| Reference number | NLB/11/460 |
| Alternative reference number | NLB/11 p218-222 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Copy letter from Michael Foster, to Dr Frederick William Pavy, Fellow of the Royal Society |
| Date | 5 July 1895 |
| Description | Acknowledges the receipt of Pavy's letter and is instructed to reply as follows. The procedure adopted with regard to Dr Noel Paton's paper 'On Hepatic Glycogenesis' was one which is, and for a long time has been the customary in such cases. The President and Council confined the initiatory action of the Officers and in so doing took upon themselves the attendant responsibilities.
Regarding whether the President and Council acted in contravention to the statutes in considering and deciding upon Dr Paton's paper before it was read, they are taking advice. Should Pavy's view prove correct, the President and Council, who have of late years repeatedly taken such action propose to take steps to amend the statutes since they are of the opinion that in the interest of science every effort should be made to avoid unnecessary delay in the publication of papers communicated to the Society.
As stated in the advertisement in every 'Philosophical Transactions [of the Royal Society]' the Society disclaims any responsibility for the scientific opinions expressed in papers published by it. Nevertheless the President and Council regrets that the footnote referred to in Pavy's letter was published and think the scientific opinion it embodies should have been otherwise expressed.
The President and Council cannot enter into any discussion as to the fitness of Paton's paper to appear in the 'Phil. Trans.', nor do they think it right to take any notice of that part of the letter which seems to impute unbecoming motives to the Senior Secretary. |
| Extent | 5p |
| Format | Carbon |
| Access status | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | Name | Dates |
| NA8220 | Foster; Sir; Michael (1836 - 1907); physiologist | 1836 - 1907 |
| NA6055 | Pavy; Frederick William (1829 - 1911) | 1829 - 1911 |
| NA1368 | Paton; Diarmid Noel (1859 - 1928) | 1859 - 1928 |