PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
mer AL PHYSICAL SOCIETY: 
SESSION CXX. 
Wednesday, 19th November 1890.—GEORGE BrRooK, Ksgq., 
F.R.S.E., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
Dr G. Sims WoopHkAD, F.R.S.E., retiring Vice-President, 
delivered the following opening address :— 
The Royal Physical Society, one of the oldest scientific 
societies in the kingdom (Royal Medical Society, founded 
1737; Royal Physical Society, founded 1771; Royal Society 
of Edinburgh, founded 1783; Royal Society, founded 1660 ; 
Linnean Society, founded 1788), has now entered on its 
120th session. Great as was the part played by it in the 
advancement of science in its earlier days up to its eighty- 
fourth year, it seems to have taken a new lease of life when 
Hugh Miller began to contribute to its Proceedings, and since 
it began to publish the papers read by its fellows in the 
form of volumes of Proceedings, by the distribution of which 
its fame has been carried to all parts of the English-speaking 
world, 
On going over these Proceedings, we find that they contain 
a more complete and detailed history of natural science than 
is to be found in the reports of any other scientific society in 
Edinburgh; for although we cannot boast the long list of 
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