Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



303 



means of a powerful engine — the air being previously washed to 

 free it from dust and to give it the requisite moisture. Some of 

 his experiences are curious. 



" Tine house is heated to 62° before it is opened, and maintained 

 in general at a temperature between 63° and 70°, according to the 

 velocity with which the air is permitted to pass through the house. 

 This velocity is necessarily regulated by the numbers present, 

 the temperature to which the air can be reduced in warm weather, 

 and the amount of moisture which it may contain when the quan- 

 tity is excessive. Some members are much more affected by an 

 excess or deficiency of moisture than by alterations of temperature. 

 In extremely warm weather, by increasing the velocity, air even at 

 75° may be rendered cool and pleasant to the feelings." 



He goes on to say — " The temperature may always be advan- 

 tageously increased and the velocity diminished before the usual 

 dinner hour. After dinner, other circumstances being the same, 

 the temperature should be diminished, the velocity increased, and 

 the amount of moisture in the air reduced. During late debates, 

 as they advance to two, three, four, or five in the morning, the tem- 

 perature should be gradually increased as the constitution becomes 

 more exhausted, except in cases where the excitement is extreme." 



Next to the Houses of Parliament, Dr Reid's greatest and most 

 successful undertaking of ventilation was the St G-eorge's Hail at 

 Liverpool, in which immense building, on some occasions, there have 

 been as many as 4500 persons for about ten hours ; the air during 

 all that time having been supplied to all that multitude in a pure 

 state, and in a comfortable and agreeable condition as to tempera- 

 ture and moisture. 



Dr Eeid superintended while in this country the arrangements 

 for ventilating the royal yacht, "The Victoria and Albert," and 

 the steamships used in the expedition to the Niger, in both in- 

 stances to the entire satisfaction of his employers ; and since going 

 to America, he was employed in the ventilation of a Eussian frigate, 

 " The G-rand Admiral," built at New York 



Arthur Connell, eldest son of Sir John Connell, Judge of 

 the Admiralty Court, and author of a well known work on the 

 Law of Scotland respecting Tithes, entered the High School of 

 Edinburgh in 1804, and the University of Edinburgh in 1808, 

 where he studied under Playfair, Leslie, Dugald Stewart, and Hope. 

 From Edinburgh Mr Connell went to Glasgow College, where he 

 studied under Jardine and Young, and, having obtained a Snell 

 exhibition, went to Balliol College, Oxford, in 1812. 



In 1817 Mr Connell passed advocate at the Scotch Bar, but he 

 had from boyhood a remarkable turn for science, especially botany 

 and chemistry, and he ultimately devoted himself exclusively to 

 the latter science. 



In 1840 he was presented to the Chair of Chemistry in the Uni- 

 versity of St Andrews. 



In 1843 Mr Connell was candidate for the Chemistry Chair at 



