society’s thanks to their hosts. In his reply, J.L. D’Silva welcomed members and guests; and hoped that everyone was enjoying the meeting and that it would not be too long before the Society returned to King’s College.

On Saturday beginning at 10.15 a.m. with J.L. D’Silva in the chair, nine papers were heard before lunch, and with D. Mendel as chairman the remaining papers were taken after lunch. The meeting ended at 3.30 p.m.

Signed by: Andrew Huxley

University College London Meeting
7-18 March 1967

At the invitation of A.F. Huxley, a meeting of The Society was held in the Department of Physiology, University College London, on 17 and 18 March 1967. Beginning at 2.00 p.m. on Friday, with A.F. HuxIey in the chair, ten papers were quickly disposed of, leaving ample time for tea and demonstrations, the latter distributed over three departments.  This was followed by an excursion to the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, where sherry and an excellent dinner were waiting. After dinner R.V. Coxon, proposing The Society’s thanks to its hosts, drew attention to the difficulties of Easter as a moveable feast – difficulties which had made it impossible for University College to make the usual arrangements for accommodation and dinner. This dinner would have been the 21st anniversary of the return of the A.G.M. to University College after the disorganisation of the last war.  In his reply, A.F. Huxley welcomed The Society and its guests, particularly Professor Schaeffer, from Germany. Most of the work of arranging the meeting had fallen, as usual, on Miss Mollie Kirk and Mr. Charlie Evans, and the arrangements for dinner on the staff of the Middlesex Hospital, to all of whom he was most grateful. Professor Huxley then read a most cordial letter from F. Peyton Rous in reply to the congratulations sent to him on behalf of The Society on the award of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1966. In a short speech, C. Keele recalled this was not the first time the Middlesex had come to the rescue of University College, as the Hospital had provided clinical training from 1830 to 1835 for the then new medical school in Gower Street.  After dinner, H.E. Lewis entertained members and guests in the lecture theatre with a selection of recent portraits of physiologists, and with some short historical films, including the 1932 International Congress in Rome and one taken in 0xford in 1936 which included shots of A. Krogh, J.S. Haldane, C.S. Sherrington and others.

The meeting resumed at 10.05 on Saturday morning, with A.F. Huxley in the chair. Twelve papers were heard before lunch and remaining four after lunch. The scientific meeting ended at 3,15 and was followed by the Annual General Meeting, and, at 5,30 p.m., by tea.

Signed by: A. Hemingway