Royal Academy of Copenhagen. 233 



secuting these researches. The older philosophers have left 

 , us numerous experiments on this subject, which do not ex- 

 actly correspond with the principles of the experimental 

 philosophy of the present day. Some philosophers have 

 made new and important experiment*, which have not been 

 sufficiently examined or repeated. The [loyal S' cietv, thinks 

 ing that this part of experimental philosophy may be consi- 

 derably improved, offers a prize-to the writer, who, taking 

 experience for his guide and support/ shall give the best ex- 

 position of the mutual connexion between electricity and 

 magnetism. 



In Philosophy. — 1. There are persons who still deny the 

 utility or' physical doctrines and experiments in explaining 

 the phenomena of the mind and soul : others, on the con- 

 trary, contemptuously reject psychological observations and 

 reasons, in researches which relate to the body, or restrict 

 the application of them to certain diseases. It would be 

 useful to discuss these two opinions, to show and establish 

 more clearly how far psychology and natural philosophy 

 may be combined ; and to demonstrate, bv historical ev 1- 

 dence, what each of these sciences has hitherto 'contributed 

 to the advancement of the other. 2. The idea of an uni-> 

 yersal and characteristic language, proposed by Leibnitz, 

 having never been sufficiently explained by himself, and ap- 

 pearing to have not been understood by any person, the 

 question is, to give an accurate and luminous designation of 

 that language, to point out the way that is capable of lead- 

 ing to this desirable object, and at the same time to examine 

 how far the methods hitherto tried in certain sciences, for 

 instance, in mathematics and chemistry, might be correctly 

 applied to philosophy and J^e other branches of human 

 knowledge. For the best answer to each of these questions 

 the academy offers a cold medal of the value of ilfty Danish 

 ducats. Answers to all, except the last, the term of which 

 is extended to 181 J, must be sent before the conclusion of 

 1810, either in Latin, French, English. German, Swedish, 

 or Danish, toM. Buyge, professor of astronomy at Copen- 

 hagen. 



WERNERIAN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 



At the meeting of this Society, on Saturday 2»st of July 

 last, Mr. Campbell of Carbrook re 'd some observations on 

 the cause of the antilunar or inferior tide, impre»>ing the 

 Newtonian theory on that subject; and Dr. Thomas Thorn*. 

 son read an account of two natural combinations of hydro- 

 gen and carbon, viz. carburetted hydrogen and supercar- 

 buretted hydrogen, neither of them containing anv b.xygen^ 



xlv:// 2 . 



