22 



observed, daily growing older, should daily derive wisdom 

 from experience. And now that the minds of men are 

 at length turned aside from dwelling on those exciting 

 topics, we may, I think, hold as a rational conviction, that 

 all the aids which elaborated science and improved know- 

 ledge and a higher tone of public feeling can bestow, will 

 be brought to bear upon our social improvements, the spread 

 of religion, and the upholding of peace and order ; so that 

 we may be justified in entertaining the confident hope, 

 the well-founded belief, that, in the language of the Prophet, 

 " Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of our times." 



Owing to the lateness of the hour when the President 

 concluding his address, he deferred to another opportunity, 

 the reading of his paper on " Quaternions," a new species of 

 imaginaries in Algebra, discovered by Sir W. R. Hamilton. 



A paper was then read by Dr. Brett, describing 

 certain magnetic and mesmeric experiments of the Baron 

 von Reichenbach. He particularly alluded to the remark- 

 able effects which Magnets were said to produce upon 

 sensitive individuals ; such as the appearance of light at 

 their poles, and other effects upon the nervous systems of 

 the sensitive, not manifested in the case of ordinary persons. 

 In his analysis of the Professor's paper, he stated a sufficient 

 number of experiments, performed under various circum- 

 stances, to show that as much care as possible had been 

 taken to guard against error. One very remarkable class of 

 experiments was especially dwelt upon, viz., — the power 

 which individuals thus affected, possessed of classifying certain 

 bodies according to their proper position in the electro- 

 chemical scale. 



This gave rise to a discussion, in which Dr. Trench took 

 a principal part, on the degree of confidence due to the 

 alleged results of such experiments, even when made by 

 honourable and intelligent experimenters. 



