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Monday t ^d December 1855. 



Right Rev. Bishop TERROT in the Chair. 



The following Communications were read : — 



1. On the Occurrences of the Plague in Scotland during the 

 Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. By Robert Cham- 

 bers, Esq. 



In this paper the author adduced, from contemporary chroniclers 

 and diarists, all the visits of the Pest or Plague which occurred in 

 Scotland after 1560; namely, in the years 1568, 1574, 1585, 

 1587, 1597, 1607, 1622, and 1645. He cited, from the same 

 sources of information, the notable instances of scarcity and famine ; 

 namely, 1563, 1568, 1574, 1578, 1587, 1596, 1598, 1612, 1622, 

 1642—3. It thus appeared, that while there were several instances 

 of famine not followed by the Pest, there was scarcely one instance 

 of the Pest which was not immediately preceded by a famine. So 

 far the opinion of modern medical writers, that deficient nutrition in 

 the community is one of the predisposing causes of pestilential fevers, 

 may be considered as borne out by facts. 



2. On a Problem in Combinations. By Professor Kelland. 



This was a problem proposed some years ago by Professor Forbes, 

 when discussing the question of the distribution of the stars. Simple 

 as it is, no prior notice seems to have been taken of it, nor is the 

 author aware that the full solution has yet been given. The prob- 

 lem is this : — " There are n dice, each of which has p faces, p being 

 not less than n ; it is required to find the number of arrangements 

 which can be formed with them ; 1st, " that no two shall show the 

 same face ; 2d, that no three shall show the same face, and so on.'* 

 The only part of this problem of which the solution has yet ap- 

 peared is the first, and the result is p (p—l) .... (p — n+ 1). 

 The author supplies the solution of the remaining portions. 



