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GENERAL MONTHLY MEETING,

Monday, March 4, 1895.

SIR JAMES CRICHTON-BROWNE, M.D. LL.D. F.R.S. Treasurer and Vice-President, in the Chair.

George S. Albright, Esq.

Edward George Betts, Esq. M.R.C.S.
Miss Catherine Emily Bradshaw.

Reginald Arthur Bray, Esq.

Matthew Bulloch, Esq.

George Bywaters, Esq.

G. Felix N. Clay, Esq. B.A.

Charles Scott Dickson, Esq. M.A.
Joseph J. Elliott, Esq.

James Garvie, Esq.

Mrs. Alexander Goschen.

Frederick Leverton Harris, Esq. M.A.

E. G. Harrison, Esq.

Stapleton C. Hogg, Esq.

Ernest Law, Esq.

His Grace The Duke of Newcastle.

George Henry Ogston, Esq.

Bertram Percy Portal, Esq.

Spencer John Portal, Esq.

Marmaduke Prickett, M.D. M.A.

Lieut.-Colonel William W. Rawes, R.A.

William Thomas Shaw, Esq.

John Henry Skelton, Esq.

James J. Walker, Esq.

William Hall Walker, Esq.

Arthur Fraser Walter, Esq.

were elected Members of the Royal Institution.

The Special Thanks of the Members were returned for the following Donations to the Fund for the Promotion of Experimental Research at Low Temperatures:

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The Special Thanks of the Members were returned to Mr. Hugh Spottiswoode, for a portrait of his father, the late Mr. William Spottiswoode, M.R.I.

The following Arrangements for the Lectures after Easter were announced :

PROFESSOR GEORGE FORBES, M.A. F.R.S. M. INST. C.E.-Three Lectures on ALTERNATING AND INTERRUPTED ELECTRIC CURRENTS; on Tuesdays, April 23, 30, May 7.

PROFESSOR E. RAY LANKESTER, M.A. LL.D. F.R.S.-Four Lectures on THIRTY YEARS' PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE; on Tuesdays, May 14, 21, 28, June 4.

PROFESSOR DEWAR, M.A. LL.D. F.R.S. M.R.I. Fullerian Professor of Chemistry, R.I.-Four Lectures on THE LIQUEFACTION OF GASES; on Thursdays, April 25, May 2, 9, 16.

WILLIAM HUGGINS, ESQ., D.C.L. LL.D. F.R.S. M.R.I.—Three Lectures on THE INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS OF SPECTROSCOPIC ASTRONOMY (The Tyndall Lectures); on Thursdays, May 23, 30, June 6.

ARNOLD DOLMETSCH, ESQ.-Three Lectures on MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF THE 16TH, 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES; 1. English. 2. French. 3. Italian. (With Illustrations upon Original Instruments.) On Saturdays, April 27, May 4, 11.

SEYMOUR LUCAS, Esq. A.R.A.--Two Lectures on PICTURE MAKING; on Saturdays, May 18, 25.

PROFESSOR EDWARD DOWDEN, D.C.L. LL.D. Professor of English Literature, Trinity College, Dublin.-Two Lectures on ELIZABETHAN LITERATURE. 1. The Pastoral. 2. The Masque; on Saturdays, June 1, 8.

The PRESENTS received since the last Meeting were laid on the table, and the thanks of the Members returned for same, viz. :—

FROM

1895.

Abney, Captain W. de W. C.B. D.C.L. F.R.S. (the Author)-Colour Vision, being the Tyndall Lectures delivered in 1894 before the Royal Institution. 8vo. Accademia dei Lincei, Reale, Roma-Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali. Atti, Serie Quinta: Rendiconti. 1o Semestre, Vol. IV. Fasc. 1-3. 8vo. 1895.

Classe di Scienze Morali, etc.: Rendiconti, Serie Quinta, Vol. III. Fasc. 10-12. 8vo. 1894.

American Academy-Proceedings, New Series, Vol. XXI. 8vo. 1894.

American Association-Proceedings, August Meeting, 1893, at Madison, Wisconsin. 8vo. 1894.

Asiatic Society of Bengal-Proceedings, 1894, No. 9. 8vo. 1894.
Journal, Vol. LXIII. Part 1, No. 3; Part 2, No. 3. 8vo. 1894.

