FAILING HEALTH— DEATH. 1 69 



interest in the Society ; even after the death of Dr. Angus 

 Smith, in 1885, and the absence of Sir Henry Roscoe and 

 Dr. Schunck, although the personnel of the Council became 

 greatly altered, Joule still attended the meetings whenever 

 he could. In November, 1885, he dined with Dr. Schuster 

 on the occasion of a visit from Lord Rayleigh. On March 

 •9, 1886, he attended both the Council and the Society for 

 the last time/ but his signature appears in the library book 

 as late as October 9. It was then evident that his strength 

 was giving way, but as his mind was perfectly clear this did 

 not at first excite alarm. 



In 1886 he was again solicited to accept the office of 

 President of the British Association at the meeting in 

 Manchester in the following year, but at that time his 

 ^health was such that he felt it was out of the question. He 

 now spent much of his time with his daughter at Seaforth, 

 and his brother induced him to be there during the meeting 

 in 1887, lest the excitement resulting from friends calling 

 should be too much for him. While there, during the 

 meeting, he made the following characteristic remark to his 

 brother : — 



"They" (Arthur and Alice) "have been telling me that 

 Roscoe has been saying some very good things about 

 me. I wish they would let me alone. I believe I have 

 done two or three little things, but nothing to make a fuss 

 about." 



From this time the deterioration of his mental powers 

 commenced, and he scarcely left his house or saw 

 anyone but his family. After a protracted but painless 

 illness, during the last days of which he was nearly uncon- 

 scious, James Prescott Joule, Discoverer of the Universal 

 Conservation of Energy, passed away in the midst of his 



