The Physiological Society
Encyclopedia
History
The Physiological Society was founded in 1876 as a dining society "for mutual benefit and protection" by a group of 19 physiologists, led by John Burdon Sanderson and Michael FosterMichael Foster (physiologist)
Sir Michael Foster was an English physiologist.He was born in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and educated at University College School, London....
, as a result of the 1875 Royal Commission on Vivisection and the subsequent 1876 Cruelty to Animals Act. The aim was to promote the advancement of physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
. Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and William Sharpey
William Sharpey
William Sharpey was a Scottish anatomist and physiologist.-Life and career:Dr. William Sharpey was a correspondent with and friend of Charles Darwin. He contributed to the many editions of ‘Quain’s Anatomy’ and was one of the Secretaries of the Royal Society...
were elected as the society's first two Honorary Members. The society first met at Sanderson's London home. The first rules of the society offered membership to no more than 40, all of whom should be male "working" physiologists (women were first admitted as members in 1915).
Michael Foster was also founder of The Journal of Physiology
The Journal of Physiology
The Journal of Physiology is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal established in 1878, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Physiological Society....
in 1878, and was appointed to the first Chair of Physiology at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1883.
Present day
The Society consists of over 3000 members, including 14 Nobel Laureates and over 700 affiliates (younger scientists) drawn from over 50 countries. The majority of members are engaged in research, in universities or industry, into how the body works in health and disease and in teaching physiology in schools and universities. The Society also facilitates communication between scientists and with other interested groups.The Physiological Society is responsible for publishing two journals: The Journal of Physiology
The Journal of Physiology
The Journal of Physiology is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal established in 1878, published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Physiological Society....
and Experimental Physiology
Experimental Physiology
Experimental Physiology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Physiological Society. It was established in 1908 as The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology and is now published monthly...
.