306 Proceedings of the British Association for 1850. 



Section B. — Chemistry, including its application to Agri- 

 culture AND THE Arts. 



President.— Dr Christison, V.P.R.S.E. 



Viee-Preaidenu. — Dr Gregory, Dr Traill, Dr Daubeny. 



Secretaries.— Mv R. Hunt, Dr G. Wilson, Dr T. Anderson. 



Committee. — Dr L. Playfair, Mr J. P. Gassiot, Professor Johnston, Dr J. Sten- 

 house,. Mr J. P. Joule, Professor Voelcker, Professor Blyth, Messrs S. Ward, 

 T. Pearsall, Professor Penny, Dr Gladstone, Mr A. Kemp, Dr D. Maclagan, 

 Messrs J. Tennant, J. Young, H. L. Pattinson, H. C. Sorby, Dr Schunck, 

 Professor Williamson, Dr R, D. Thomson, Dr Andrews, Professor A. 

 Fleming, The Marquis of Northampton, G. Gladstone, Professor Chapman, 

 Dr De Vry. 



Dr George Wilson read a paper containing a few par- 

 ticulars concerning the late Dr Black. 



This paper is too long to be given in full, and cannot well 

 be abridged. It will be acceptable to those who take an 

 interest in the biography of our men of science, and we per- 

 ceive that it has been reported at length by the Literary 

 Gazette for August 10, 1850. We shall only, therefore, 

 mention that the paper contained the account of several 

 curious particulars concerning Dr Black's habits and cha- 

 racter not previously published. It also corrected two erro- 

 neous dates in the history of our celebrated chemist ; the 

 one that of the publication of his views on fixed air, which 

 Dr Wilson proved, by the production of the copy of Black's 

 inaugural dissertation, from the library of the Edinburgh 

 University, to be 1754 ; the other that of his death, which, 

 as Mr Muirhead has shewn, was in December, not Novem- 

 ber, 1799, when Black was in his 72d, not in his 71st year, 

 as has generally been stated. In illustration of this paper, 

 Dr Wilson shewed to the Section Black's blow^pipe and ba- 

 lance, as well as the trough in which he prepared fixed air 

 before his class. 



Dr Daubeny read a Report " on the influence of carbonic 

 acid on the growth of ferns." This was merely a statement 

 that the inquiry on this subject was still in progress, and 

 that no satisfactory results have as yet been arrived at. The 

 ferns were now growing in an atmosphere containing one 



