182 



tached to them. M. Prevost had little acquaintance with the more 

 refined resources of modern analysis ; and his researches on many- 

 important branches of experimental and philosophical inquiry were 

 consequently limited to reasonings which could be carried on by 

 the most simple algebraical or geometrical processes. But notwith- 

 standing the restrictions which were thus imposed on his progress, 

 the range of his philosophical researches was unusually extensive 

 and various, and his discoveries on heat must always be considered 

 as constituting a most important epoch in a branch of science which 

 has recently received so extraordinary a developement in the hands 

 of Fourier, Forbes, Melloni, and other philosophers. 



The Treasurer read the following statement relative to the finances 

 of the Society : 



The Disbursements of the Society may be classed under two 

 heads : 



1 . Those which are ordinary ; and 



2. Those which are extraordinary, and not likely to recur. 



1 . The ordinary disbursements may be stated in the following 



manner : — 



Salaries £525 



Lighting 40 



Coals 30 



Taxes and Parish Rates 50 



Charwoman 30 



Postage 20 



Fire Insurance „ . 22 



Miscellaneous 200 



£917 



The annual expense of printing the Philosophical Transactions has 

 been, on an average of the last five ^'"ears, £850, without including 

 the charge for stitching and for advertisements ; viz. 



For Printing £466=^ 



For Paper 142 



For Engraving 242 



£850 



The expenses attending their publication vary, of course, very much 

 according to the number of pages, the quantity of Engravings, and 

 the nature of the Papers included in each volume. 



2. Besides the ordinary disbursements, the Society has recently 

 borne the expenses of the Catalogue, for which Mr. Panizzi has al- 



Printing. Paper, Engraving. 



* 1839 £466 1 6 £170 £243 19 



1838 361 19 3 56 5 146 18 6 



1837 590 19 11 153 4 328 2 3 



1836 340 10 6 207 4 397 12 3 



1835 534 3 6 67 7 6 87 6 



