The Founding of The Society
By the second half of the nineteenth century there was growing interest in physiology in Britain. The burgeoning of practical physiology involving work on living animals was paralleled by the emergence of an opposition to such experiments, and in 1875 a Royal Commission of Enquiry into Vivisection was established. This Commission recommended that work on living vertebrates be governed by an Act of Parliament that required experimenters to be licensed by the Home Secretary. Experimental physiologists recognised the need to have a say in any such proposals that might hinder their work: this led to the formation of The Physiological Society in 1876. On 31 March 1876, nineteen men with an interest in physiology met to discuss the Commission's proposals and the formation of 'an association for mutual benefit and protection.' A committee was formed, a constitution drafted, the society named ("The Physiological Society"), and an inaugural dinner held on 26 May. In 1876, the government passed the Cruelty to Animals Act.
For the first four years, The Society's meetings were quite informal and intimate affairs with business taking place over dinner in a hotel. Membership of The Society was officially restricted to forty members, all of whom had to be male working physiologists. Scientific meetings began in 1880 and scientific communications and demonstrations became more numerous. However, dinner remained a pivotal part of each meeting: until about 2005, the meeting minutes were read at Society dinners.
The Society's Constitution allowed for the election of 'men of distinction in science' as Honorary Members: the first two Honorary Members were Charles Darwin and William Sharpey. In 1915, women were admitted as Members, a decision that was not without some controversy.
The Modern Physiological Society
The modern Physiological Society is a learned society with over 2,600 Members (including 14 Nobel Laureates) and Affiliates (younger scientists) drawn from over 50 countries. The majority of Members are engaged in research in universities or industry.
The Society's charitable objectives are to promote the advancement of physiology and to facilitate the intercourse of physiologists both at home and abroad, thereby contributing to the progress and understanding of biomedical and related sciences and the detection, prevention and treatment of disease, disability and malfunction of physical processes in all forms of life.
To achieve its objectives, The Society supports up to five scientific meetings annually; organises international workshops; publishes two journals; awards grants to allow Members to travel to scientific meetings and to carry out research collaborations; organises and supports educational activities and resources for students (from school age through to postgraduate level); lobbies government and other organisations on issues relevant to its Members; and promotes awareness of physiology in the media. Interaction with outside bodies is encouraged through representation on various councils and committees. Based on information from The Society's website, www.physoc.org [accessed 26 September 2008].
Chronology
1876: Report of the Royal Commission on the use of experimental animals.
1876 Mar: Formation of The Physiological Society.
1876 Apr: Rules of The Society drawn up.
1876 May: Inaugural meeting at the Criterion Restaurant, Piccadilly.
1876 Aug: Passage of Cruelty to Animals Act.
1876 Nov: First ordinary meeting.
1877 May: First annual meeting; statement submitted to General Medical Council about the refusal of certificates for animal experiments.
1878: M Foster founds The Journal of Physiology.
1880 Dec: First afternoon meeting for the presentation of scientific work, University College London.
1881 Jul: Report of Society's Committee on Vivisection recommends publication of articles in support of experimentation.
1881 Nov: Election of GJ Romanes as the first Treasurer; circulation of the report of the committee on the working of the Cruelty to Animals Act.
1882 Jul: Society supports D Ferrier in anti-vivisection case.
1882: Association for the Advancement of Medicine by Research founded.
1883 Dec: Publication of Proceedings of scientific meetings in The Journal of Physiology; scientific meetings changed from Thursdays to Saturdays.
1884 Jan: Abolition of the limit to the number of members.
1887: Foundation of American Physiological Society.
1889 Aug: First International Physiological Congress (initiated by the Physiological Society) held at Basel.
1890 Jul: Meeting in Edinburgh: first meeting outside London, Oxford and Cambridge.
1890 Dec: Vote against the institution of a president.
1891 Dec: Resolution deprecating the shortening of the course of physiology in the medical curriculum.
1891 Jan: Special committee appointed to approach Royal College of Surgeons concerning the Fellowship Examination in Physiology.
1893 Dec: JN Langley takes over editorship of the The Journal of Physiology.
1894 Aug: Meeting in tandem with British Association, Oxford.
1897 Jun: Financial support for L Hill and W Bayliss in anti-vivisection libel case.
1897 Dec: Resolution criticising General Medical Council's proposals for the medical curriculum.
1898 Jan: Communications limited to 20 minutes.
1898: American Journal of Physiology founded.
1904 Jan: Standing Committee to Report on Physiology in Regard to Educational Questions appointed.
1904 Jul: Support for government committee on the humane slaughtering of animals.
1904 Aug: Communications limited to 15 minutes.
1906 May: Appointment of sub-committee to liaise with other bodies for evidence to the Royal Commission on Vivisection.
1906 Jun: First attendance by women at a dinner.
1906 Sep: IP Pavlov attends meeting.
1907: Foundation of Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology.
