JAMES PRESCOTT JOULE. 351 



first law of tbermoclynamics and is framed in various ways by differ- 

 ent authors. 



Joule was married in 1847, but his wife died in 1854, leaving him a 

 son and a daughter. 



As to his character it appears that he was not a public man. He 

 had but few acquaintances. His interests were with his apparatus in 

 his laboratory. He had a rare way of interrogating Nature, so that 

 her answers were not enigmatical, as they often are to less gifted men. 

 The outcome of his work is of such a character as to quite transform 

 all our conceptions of the order and precedence of things physical in 

 the heavens and in the earth. It has given us the new and funda- 

 mental science of thermodynamics, and has necessitated the rewriting 

 of all philosophy. 



The Physical Society of London has published a collected edition 

 of his works. In 1878 he was granted a pension of £200 per year, 

 and he also received several gold medals in recognition of his labors. 

 He died on October 11, 1889. Steps were taken at once to raise a 

 national memorial to him in the city of Manchester. 



The Academy has received an accession of twelve mem- 

 bers, — four Resident Fellows, seven Associate Fellows, and 

 one Foreign Honorary Member. 



Two Resident Fellows have been elected to fill vacancies 

 in the list of Associate Fellows, and two Resident Fellows 

 have resigned. 



The roll of the Academy, corrected to February 15, 1891, 

 includes the names of 186 Resident Fellows, 93 Associate 

 Fellows, and 74 Foreign Honorary Members. 



