354 SOCIETY OF PHYSICS AND NATURAL HISTORY, OF GENEVA. 



introduced Yaccine, tlie variolic affection was weakened relative to tlie 

 anterior epoch. Yaccine ought, therefore, to be as much more eflaca- 

 cious when it is applied in a similar condition. Small-pox having 

 nearly disappeared in Europe, during two generations a new population 

 appears less exempted from its attacks, and this cause of receptibility 

 ought to-day to render vaccine less efficacious. The author does not 

 pretend to say that this is the only acting cause, but he thinks that, 

 independently of others, it exists as a necessity, and that it ought to be 

 taken into account. 



In giving a concise account of the labors of the society I have omit- 

 ted many communications of a less important character, serving as 

 themes for those discourses with which our meetings generally terminate. 



These familiar conversations, in which each one gives an account of 

 his studies, and which are often succeeded by interesting discussions, con- 

 tinue to occupy our meetings in the most useful and agreeable manner. 

 They not only maintain between the members an intimate relation which 

 we all appreciate, but likewise establish a sort of oral bulletin of the 

 most recent discoveries, allowing each one to follow in a general man- 

 ner the progress of science outside of his own specialty. 



INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION. 



Having given a summary of the papers presented at our meetings, it 

 only remains for me, gentlemen to give you a brief account of the in- 

 terior transactions of the society. Col. Emile Gautier has been 

 elected president for 1871-72, and M. E. Sarasiu has been confirmed in 

 his position as secretary. 



If we have had the misfortune to lose one of our colleagues, we have 

 also had the satisfaction of gaining two new ordinary members in MM. 

 Ilaoul Pictet and Herman Eol, and we have likewise increased the list 

 of our free associates by the addition of MM. Georges Pr6vost, H. P. 

 E. Sarasin, J. L. Micheli, and H. Barbey. The number of our ordinary 

 members, wTiich, in 1867, was forty-one, to-day amounts to forty-nine, 

 but the number of our free associates, which at the same date was 

 forty members, has decreased to thirty-eight, including the admission of 

 several associates to the title of ordinary members. You have also 

 nominated as honorary members, in addition, MM. Eegnault, F^e, and 

 Cap, who were mentioned above, Prof, de Notaris, of Genes, well 

 known from his works upon botany, and the director of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, of Washington, Professor Joseph Henry. This 

 savan has been associated with us a long time, in relations which we 

 esteem infinitely precious, and assisted at one of our meetings in 1870. 



As to our publications, they have followed their ordinary course. The 

 Society of Physics publishes each year half a volume, which they reserve 

 as much as possible, on account of its size, for the memoirs accompanied 

 with plates givingto the archives of science those which do not require illus- 

 trations. It was in the year 1821 that the first^umber of our memoirs ap- 