Astronomical Society, Royal-Monthly Notices, Vol. LV. No. 3. 8vo. 1894.
Bankers, Institute of-Journal, Vol. XVI. Part 2. 8vo. 1895.

Basel Naturforschenden Gesellschaft-Verhandlungen, Band X. Heft 2. 8vo.

1894.

Bombay, the Under Secretary of Government, General Department-Progress Report
of the Archæological Survey of Western India, 1893-94. 8vo. 1894.
Boston Public Library-Bulletin, New Series, Vol. V. No. 4. 8vo. 1895.
Boston Society of Natural History-Proceedings, Vol. XXVI. Parts 2, 3. 8vo.

1894.

Geology of the Boston Basis. By W. O. Crosby. Vol. I. Part 2. 8vo. 1894. Memoirs, Vol. III. No. 14. 4to. 1894.

British Architects, Royal Institute of Journal, 3rd Series, Vol. II. No. 3. 4to. British Association-Report of Meeting at Oxford, 1894. 8vo. 1894.

British Astronomical Association-Journal, Vol. IV. No. 11; Vol. V. Nos. 3, 4.

8vo. 1895.

Camera Club-Journal for February, 1895. 8vo.

Chemical Industry, Society of―Journal, Vol. XIV. No. 1. 8vo. 1895.
Chemical Society-Journal for February, 1895. 8vo.

Proceedings, Nos. 147, 148. 8vo. 1894.

Cracovie, l'Académie des Sciences-Bulletin, 1895, No. 1. 8vo.

Donisthorpe, Wordsworth, Esq. (the Author)—A System of Measures.

1895.

Editors-American Journal of Science for February, 1895. 8vo.

Analyst for February, 1895. 8vo.

Athenæum for February, 1895. 4to.

Brewers' Journal for February, 1895. 8vo.
Chemical News for February, 1895. 4to.

Chemist and Druggist for February, 1895. 8vo.
Electrical Engineer for February, 1895. fol.

Electrical Engineering for February, 1895. 8vo.
Electrical Review for February, 1895. 8vo.
Electric Plant for February, 1895. 4to.
Electricity for February, 1895. 8vo.
Engineer for February, 1895. fol.
Engineering for February, 1895. fol.

Engineering Review for February, 1895. 8vo.

Horological Journal for February, 1895.

8vo.

Industries and Iron for February, 1895. fol.
Ironmongery for February, 1895. 4to.
Law Journal for February, 1895. 8vo.
Lightning for February, 1895. 8vo.
Machinery Market for February, 1895. 8vo.
Nature for February, 1895. 4to.

Nuovo Cimento for February, 1895. 8vo.
Open Court for February, 1895. 4to.
Optician for February, 1895. 8vo.

Photographic News for February, 1895. 8vo.

Photographic Work for February, 1895. 8vo.

Rasa-Ranga-Rahasya, Vol. I. No. 6. 8vo. 1894.

Scots Magazine for February, 1895. 8vo.

Technical World for February, 1895. 8vo.

Transport for February, 1895. fol.

Tropical Agriculturist for February, 1895.

Work for February, 1895. 8vo.

Zoophilist for February, 1895. 4to.

8vo.

Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale-Bolletino, Nos. 219, 220. 8vo. 1894. Franklin Institute-Journal, No. 830. 8vo. 1894.

Geographical Society, Royal-Geographical Journal for February, 1895. 8vo. Geological Society-Quarterly Journal, No. 201. 8vo. 1895.

Gladstone, J. H. Esq. F.R.S. M.R.I. &c.-Records of the Tercentenary Festival of the University of Dublin in 1892. 4to. 1894.

Tijdschrift van het Nederlandsch Aardrijkskundig Genootschap, Tweede Serie,

Deel IX. X. 8vo. 1892-93.

Huggins, Mrs. M.R.I. (the Author)-The Astrolabe. 8vo. 1894.

Johns Hopkins University-American Chemical Journal, Vol. XVII. No. 2. 8vo.

1895.

Linnean Society-Journal, No. 210. 8vo. 1894.

London County Council (Technical Education Board)-London Technical Education Gazette, No. 5. 8vo. 1895.

Meteorological Society, Royal-Quarterly Journal, No. 93. 8vo. 1895.

Meteorological Record, No. 54. 8vo. 1895.

Microscopical Society, Royal-Journal, 1895, Part 1. 8vo.

