The Croonian Lectures on Evolution and Dissolution of the Nervous System

Is the first place, I mosthcartily thank you, Mlr.President, for per- mitting me to give these lectures.The doctrine of Evolution daily gailns new adherents.It islnot simply synonymous with Darwinism.Herbert Spencer applies it to all orders of phenomena.His application of it to the -nervous systemii is most importanit for medical men.I have long thought that we shall be very muclh helped in our investigations of diseases of the nervous system by considering them as reversals of evolutioni, that is, as Dissolutions.Dissolution is a term I take from Spencer as a name for the reverse of the process of evolution.The subject has been worked at for many years.About half a century ago, Laycock applied the doctrine of reflex action to the brain.