TRANSACTIONS 
OF THE 
SCIENTIFIC SECTION, 
1886-1887. 
DECEMBER 1, 1886—FORTY-NINTH REGULAR MEETING. 
William G. Stevenson, M.D., chairman, presiding ; 
tweuty members and fifty guests present. 
KARTHQUAKES. 
A PAPER READ BEFORE THE SCIENTIFIC SECTION. 
BY WILLIAM G. STEVENSON, M. D., CHAIRMAN. 
Members of the Section, Ladies and Gentlemen: The 
general interest which the recent destruction of Charles- 
ton has again aroused in relation to earthquakes, must 
be my excuse for presenting to you this evening a brief 
résumé of some of the theories and facts relating thereto. 
For such facts or information as this paper may con- 
tain, 1am entirely indebted to the general Jiterature on 
the subject, and in a special manner to the recently 
published work of Prof. Milne on Harthquakes, 
which I have followed and from which I have freely 
quoted. 
Notwithstanding the fact that in all ages earthquakes 
have been among the dynamic agencies in nature which 
have produced the most terrible effects upon man, it is 
only in very recent years that their phenomena have 
been studied with any special precision, and even now 
but little is known as to their true origin. 
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