Transcribed by Roger Thomas

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.100.14

At the invitation of BHC Matthews a meeting of the Society was held in The Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge on the 22 May 1965.

With BHC Matthews and AL Hodgkin alternating in the Chair, 18 Communications were given, and between 11.45 a.m. and lunchtime, 13 Demonstrations including 4 extra ones, were shown.

In Communication number eight GS Brindley who, it was rumoured, had hoped to produce a rabbit from a hat, not only let a cat out of a bag but threw it into the air and, to thunderous applause from the Society, caught it again. (Editor’s note: The title of this communication was ‘How does an animal that is dropped in a non-upright posture know the angle through which it must turn in the air so that its feet point to the ground?’ The abstract concluded that it remembered its pre-drop orientation.)

After dinner, which was held in the University Arms Hotel, Mary Pickford thanked the Chairman for yet again entertaining the Society so very well. BHC Matthews in reply redirected these praises to his colleagues and especially to Miss Sylvia Elton, and offered the Society’s commiserations to those students for whom the Meeting meant only an unconstitutional examination on Ascension Day.

Signed GL Brown 16 July 1965.

At the invitation of GL Brown a meetings of the Society was held on the 16/17 July in the University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford.

The meeting was preceded on the Friday morning by a joint colloquium with the Biochemical society on the Biochemistry and Physiology of the Central Nervous System when 6 invited speakers lectured to a very large audience in the Playhouse. After lunch the joint meeting divided briefly into three theatres for Communications, rejoined for tea and then shared 33 demonstrations, 23 from The Physiological Society and 10 from the Biochemists.

At 6.30pm the Society went its lonely way to Magdalen College to be generously entertained to sherry by the University in the Cloisters until GL Brown appeared on the roof to announce the dinners in Magdalen and Balliol Colleges. Since he prudently disregarded the invitation to ‘jump for it’, he was able, after dinner, to thank J Diamond who had proposed his health and The Society’s thanks, for his possibly improper remarks about his former Professor and his certainly improper stories. He warmly welcomed the many distinguished foreign physiologists who were at the meeting and the Societies guests from the Biochemical Society. He explained that the labours of deciding with the Frank’s Commission that Oxford was really quite a respectable University had thrown the main burden of arranging the Meeting on his colleagues especially onto RV Coxon and Audrey Richards.

On Saturday the meeting continued in two theatres with still more Communications until tea-time when, sated with a possible 33 Demonstrations and 63 Communications under the Chairmanships of GL Brown, HA Krebs, RA Peters and RV Coxon, controversy was stilled and one author offered carte blanche in the revision of his paper and Members welcomed DPC Lloyd’s agreeable offer to JJB Jack that their discussions be continued later over the best possible dinner Oxford could provide.

Signed (in green ink, illegible but probably) DH Smyth.