PROCEEDINGS 



OF 



THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY. 



1839. No. 18. 



June 10. 

 SIR Wm. R. HAMILTON, A. M., President, in the Chair. 



The following gentlemen were admitted Members of the 

 Academy : William R.Wilde, Esq., Alexander Parker, Esq., 

 and Jonathan Osborne, M. D. 



Resolved, — That the Academy do allow a ballot to take 

 place at the next Meeting, for W. Longfield, Esq., his name 

 having been duly proposed within one month before that 

 night, but too late for the ballot of this evening. 



Sir Henry Marsh read a paper " on Phosphorescence or 

 luminous Appearances ;" the term phosphorescence being 

 employed, without implying that the presence of phosphorus 

 is necessary to the production of these phenomena. 



The chief object of this communication was to bring for- 

 ward some interesting facts relative to the evolution of light, 

 in the living human subject ; facts of this nature not having 

 heretofore been publicly noticed. Indeed so little has this 

 subject been scientifically investigated, that all such appear- 

 ances have been referred to supernatural agency, the ulti- 

 mate and easy refuge of ignorance and superstition. 



To render the discussion more complete and intelligible, 

 Sir H. Marsh introduced the general subject of luminous 



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