1908 Mar: £100 grant to newly established Research Defence Society.
1912 May: Deputation to Board of Education about maintaining physiology on the public health and psychology curriculum.
1915 Jan: Women eligible for membership on the same terms as men.
1915 Jul: Election of first women members.
1918 Nov: Joint meeting with Biochemical Society.
1921 Jan: Motion criticising closure of Physiological Laboratory of the University of London.
1923 Jul: International Physiological Congress, Edinburgh.
1925 Apr: First foreign meeting, Leiden.
1926: Purchase of The Journal of Physiology by The Society.
1926 Mar: 50th anniversary of The Society, membership 385.
1926 Aug: International Physiological Congress, Stockholm.
1926 Oct: Society registered as a charity.
1926: Dismissal of anti-vivisection case against EB Verney.
1927 May: 50th anniversary banquet, London.
1927 Dec: Publication of History of the Physiology Society during its First Fifty Years, E Sharpey-Schafer.
1930: Joint meeting with Belgian Physiological Society at Louvain.
1934 Mar: AV Hill elected as first Foreign Secretary.
1935 Oct: Society incorporated as a limited liability company.
1939 Jul: Foreign Associate membership established.
1942: Memorandum presented to Interdepartmental Committee on Medical Schools (Goodenough Committee).
1942: HH Dale presents dog statuette to Society.
1943: Standing sub-committee on education appointed.
1947 Jul: International Physiological Congress, Oxford.
1950: Monographs Sub-Committee appointed.
1951 Apr: Joint meeting with Belgian Physiological Society at Brussels.
1951 Jul: 75th anniversary celebrations, Oxford.
1952: Publication of first monograph.
1954: First split session scientific meeting.
"Archival depot" established at University College, London.
1960 Jul: Joint meeting with Swedish Physiological Society at Lund.
1963: C Lovatt Evans delivers first Bayliss-Starling Lecture.
1965: Memorandum with Research Defence Society presented to Departmental Commission on Experiments on Animals (Littlewood Committee).
1966: Memorandum submitted to General Medical Council and Royal Commission on Education.
1968 Jul: WDM Paton delivers first Annual Review Lecture.
1968 Dec: Education and Information Sub-Committee appointed.
1968 Dec: Dale Fund established.
1973: Archive transferred from UCL to Churchill College Archives Centre in Cambridge.
1975 Sep: Dale Centennial Symposium.
1975 Nov: Appointment of Ethical Committee to consider questions on animal experiments.
1975: Commission on the Future of Teaching and Research in Physiology in the United Kingdom appointed by the Society.
1976: Centenary celebrations.
Benevolent Fund established.
Publication of A short history of the Physiological Society 1926-1976, WF Bynum.
1977: PF Baker delivered first GL Brown Review Lecture.
DH Steven appointed as Honorary Archivist.
1978: Laboratory Animals Protection Bill (Halsbury Bill).
1980: Animal Legislation Sub-Committee appointed.
Protection of Animals (Scientific Purposes) Bill (Fry Bill).
Council of Europe Draft Convention on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes.
Society takes over publication of Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology.
1982: Advisory group on Animal Legislation replaces Animal Legislation Sub-Committee.
Martin Rosenberg takes over as the Society's photographer.
1983: T Weisel delivers first Sharpey-Schafer Lecture.
1985: Wellcome Prize in Physiology established.
1986: Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act.
1987: First GW Harris Lecture .
1990: Undergraduate Prizes established.
Rushton Fund established.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology becomes Experimental Physiology.
1991: Archive transferred to the Wellcome Library.
1992: The Physiological Society Newsletter changes its name to The Physiological Society Magazine.
1993: Physiological Society hosts 32nd Congress of the International Union of Physiological Sciences in Glasgow.
Photographic collection transferred to the Wellcome Library.
1995: Joan Mott Prize Lecture founded.
2001: The Physiological Society Magazine changes its title to Physiology News.
Further information
Sir Edward Sharpey-Schafer, "History of the Physiological Society during its first fifty years 1876-1926," Journal of Physiology 64:3 (1927), pp 1-76 (SA/PHY/R.1/1).
Gilding, HP, "History of the Physiological Society 1926-1969," (unpublished) (SA/PHY/R.1/2).
W F Bynum, "A short history of the Physiological Society 1926-1976" Journal of Physiology 263:1 (1976), pp 23-72 (SA/PHY/R.1/3).
The Physiological Society's website, www.physoc.org [accessed 26 September 2008].
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