Middlesex Hospital-Reports for 1893. 8vo. 1894.

New South Wales, The Agent-General for-A Statistical Account of the Seven Colonies of Australasia. By G. A. Boulenger. 8vo. 1894.

New York Academy of Sciences-Transactions, Vol. XIII. 1893–94. 8vo.

New Zealand, The Registrar-General of-Statistics of the Colony of New Zealand

for 1893. 8vo. 1894.

North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers-Transactions, Vol. XLIV. Part 2. 8vo. 1895.

Numismatic Society-Chronicle and Journal, 1894, Part 4. 8vo. Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain—Journal for February, 1895. 8vo. Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences—Proceedings, 1894, Part 2.

1894.

8vo.

Photographic Society of Great Britain, Royal-Journal and Transactions, Vol.
XIX. No. 6. 8vo. 1894.

Physical Society of London-Proceedings, Vol. XIII. Part 3. 8vo. 1895.
Prince, C. L. Esq. F.R.A.S. &c.—Summary of a Meteorological Journal. 8vo.

1894.

Roma, Ministero di Agricultura, Industria e Commercio-Statistica delle Biblioteche. 2 vols. 8vo. 1893-94.

Royal Colonial Institute-Catalogue of the Library. 8vo. 1895.
Royal Irish Academy-Cunningham Memoirs, No. X. 4to. 1894.
Royal Society of London-Proceedings, Nos. 341, 342. 8vo. 1894.
Saxon Society of Sciences,

Mathematisch-physische Classe, Band XXI. No. 3. 8vo. 1895.
Selborne Society-Nature Notes for February, 1895. 8vo.

Society of Antiquaries-Proceedings, 2nd Series, Vol. XV. No. 2. 8vo. 1894. Society of Arts-Journal for February, 1895. 8vo.

St. Pétersbourg, Académie Impériale des Sciences-Bulletin, Ve Serie, Tome II. No. 1. 8vo. 1895.

Tacchini, Prof. P. Hon. Mem. R.I. (the Author)-Memorie della Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani, Vol. XXIII. Disp. 12. 4to. 1895.

United Service Institution, Royal-Journal, No. 204. 8vo. 1895.

United States Patent Office-Official Gazette, Vol. LXIX. Nos. 10-12. 8vo. 1894. Vereins zur Beförderung des Gewerbfleisses in Preussen-Verhandlungen, 1895, Heft. 1. 4to. 1895.

WEEKLY EVENING MEETING,

Friday, March 8, 1895.

SIR FREDERICK ABEL, BART. K.C.B. D.C.L. LL.D. F.R.S.
Vice-President, in the Chair.

PROFESSOR A. W. RÜCKER, M.A. F.R.S. M.R.I.

The Physical Work of von Helmholtz.

THE career we are to consider this evening was a career of singular distinction. In days when the range of "natural knowledge" is so vast that most workers are compelled to be content if they can add something to one or two of the sub-divisions of one of the main branches of science, von Helmholtz showed that it is not impossible to be at once a great mathematician, a great experimental physicist, and, in the widest sense of the term, a great biologist.

It was but eight months yesterday since he delivered his last lecture; it is six months to-day since he died, and the interval is too short for us to attempt to decide on the exact place which will be assigned to him by posterity; but making all allowance for the fact that each age is apt to place its own great among the greatest, making all allowance for the spell which his name cast over many of us in the lecture rooms where we ourselves first gained some knowledge of science, I am sure that I only express the views of all those who know his work best, when I say that we place him in the very front rank of those who have led the great scientific movement of our time. This opinion I have now to justify. I must try to convey to you in some sixty minutes an outline of the work of more than fifty strenuous years, to give you some idea of the wide range of the multifold activities which were crowded into them, of the marvellous insight with which the most diverse problems were attacked and solved, and, if it may be, some image of the man himself. The task is impossible, and I can but attempt some fragments

of it.

The history of von Helmholtz is in one respect a simple tale. There are no life and death struggles with fate to record. His work was not done with the wolf at the door, or while he himself was wrestling with disease. He passed through no crises in which success or failure, immortality or oblivion, seemed to depend on the casting of a die. He suffered neither from poverty nor riches. He was a hale, strong man on whom external circumstances neither imposed exceptional disabilities, nor conferred exceptional advantages, but

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