1824.] Proceedings ef 



workini? mechanic lias been peculiarly 

 sitiinleii, being compelled cither to ob- 

 tain, alone and by expensive means, the 

 knowledge of those i-cientific principles 

 on which his art is founded, or to re- 

 main in ignorance, which is always para- 

 lyzing his best efforts, and jjroducing 

 habits of carelessness and despondency. 



To remedy this evil, and to promote 

 that species of knowledge so favourable 

 to the best interests of a commercial 

 nation, this Institution has been csta- 

 lilished; and, to give it proper effect, 

 every enlightened individual is earnestly 

 requested to give his cordial assistance, 

 by such contributions of money, books, 

 models, specimens, &c. as may to him 

 appear best calculated for effecting so 

 desirable an object. 



The object proposed to be obtained, 

 is the instruction of the members in the 

 principles of the arts they practise, and 

 in the various branches of science and 

 useful knowledge. 



Tlie means proposed are — 



The voluntary association of mecha- 

 nics and others, and t!ie payment of a 

 small annual or quarterly sum by each. 



Donations of money, books, speci- 

 mens, implements, models, and appa- 

 ratus. 



A Library of Reference, a Circulating 

 Ijibrar3', and Reading Room. 



A Museum of Machines, Models, 

 Minerals, and Natural History. 



Lectures on Natural and Experi- 

 mental Philosophy, Practical Mecha- 

 nics, Astronomy, Chemistry, Literature, 

 and the Arts. 



Elementary Schools, for teaching 

 Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and 

 Trigonometry, and their different appli- 

 cations, particularly to Perspective, 

 Architecture, Mensuration, and Navi- 

 gation. 



An Experimental Workshop and La- 

 boratory. 



Public Societies. 



341 



MEDICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Tn conformity with the will of the late 

 Anthony Fothcrgill, m.d. f.r.s. the 

 Medical Society have resolved to give 

 annually, (o the author of the best dis- 

 sertation on a subject proposed by them, 

 a gold medal value twenty guineas, 

 called the rothergillian Medal; for 

 which the learned of all countries are 

 invited as candidates. 



1. Each dissertation must be delivered 

 lo the Kegistrar, in the Latin or English 

 language, on or before the 1st day of 

 December. 



2. With each dissertation must be de> 



livered a sealed packet, with some motto 

 or device on the outside, and within the 

 author's name and designation ; and the 

 same motto or device must be put upon 

 tile dissertation, that tiie Society may 

 know how to address the successful can- 

 didate. 



3. No paper in the hand-writing of fhe 

 author, or with his name atfixed, will be 

 received ; and if the author of any paper 

 sliall, either directly or indircelly, discover 

 himself to the Committee of Papers, or to 

 any member thereof, sucii paper will be 

 excluded from all competition for the 

 medal. 



4. All the dissertations, the successful 

 one excepted, will he returned, if desired, 

 with the sealed packets unopened.; 



The subject of the prize medal, for 

 March 1825, is—" The Pathology and 

 Treatment of Periodical Asthma." 



LONDON VACCINE INSTITUTION. 



The governors of this Institution 

 lately met. The Report stated, that 

 the benefits of vaccination were diffused 

 to the inhabitants of every land, but in 

 this metropolis \hefomites of the small- 

 pox still lurked amongst the ignorant 

 and prejudiced part of the population : 

 774 persons fell victims to the dreadful 

 disease, in the course of the last year, 

 within the bills of mortality, and the 

 deaths of many are not included in 

 those annual registers of departure from 

 life. The managers continued to watch 

 the dejiarture of vessels to foreign na- 

 tions, as well as to all the British colo- 

 nies ; and continued to afford the sup- 

 plies of the vaccine ichor, for the pro- 

 tection of the colonies from the small- 

 pox. 



During the last year there had been 

 vaccinated by Dr. Walker, .3,236 ; by 

 the appointed inoculators in the metro- 

 polis and its environs, ].",987; by the 

 appointed inoculators in the country, 

 21,654. From the beginning: — By Dr. 

 Walker, 52,116; by the town inocu- 

 lators, 185,235; by the country inocu- 

 lators, 484,693. Dr. Walker had sup- 

 plied from the beginning, 98,850 appli- 

 cants. 



INSTITUTE OF FRANCE. 



From a Report read to the National 

 Institute in December last, it appears 

 that the new salt-mine of Vic occupies 

 an extent of more than thirty square 

 leagues, and its thickness is such, that 

 it will require thousands of years to 

 exhaust it. This rock-salt possesses 

 the property of not being so dcli<iucs- 

 ccjit, or apt to attract atmospherical 

 moisture, 



