88 Abstract of Treasurer's Account. 



Though Mr. Dalton lived more than thirty years after the publication 

 of the first volumo of his Chemistry, lie never again adverted to the sub- 

 ject, nor did he adopt any of the numerous alterations in the weight of the 

 atoms subsequently made. His merit consisted in suggesting the idea of 

 atomic weights* and this idea he must share with Kichter, — and nobody 

 knows better than myself that Dalton was ignorant of what Eichter had 

 done about ten years before him. But it is our business to do even 

 justice to all parties. 



Mr. Dalton in his chemistry suggested various new views, and stated 

 experiments on the expansion of liquids, and the heat evolved by the 

 combustion of various bodies, that deserve attention. But it would not 

 do to state these isolated facts in so general a view as we aro taking. 



In the Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, 

 of which Mr. Dalton was for many years president, there occur a good 

 many papers by him on various subjects : chemical, meteorological, geolo- 

 gical, and physiological ; all of them ingenious, and many of them giving 

 the results of important experiments; but not sufficiently so to claim 

 a place in this sketch. The same remark applies to his papers in the 

 Transactions of the Royal Society, and in the Annals of Philosophy. His 

 great discoveries, to which he is indebted for his high reputation, are 

 the Constitution of Mixed Gases, and the Atomic Theory. I do not at 

 present inquire how far his notions on this theory were accurate. 



Dr. R. D. Thomson presented to the Society, for the use of the 

 Botanical Section, upwards of six hundred specimens of Plants from Upper 

 India, collected by Dr. Thomas Thomson, jun., to whom the thanks of the 

 Society were voted. 



Mr. G-ourlie called the attention of the Society to various specimens of 

 diseased potatoes. 



19th November, 1845. — The President in the Chair. 



Dr. Alfred Hall was admitted a member of the Society. 



Mr. Griflinread a minute in reference to the arrangement of the Library. 

 The Society decided that a suitable book-case should be provided. 



The Treasurer, Mr. Liddell, laid the following abstract of his account on 

 the table. 



1844. 



Nov. 15.— To amount in Bank, £140 



— Less due to Treasurer, 1 4 10^ 



138 15 1£ 



