PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 51 



Mr. F. M. GuNNELL, by request, gave an account of attempts 

 in the navy to disinfect ships infected by yellow fever, naming 

 several which had been sent to Portsmouth, N. H., and after the 

 exposure to the severe cold of an entire winter, on going to a 

 warm climate, were again visited by the same disease. He 

 stated also one case where the crew and stores having been re- 

 moved, the ship was thoroughly steamed, and no cases subse- 

 quently appeared on the return of the crew. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



168th Meeting. November, 18 Ye. 



The President, Mr, Simon Newcomb, in the Chair. 

 Forty-seven members present. 

 The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and adopted. 



The order of proceedings for annual meetings adopted Nov. 

 2, 1872, by the General Committee, were then read for the infor- 

 mation of the Society, together with a list of members elected 

 since the last annual meeting, and a list of the members entitled 

 to vote at the annual election of officers. 



Letters from Messrs. J. H. C. Coffin and Asaph Hall, de- 

 clining to accept office under the Society, were then read, and 

 are now filed in the records of the General Committee. 



The Society then proceeded to ballot informally for President 

 for the ensuing year, Messrs. Paul and Farquhar being ap- 

 pointed tellers. As a result of the ballot Mr. Simon Newcomb 

 received a majority of the votes cast, and the informal vote was 

 declared to be formal and made unanimous. 



The next ballot was for Vice-Presidents. Messrs. Barnes, 

 Taylor, Hilgarb, and Welling, having each received a majority, 

 were" elected, the informal vote being made formal. 



In the choice of a Treasurer Mr. Cleveland Abbe was elected 

 unanimously. 



The election of two Secretaries then followed, and Mr. Theo- 

 dore Gill having received a majority vote w^as elected at the 

 first ballot. At a second ballot Mr. E. S. Holden was elected. 



The nine members of the General Committee were then bal- 



