1921-22.] 
Meetings of the Society. 
405 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE STATUTORY GENERAL MEETING 
Ending the 139th Session, 1921-1922. 
At the Statutory Meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, held in the Society’s Lecture 
Room, 24 George Street, on Monday, October 23, 1922, at 4.30 p.m.. 
Professor Frederick 0. Bower, F.R, S., President, in the Chair, 
the Minutes of the last Statutory Meeting, October 24, 1921, were read, approved, and signed. 
The Chairman nominated as Scrutineers Dr Lauder and Dr Carse. 
The Ballot for the Election of Office-Bearers and Members of Council was then taken. 
The Secretary submitted the following Report : — 
The number of papers read at our Meetings during the last Session was 33, as compared with 
35 the previous Session. Of the number, 3 were addresses : one by Professor Sir C. S. 
Sherrington, C.B.E., F.R.S., President of the Royal Society of London, on “Some Points 
regarding Present-day Views of Reflex Action,” the second by Professor J. C. Meakins on 
“The Royal Society (London) Physiological Expedition to the Andes,” and the third by Professor 
A. N. Whitehead, F.R.S., on “ The Relatedness of Nature.” Of the other papers, there were 
5 in pure mathematics, 4 in applied mathematics, 1 in statistics, 9 in physics, 3 in chemistry, 
2 in zoology, 1 in botany, 3 in geology, and 1 in physiology. The remaining paper was an 
account of a correspondence with the French Academy of Sciences regarding the origination of 
the Leader System for Ships. Twenty-nine of these papers have been, or are being, published — 24, 
in the Proceedings, and 5 in the Transactions. 
The recognition by the scientific world of the great value of some of these papers is indicated 
by the increase in our sales of Proceedings and Transactions, as shown in the Treasurer’s Statement 
of Accounts. 
Last Session the Society elected 16 new Fellows. One Fellow has resigned, and we have lost 
by death 3 Honorary Fellows and 17 Ordinary Fellows. 
The Keith Prize was awarded to Professor R. A. Sampson, F.R.S., the Neill Prize to Sir 
Edward Sharpky Schafer, F.R.S., and the James Scott Prize (first award) to Professor A. N. 
Whitehead, F.R.S. 
It is satisfactory to know that the cost of publication is steadily going down, having decreased 
by about 25 per cent, during the year. It is still, however, higher than before the War ; 
and the Council have found it impossible to keep expenses within the limits of the Society’s 
normal income. Fortunately there still remained a large balance of the Special Subscription 
Fund so generously contributed to by our Fellows a few years ago ; and the deficit on the year’s 
working has been balanced by a transfer from this special fund. In this connection, the Society 
desires to express its grateful thanks to the Carnegie Trust of the Scottish Universities, to the 
Moray Fund Trustees, to the Royal Society of London, and to Professor J. W. Gregory for their 
generous grants towards our expenses of publication. 
The grant of £3000 from the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust to aid in binding the loose 
journals in our Library has now been expended ; and the Society again takes the opportunity of 
expressing its thanks for this welcome and timely help. 
During the six months from February to July the Council arranged to have the Society’s House 
open till 6.30 instead of 5 in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The number 
of Fellows who took advantage of this extension was exceedingly small, and the Council does not 
feel encouraged to repeat the experiment. 
The question of the institution of a lower grade of membership was discussed by a committee 
specially appointed for the purpose and by the Council as a whole. It was resolved to take no 
action in the meantime. 
By means of chosen representatives our Society took part in various Celebrations and Congresses 
during the Session. Sir George Berry acted as our delegate to the celebration of the 150th 
anniversary of the foundation of the Academy of Sciences, Literature, and Art of Belgium, the 
Latin Address which was presented having been kindly drawn up by Professor Mair of the 
University of Edinburgh. Also, the President represented our Society at the Centenary 
Celebration of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society ; and Professor Jehu was our delegate to the 
International Geological Congress at Brussels. 
