THE GASES OF THE ATMOSPHERE 149 



which runs as follows : " Last Thursday I wasn't at 

 the meeting, for Fitzgerald was arriving that evening, 

 and next morning I heard to my horror and surprise 

 that 116 of the Fellows had nominated me." The 

 matter being pushed to a conclusion, the scrutators 

 reported, after a recount, 152 votes in his favour against 

 166 for the Council's nominee. But happily the ferment 

 settled down, and ten years later Ramsay became Presi- 

 dent of the Chemical Society. 



The history of these remarkable discoveries would not 

 be complete without some reference to the attacks made 

 from time to time on Ramsay, in which it was alleged 

 that he had endeavoured to appropriate a larger share 

 of credit in connection with the work than his due. 

 The correspondence which has been preserved shows 

 that no feeling of this kind existed on the part of Lord 

 Rayleigh. Very wisely neither of the co-discoverers 

 replied to these attacks. Twenty years have passed 

 since that time, and Ramsay's reputation not only for 

 scientific insight, and experimental skill, but for manly 

 straightforwardness and honesty of purpose combined 

 with enthusiasm, has long since been established beyond 

 the reach of jealousy and detraction. 



At the end of the year 1898 Ramsay was in Berlin, 

 and on 19th December he gave a lecture on the gases 

 to the German Chemical Society, and a report was 

 printed in the Berichte (p. 3111). The following day, 

 at the request of the Empress, he gave an account of 

 their chief properties to the court, and the Emperor and 



