44- Royal Society. 



The discovery of any new elementary substance has ever been 

 deemed an occurrence worthy of being marked by some public de- 

 claration of applause. 



The ascertaining chlorine to be, in the actual state of our know- 

 ledge, one of this class, has justly been considered as among the 

 most brilliant of Sir Humphry Davy's achievements in chemical sci- 

 ence. Iodine has been added to the supporters of combustion, oc- 

 cupying, like oxygen and chlorine, the negative extremity of the scale 

 in Electro-chemistry. 



More recently another substance, apparently intermediate be- 

 tween chlorine ami iodine, has been derived from the same source as 

 that yielding the latter, from the water of the sea -, and from its pe- 

 culiar odour denominated brome, and subsequently bromine. An 

 ample account of the properties distinguishing this substance may 

 be found in a memoir by the discoverer, Mons. Balard of Montpelier, 

 read before the Academy of Sciences, published in the dnnales de 

 Chirnie, vol. xxxii. p. 337, and abridged in the twenty-second volume 

 of the Quarterly Journal of Science, p. 384. 



It will be seen by referring to the Second Part of our Transactions 

 for the present year, that Dr. Daubeny has detected bromine in 

 various springs 5 and it appears that the action of this substance, 

 on the living system, unites with its chemical qualities in associ- 

 ating it with iodine. So marked and so decisive indeed are its effects, 

 that various medical waters are conjectured to owe their beneficial 

 qualities to the presence, in extremely minute portions, of this ele- 

 mentary body, unknown and unsuspected previously to the re- 

 searches of M. Balard. 



To him, therefore, I am directed by your Council to deliver the 

 other Royal Medal, in testimony of the high respect entertained for 

 his ability, industry, and skill displayed in the discovery of bromine. 



The Copley and the Rumford Medals have not been awarded. 



The Society next proceeded to the election of the Council and 

 Officers for the ensuing year, when the following were declared to 

 be the lists : 



Council. Peter Barlow, Esq. ; John Barlow, Esq. ; William Ca- 

 vendish, Esq.; Sir Astley Cooper, Bart.; Henry Ellis, Esq.: Mi- 

 chael Faraday, Esq. ; Colonel Fitzclarence ; Davies Gilbert, Esq. ; 

 Captain Henry Kater ; Viscount Melville ; Sir George Murray, 

 .Bart.; Rev. George Peacock ; Sir Robert Peel, Bart. ; A. Wilson 

 Philip, M-D. ; John Pond, Esq.; George Rennie, Esq. ; N. Aylward 

 Vigors, Esq. 



President : His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, K.G. 

 Treasurer: John William Lubbock, Esq. Secretaries: Peter Mark 

 Roget, M.D , and John George Children, Esq. 



Dec. 9. -A paper was read, entitled, " On the performance of 

 fluid refracting telescopes, and on the applicability of this prin- 

 ciple of construction to very large instruments." By Peter Bar- 

 low, Esq.F.R.S. Corresponding Member of the Institute of France, 

 of the Imperial Academy of Petersburg, &c. 



Jn the first part of this paper the author adduces proofs of the 



efficacy 



