450 Royal Society. 



the Buco»i an Philosophy, to prove that the only rationr.l MctliDci 

 of curing Disease, is to Induce, by Medicine, a counteracting 

 Action. By H. D. Haniilton. 



A Tabular View of Medicinal Combinations. Ry Dr. Paris. 



New Editions of Ferguson's Electricity, his Pers-pectivc, and 

 Ladies* and Gentlemen's Astronomy. Also Ferguson's .Astro- 

 nomy acconmiodated to the present State of the Science. By 

 Dr. Brewster, 



The Farmer's and Grazier's Guide; containing a Collection of 

 valuable Recipes for the most common and fatal Disorders to 

 which Horses, Horned Cattle, and Sheep, are subject. By 

 L. Towne. 



LXXVI, Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



BOYAt SOCIETV, 



X H E following IS a brief sketch of the speech of Sir Humphry 

 Davy on being elected President of the Royal Society. 



After expressing to the members his deep sense of the honour 

 they had done him in placing him in their chair, Sir Humphry 

 entered into some general views of the present state of the Royal 

 Society, its relations to other scientific bodies, and on the pro- 

 spects and hopes of science. In the early periods of the history 

 of the Society, experiments were made with the apparatus belong- 

 ing to the body of their curators and operators, under the eyes 

 of the Society; but since the progress ot the useful arts had ren- 

 dered it easy for individuals attached to scientific pursuits to 

 procure chemical and mechanical, apparatus, the Fellows in ge- 

 neral had worked in their own laboratories. " Tiicre may, 

 however," said the President, " occur instances in which in- 

 struments upon a great scale may be required ; or very expensive 

 experiments; and, in such cases, it is to be hoped the proposers 

 will recur to the Society: for, by the commands of our august 

 patron, Government has never been tardy in affording us assist- 

 ance when our objects have been of national itnportante ; and, 

 on inferior occasions, the object might be effected by a division 

 of expense among the members." 



In speaking of *he relations of the Royal Society to other sci- 

 entific bodies, the President expressed a hope that they would 

 naturally assist each other. He disclaimed any tbing like pa- 

 triarchal authority on the part of the Royal Society ; but con- 

 sidered it as entitled to respect and affection *'as an elder brother 

 of the same family, acting for objects which ought to be a bond 

 of harmony and of peace, not merely amongst the philosophers 

 0>f the same country, but even amongst those of distant nations." 



Tliw 



