PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING. XVU 



of its most zealous supporters, Dr. Daubeny ; and that, in re- 

 ference to the review by Dr. Henry of the labours of European 

 physiologists, we may quote, as a national honour, the disco- 

 veries of our distinguished associate Sir Charles Bell. 



" On the general connexion and occasional apparent opposi- 

 tion of theory and practice, I would refer to some very pertinent 

 remarks in the address of Mr. Whewell at the last meeting. The 

 importance of carrying on both simultaneously and independ- 

 ently, and of looking to our increased knowledge of both as the 

 only sure means of ultimately reconciling discrepancies, has been 

 manifested by the desire of the Council of the Association to 

 procure two distinct reports on the Theory and Practice of Hy- 

 draulics, which have been drawn up with remarkable perspicuity, 

 aud within a small compass, by Mr. Challis and Mr. Rennie. 

 Both of these gentlemen have shown their zeal in the objects of 

 the Association by promising to continue their valuable labours. 

 Mr. Rennie, on that part of his subject which relates to the mo- 

 tion of fluids in open channels, and Mr. Challis on some of those 

 exceedingly interesting branches of theory altogether modern, 

 which physically, as well as in their mathematical methods, have 

 the closest analogy to that case of the motion of fluids treated of 

 in the present volume, namely, the theory of Sound, and the in- 

 timate constitution of Liquids. When, in addition to these re- 

 ports, we shall have received that undertaken by Mr. Whewell 

 upon the mathematical theory of Magnetism, Electricity, and 

 Heat, we shall undoubtedly possess the most complete outline 

 extant of a department of knowledge entirely of recent date. 



" In the science of Hydraulics, indeed, some progress in theory 

 has accompanied the increase of practical information, at least 

 since the time of Newton ; but in the other strictly practical 

 report of the present volume, that of Mr. Barlow on the very 

 interesting subject of the strength of materials, little or nothing 

 has been done of much theoretical importance since the days of 

 Galileo. Circumstances, which it would be easy to point out, 

 prevent our setting out, except in rare cases, from unimpeach- 

 able data; but several very interesting conclusions of general 

 application are derivable from well-conducted experiments, and 

 the Association may claim some credit for having brought into 

 general notice the ingenious investigations of Mr. Hodgkinson 

 of Manchester, more particularly alluded to in this paper. 



" One report, and that the longest which has been printed 

 by the Association, remains to be mentioned. It is by Mr. 

 Peacock on the present state of Mathematics. When we con- 

 sider the vast extent of the subject, and the extremely limited 

 number of persons, even in the whole of Europe, capable of 



