48 Mr. John Finnegan on 



will have completed one revolution." Of atoms, as of men, it 

 may be said with truth, " Quisque suos patitur manes." 



Among the experiments which Mr. Finnegan conducted during 

 his lecture was the discharging of an electrometer by bringing near 

 it a tube containing three-fortieths of a grain of radium, the tube 

 enclosed in a metal match-box, and that again in a wooden box. 



The Lord Mayor, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Finnegan, 

 said they had to thank that gentleman for an evening which he 

 felt sure they had all enjoyed very much. During the last twenty 

 years there had been from time to time scientific discoveries 

 which had sent a thrill of wonder and admiration through them, 

 and of these none was more admirable and wonderful than the 

 new discovery — radium. The world was to be congratulated that 

 it was a lady who had been the means of making them acquainted 

 to some extent with one of nature's greatest secrets. For the 

 welfare of humanity they hoped that these grand discoveries of 

 modern science would continue. 



Mr. John Brown, in seconding, congratulated Mr. Finnegan on 

 the attractive manner in which he had treated his subject. To 

 old chemists like himself it was hard to have some cherished 

 belief shattered, but, though he bowed to some of the more 

 modern scientists on some of the points, he positively declined to 

 accept the dissociation theory, which he took leave to say was all 

 humbug. He did not refer to gases, but to electrolytic dissociation. 

 It was a theory made in Germany, and built upon a most 

 unsubstantial basis. He agreed with the Lord Mayor that they 

 ought to do all honour to the great French woman, Madame 

 Curie, whose work had been so attractively put before them by 

 Mr. Finnegan. 



The Chairman, in putting the motion, endorsed all the mover 

 and seconder had said in praise of the lecture, which, however, 

 was given under certain disadvantages owing to the want of 

 equipment in the room. Two names had been specially mentioned 

 that evening — Madame Curie and Professor Rutherford. To the 

 former all honour was due. The latter, as they knew, held a 



