Rorjal Socicti). 229 



art; an art which, dating from very early periods of human exist- 

 ence, so eminently unites the beautiful with the useful ; an art 

 assuming a very different appearance at Nola or Pekin, at Firenze 

 or Dresden ; an art which seems to mark out the kind as well as de- 

 gree of civilization of the different nations in which it has flourished 

 or declined. 



We should be mistaken, again, were we to imagine that natui-al 

 science on the one hand and the care of the establishment of Sevres 

 on the other absorbed the whole thoughts and time of M.Brongniart. 

 He took an active part in the affairs of the Institute, a zealous share 

 in the advancement of knowledge by scientific association, and a 

 lively interest in the pursuits of other inquirers after truth. He 

 was, says M. de Beaumont, " non seulement le savant eminent, 

 I'esprit superieur, mais encore I'homme aimabl^ I'homme excellent, 

 I'honnete homrae, I'homme profondement d^voue aux plus nobles 

 devoirs." 



He became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in the year 

 1815, and died at the advanced age of seventj^-seven, admired, re- 

 spected, beloved and lamented. He has left behind him a son in- 

 heriting his love for science and devotion to its cause. 



The following Noblemen and Gentlemen were duly elected Offi- 

 cers and Council for the ensuing year, viz. — 



President. — The Marquis of Northampton. 



Treasurer. — George Rennie, Esq. 



g . f Peter Mark Roget, M.D, 



' \ Samuel Hunter Christie, Esq., M.A. 

 Foreign Secretary. — Lieut. -Col. Edward Sabine, R.A. 



Other Members of the Council. — Thomas Bell, Esq. ; Robert 

 Brown, Esq., D.C.L. ; Sir James Clark, Bart., M.D. ; Samuel 

 Cooper, Esq. ; Sir Henry De la Beche ; Edward Forbes, Esq. ; John 

 P. Gassiot, Esq.; Thomas Graham, Esq., M.A. ; John Thomas 

 Graves. Esq., M.A. ; Sir John F. W. Herschel, Bart., M.A. ; Wil- 

 liam Hopkins, Esq., M.A. ; Sir Robert H. Inglis, Bart., LL.D. ; 

 Charles Lyell, Esq., M.A. ; the Duke of Northumberland ; George 

 Richiurdson Porter, Esq. ; Lieut.-Col. Sykes. 



Jan. 27, 184S. — " On Galvanic Currents existing in the Blood." 

 By James Newton Heale, Esq., Licentiate of the Royal College of 

 Physicians, and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 

 Communicated by P. M. Roget, M.D., Sec. R.S. 



The following abstract of this paper has been drawn up by the 

 author. 



'I'he author endeavours to prove, by inductive reasoning and by 

 historical considerations of the earliest indication of vitality in the 

 egg, that motion of a fluid in a certain definite circle constitutes the 

 first link in the chain of causes by which vitality is jierfccted ; that 

 all the other phenomena of living structure arc supplementary and 

 superinduced upon this primary and indispensable condition ; and that, 

 although it might be possible to maintain this primary circulation 

 under certain circumstances, even though all the other functions of 

 life were suspended or destroyed, they, on the contrary, cannot exist 



