186 RECORD OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



including such questions as ventilation, temperature, diseases incident to miners, 

 and any other lines of scientific inquiry conducive to the improvement of 

 mining and the lot of miners. The fund is invested in ^1,010 1,. New 

 Zealand 3| per cent. Stock. 



No. 25. THE WINTRINGHAM FUND. 



In 1794 a sum of ^1,200 Consols was bequeathed to the Society by 

 Sir Clifton Wintringham, M.D., F.R.S., payable on the decease of his widow, 

 and subject to certain conditions; the interest or dividends to be for the 

 purchase of a silver cup, of .30 value, to be given to such person as should 

 in ten months after advertisement present the most satisfactory experimental 

 examination of one of three subjects chosen by vote of the Society. It was 

 not, however, until 1842 that, after a tedious law suit, an amount of .1,200 

 Consols was transferred to the Society. It was then found that the conditions 

 of the will were so stringent, and involved so much expense, that it was prac- 

 tically impossible to fulfil them, even when the rate of interest on Consols was 

 3 per cent, instead of, as at present, 2^ per cent., and there being a further 

 provision that in case of failure on the part of the Society to fulfil the inten- 

 tions of the testator, the income of the fund should be paid over to the 

 Governors of the Foundling Hospital, that institution has in each year 

 received the interest accruing from the fund. 



In addition to the medals included in the above trusts, two medals are 

 annually presented by His Majesty the King, the award being entrusted to 

 the Society : 



ROYAL MEDALS. 



The Royal Medals were founded by H.M. King George IV, the proposal to 

 found them being conveyed in a letter from Sir Robert Peel to Sir Humphry 

 Davy dated December 3, 1825. They were at first awarded for the most 

 important discoveries completed and made known to the Royal Society 

 in * the year preceding the day of their award ', but soon after the foundation 

 this was changed to * within five years preceding the day of such award'. 

 H.M. King William IV continued the foundation under the condition that 

 the subject-matter of the inquiry should be previously settled and propounded 

 by the Council three years preceding the day of the award. 



Queen Victoria upon ascending the throne continued the grant of two Royal 

 Medals annually under the annexed resolutions, proposed by the Council, and 

 approved by Her Majesty, viz. : 



' That the Royal Medals be given for such Papers only as have been pre- 

 sented to the Royal Society, and inserted in their " Transactions ". 



' That the triennial cycle of subjects be : 



*1. Astronomy ;Physiology,includingtheNaturalHistoryof OrganizedBeings. 

 4 2. Physics ; Geology, or Mineralogy. 

 '3. Mathematics; Chemistry. 



