ANNIVEESAEY ADDKESS. 21 



As you are aware the competition is in no way confined to 

 members of the Society, nor to residents in Australia, but is open 

 to all without any restriction whatever, excepting that a prize will 

 not be awarded to a member of the Council for the time being ; 

 neither will an award be made for a mere compilation, however 

 meritorious in its way. The communication to be successful must 

 be either wholly or in part the result of original observation or 

 research on the part of the contributor. The successful papers 

 are published in the Society's annual volume, and fifty reprint 

 copies are furnished to the author free of expense. 



Mineral and Medicinal Waters. — Amongst subjects which 

 require investigation is that of the chemical composition of the 

 mineral waters of the Colony, and of Australia generally, there 

 -are a few isolated analyses of such but no systematic chemical and 

 physical examination has been made of them, nor have I seen any 

 definite statements made as to their therapeutic effects. 



Lightning. — Another question requiring investigation, is the 

 effects of lightning, with especial reference to spots or buildings 

 which have been struck more than once, and of instances in which 

 the evidence points to an upward rather than a downward discharge. 

 I mention this subject because I know of several instances where 

 the same spot or object has been struck more than once, and it 

 would appear that there must be some special cause for this, for 

 in some of the cases the spot has not been by any means a prominent 

 one — I also think that the upward stroke is very much more com- 

 mon than is usually supposed, but at present I am not in a position 

 to go fully into the matter, nor is this perhaps a suitable occasion 

 even to bring forward any material which I possess. 



Febrifuge Properties of Gum Trees. — Still another matter that 

 is well worthy of investigation is the alleged beneficial effect of the 

 exhalations from our gum tree forests which are said not only to 

 possess febrifuge properties but to be the cause of the blue haze 

 seen amongst our mountains — several years ago, Mr. Russell and 

 I, made an observation upon the latter with the spectroscope but 

 with negative results, the only bands visible being the usual ones 



