dealing with fundamental research concerned with normal and abnormal cerebral metabolism; 3. trauma to the vertebral column and spinal cord, and its sequelae; and, 4. free communications. The organisers of this meeting tried, in contradistinction to pre­ vious custom, to shift the emphasis away from highlighting major communications, and so to remain true to their intention to allow experts in their fields to introduce their subjects and pin-point problems, to which subsequent speakers could then address them­ selves in detail in their own papers. In my view, this did occur in a meaningful way, although not to perfection; a goal always difficult to attain.