Thedebatewhichensuedwasinitsscopeandprogressanepitomeofthecourseoflife。Neitherplacenorcouncilwaslackingindignity。Thedebaterswerethekeenestintheland，thethemetheywereengagedontheloftiestandmostvital。ThehighhallofHorne’shousehadneverbeheldanassemblysorepresentativeandsovariednorhadtheoldraftersofthatestablishmenteverlistenedtoalanguagesoencyclopaedic。Agallantsceneintruthitmade。CrotherswasthereatthefootofthetableinhisstrikingHighlandgarb，hisfaceglowingfromthebrinyairsoftheMullofGalloway。Theretoo，oppositetohimwasLynch，whosecountenanceborealreadythestigmataofearlydepravityandprematurewisdom。NexttheScotchmanwastheplaceassignedtoCostello，theeccentric，whileathissidewasseatedinstolidreposethesquatformofMadden。ThechairoftheresidentindeedstoodvacantbeforethehearthbutoneitherflankofitthefigureofBannoninexplorer’skitoftweedshortsandsaltedcowhidebroguescontrastedsharplywiththeprimroseeleganceandtownbredmannersofMalachiRolandStJohnMulligan。LastlyattheheadoftheboardwastheyoungpoetwhofoundarefugefromhislaboursofpedagogyandmetaphysicalinquisitionintheconvivialatmosphereofSocraticdiscussion，whiletorightandleftofhimwereaccommodatedtheflippantprognosticator，freshfromthehippodrome，andthatvigilantwanderer，soiledbythedustoftravelandcombatandstainedbythemireofanindelibledishonour，butfromwhosesteadfastandconstantheartnolureorperilorthreatordegradationcouldevereffacetheimageofthatvoluptuouslovelinesswhichtheinspiredpencilofLafayettehaslimnedforagesyettocome。
IthadbetterbestatedhereandnowattheoutsetthatthepervertedtranscendentalismtowhichMrS。Dedalus’Div。Scep。contentionswouldappeartoprovehimprettybadlyaddictedrunsdirectlycountertoacceptedscientificmethods。Science，itcannotbetoooftenrepeated，dealswithtangiblephenomena。Themanofsciencelikethemaninthestreethastofacehardheadedfactsthatcannotbeblinkedandexplainthemasbesthecan。Theremaybe，itistrue，somequestionswhichsciencecannotanswer-atpresent-suchasthefirstproblemsubmittedbyMrL。BloomPubb。
Canv。regardingthefuturedeterminationofsex。MustweaccepttheviewofEmpedoclesofTrinacriathattherightovarythepostmenstrualperiod，assertothersisresponsibleforthebirthofmalesorarethetoolongneglectedspermatozoaornemaspermsthedifferentiatingfactorsorisit，asmostembryologistsinclinetoopine，suchasCulpepper，Spallanzani，Blumenbach，Lusk，Hertwig，LeopoldandValenti，amixtureofboth？Thiswouldbetantamounttoacooperationoneofnature’sfavouritedevices
betweenthenisusformativusofthenemaspermontheonehandandontheotherahappilychosenposition，succubitusfelix，ofthepassiveelement。Theotherproblemraisedbythesameinquirerisscarcelylessvital：infantmortality。Itisinterestingbecause，ashepertinentlyremarks，weareallborninthesamewaybutwealldieindifferentways。
MrM。MulliganHyg。etEug。Doc。blamesthesanitaryconditionsinwhichourgreylungedcitizenscontractadenoids，pulmonarycomplaintsetc。byinhalingthebacteriawhichlurkindust。Thesefacts，healleges，andtherevoltingspectaclesofferedbyourstreets，hideouspublicityposters，religiousministersofalldenominations，mutilatedsoldiersandsailors，exposedscorbuticcardrivers，thesuspendedcarcasesofdeadanimals，paranoicbachelorsandunfructifiedduennas-these，hesaid，wereaccountableforanyandeveryfallingoffinthecalibreoftherace。Kalipedia，heprophesied，wouldsoonbegenerallyadoptedandallthegracesoflife，genuinelygoodmusic，agreeableliterature，lightphilosophy，instructivepictures，plastercastreproductionsoftheclassicalstatuessuchasVenusandApollo，artisticcolouredphotographsofprizebabies，alltheselittleattentionswouldenableladieswhowereinaparticularconditiontopasstheinterveningmonthsinamostenjoyablemanner。MrJ。CrotthersDisc。Bacc。attributessomeofthesedemisestoabnormaltraumainthecaseofwomenworkerssubjectedtoheavylaboursintheworkshopandtomaritaldisciplineinthehomebutbyfarthevastmajoritytoneglect，privateorofficial，culminatingintheexposureofnewborninfants，thepracticeofcriminalabortionorintheatrociouscrimeofinfanticide。AlthoughtheformerwearethinkingofneglectisundoubtedlyonlytootruethecasehecitesofnursesforgettingtocountthespongesIntheperitonealcavityistooraretobenormative。