310 



made to erect some suitable monument to Dr. Beck, the fol- 

 lowing resolution was unanimously adopted: 



Resolved, That the Institute approve most cordially the 

 project now revived, of erecting an appropriate monument 

 to the memory of Dr. T. Romeyn Beck; and in view of his 

 eminent services in the cause of science and his immediate 

 relations to this society as one of its founders and for many 

 years its president, that the members of this society will 

 extend to those undertaking this enterprise every aid, facil- 

 ity and encouragement in their power. 



Without further business, the Institute then adjourned. 



March 31, 1863. 



In the absence of the president, Dr. Townsend was ap- 

 pointed to preside. 



The following donations were announced : 



Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 



Proceedings of the Geneva Society of Nat. History. 



Historical Collections of the Essex Institute. 



A communication from the Geneva Society of Natural 

 History was read, acknowledging the reception of " Pro- 

 ceedings of the Commissioners of Indian Affairs." 



Mr. John Paterson then read a paper entitled Researches 

 in the Calculus of Operations. 



The object of the paper was to develop a new and more 

 philosophical basis for fluxions and other analytical ex- 

 pressions of a higher order. All quantity of which the 

 mind took cognizance might be classed : — 1. Space ; 2. Time; 

 3. Force, or cause; 4. Result, or effect; and 5. Relation, or 

 ratio. 



By combining these, Mr. Paterson showed that all mathe- 

 matical expressions might be produced. The method was 

 analogous to the operations in physical science in which we 

 not only separate the substance into its elements and thus 

 determine its constitution, but we reverse the process and 

 recombine them to form the substance. 



Mr. Paterson took, as an illustration of his subject, the 



