206 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
Monday, V^th April 1864. 
Sir DAVID BKEWSTEE, Vice-President, in tlie Chair. 
In presenting the Keith Medal to Professor William Thomson 
of the University of Glasgow, Sir David Bkewster made the follow- 
ing remarks : — 
It is now nearly half a century since the late Mr Keith, of 
Dunottar, intimated to me his intention to bequeath L.IOOO for 
the promotion of Science in Scotland, and to appoint me one of the 
Trustees for the administration of the Fund. I cheerfully accepted 
the trust, and pointed out to Mr Keith the manner in which the 
fund might be most advantageously employed. 
In conformity with this plan, the sum of L.600 was presented to 
the Koyal Society, “ to form a biennial prize for the most important 
discovery in Science made in any part of the world, but communi- 
cated by its author to the Society, and published in its Transac- 
tions.” The rest of the Fund, which had increased consider- 
ably, was subsequently presented to the two Societies in Edin- 
burgh, which had been instituted for the promotion of the Fine and 
the Useful arts. 
Agreeably to the regulations adopted by the Council, the Keith 
Prize for 1862 and 1863 fell to be allotted to the most important 
discoveries in Physical Science, made during these two years. In 
deciding upon its adjudication, the task of the Council was as easy 
as it was agreeable. Professor William Thomson, who was elected 
a Fellow of the Society in 1847, had, during the last seventeen 
years, communicated many valuable papers to the Society, which 
added greatly to the value of its Transactions. These papers, and 
others elsewhere published, relate principally to the Theories of 
Electricity, Magnetism, and Heat, and evince a genius for the 
mathematical treatment of physical questions, which has not been 
surpassed, if equalled, by that of any living philosopher. 
In studying the mathematical theory of Electricity, he greatly 
extended the general theorems demonstrated by our distinguished 
