▁in ▁its ▁application ▁and ▁not ▁free ▁of ▁ab uses ▁– ▁this ▁system ▁remained ▁at ▁the ▁heart ▁of ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁procedures ▁for ▁publishing ▁until ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁Section al ▁Comm itte es ▁were ▁dissol ved . ▁However , ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁sending ▁most ▁papers ▁out ▁for ▁review ▁remained . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁Trans actions ▁to ▁the ▁Society ▁was ▁increasing ▁again ▁( and ▁would ▁keep ▁doing ▁so ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁century ); ▁illustr ations ▁were ▁always ▁the ▁largest ▁out going . ▁Illustr ations ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁natural ▁and ▁essential ▁aspect ▁of ▁the ▁scientific ▁period ical ▁since ▁the ▁later ▁sevent e enth ▁century . ▁Eng rav ings ▁( cut ▁into ▁metal ▁pl ates ) ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁detailed ▁illustr ations , ▁particularly ▁where ▁real ism ▁was ▁required ; ▁while ▁wood - cut s ▁( and , ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁wood - eng rav ings ) ▁were ▁used ▁for ▁diag rams , ▁as ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁easily ▁combined ▁with ▁letter press . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 5 0 s , ▁the ▁Philosoph ical ▁Trans actions ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁d rain ▁on ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁fin ances ▁and ▁the ▁tre as urer , ▁Edward ▁Sab ine , ▁ur ged ▁the ▁Committee ▁of ▁Pap ers ▁to ▁restrict ▁the ▁length ▁and ▁number ▁of ▁papers ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁journal . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁for ▁example , ▁the