462 THIRD REPORT — 1833. 



In conclusion the author states that he does not offer these 

 data as affording a complete explanation of the prevalence of 

 influenza, but remarks that it is difficult to imagine otherwise 

 than that such sudden changes from cold to heat, from wetness 

 to dryness, from midday heat to cold evening fogs, must have 

 had a very decided and general influence on the health of the 

 human body. 



IV. HISTORY OF SCIENCE. 



A short Account of some MSS. Letters (addressed to Mr. Abra- 

 ham Sharp, relative to the Publication of Mr. Flamsteed's 

 Historia Ccelestis,) laid on the table, for the inspection of the 

 Members of the Association. By Francis Baily, V.P.R.S., 

 President of the Royal Astronomical Society. 



These letters belonged to the late Mr. Abraham Sharp, and 

 were found some years ago in a box deposited in an old lumber, 

 room, filled with various books and papers, which had been 

 considered as of so little use that they were frequently taken 

 out by the servants to light the fire, and were otherwise de- 

 stroyed and lost. The present collection of them, which was 

 preserved from such destruction, consists of above 120 letters 

 from the celebrated Flamsteed, and of about half that number 

 from Mr. CrostLwait, his assistant at the Royal Observatory, 

 all addressed to Mr. Sharp, who at that time lived at Little 

 Horton, in Yorkshire, on an estate of his own. It is probable 

 that these are the letters alluded to in the life of Mr, Sharp, 

 inserted in Dr. Mutton's Mathematical Dictionary, the parti- 

 culars of which, however, have never yet been made public. 

 They are now the property of a relation of the late Mr. Sharp, 

 residing in London, by whose permission they are exhibited for 

 inspection. 



It is well known that Mr. Sharp divided the mural arc that 

 was erected at Greenwich for Flamsteed's use, and that he 

 was for some time the assistant there. He afterwards retired 

 to his estate at Little Horton, where he lived a very secluded 

 life, passing most of his time in astronomical calcidations. 

 Flamsteed employed him to compute the places of several of 

 the stars in his Catalogue, from the original observations ; and 

 an extensive and friendly correspondence was kept up between 

 them till the time of Flamsteed's death, and was afterwards 

 continued with Mr. Crosthwait, who superintended the print- 



