of Edinhurgli, Session 1883 - 84 . 
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Society’s labours in setting the philosophers of Europe by the ears, 
first about the fires beneath the earth, and secondly about the rain 
which falls from the heavens, is creditable at least to his energy. 
Into the merits of these controversies it is no part of my province 
to inquire ; but I am desirous, in this review of the Society’s early 
days, to revert with gratitude and respect to the memory of one 
whose labours on behalf of the Society were invaluable. Erom 
1783 until his death in 1797 not a year went by in which our 
Transactions were not enriched by his vigorous conceptions. 
Hutton was an observer and a thinker of remarkable originality 
and power. He had been a lawyer, a medical practitioner, a farmer, 
and an agriculturist, before he became known as a natural philo- 
sopher. Vigorous in thought and full of enthusiasm, he is said to 
have been as brilliant in conversation as he was obscure in his 
written style. Professor Playfair did for Hutton’s theory of the 
earth what Dumont did for Bentham, and rendered his strong but 
obscurely expressed reasoning into clear and pellucid language. 
I ought, in justice to his great services to the Society, and his 
undoubted ability, to have coupled with the name of Hutton that 
of Sir James Hall of Dunglass, who was one of our most energetic 
members, and held the position of President for many years. He 
was a friend and admirer of Hutton’s, but, as he tells us, was at 
first entirely incredulous as to his theory of the earth, and it was 
only by the charm of his conversation, and verbal explanations far 
more lucid than his written style, that he at last adopted his views. 
It, however, occurred to Hall that if heat and pressure had pro- 
duced the effects attributed to them by Hutton, the truth of the 
theory might be tested by actual experiment. Hutton discouraged 
this view, thinking that the heat to which these appearances were 
due must have been so much more intense than any which could be 
artificially produced, that no satisfactory results could be hoped for. 
Hall had so much respect for his friend that he refrained from any 
public notice of his experiments during Hutton’s life; but after 
Hutton’s death in 1797 resumed them with great ardour, and com- 
municated the results in two papers read to the Society — one on the 
composition of Whinstone and Lava, read in 1798, and a second 
most elaborate account of upwards of five hundred experiments, read 
in 1805. These experiments were conducted with immense perse- 
