Obituary Notices. xxix 
Ronalds, well known in connection with the origin of the electric 
telegraph. He was educated at a private school in England, after 
which he went abroad, and studied at Giessen, Jena, Berlin, Heidel- 
berg, Zurich, and Paris. At Giessen he was the fellow-student of 
Hermann Kopp, Fresenius, Will, and other well-known chemists. 
He returned to England in 1840, and lectured on chemistry at St 
Mary’s and the Middlesex Hospital. In 1849 he was appointed 
professor of chemistry in Queen’s College, Galway. In 1856 he 
gave up his professorship, and took over the Bonnington Chemical 
Works, where the tar and ammonia liquor of the Edinburgh Gas 
Works were dealt with. At the expiry of the contract Dr Ronalds 
retired from business, and lived at Bonnington House until his 
death, on 9th September 1889. He was a constant attendant at 
the meetings of the Society, and although he rarely took an active 
part in its proceedings he always took a lively interest in every- 
thing that went on. He had an admirably appointed laboratory, 
with the use of which he was most generous; and among the 
numerous chemists who, either as students or teachers, have from 
time to time resided in Edinburgh during the last thirty years, there 
are none who do not remember him with affection. 
Joseph J. Coleman. By Professor M‘Kendrick. 
Joseph J. Coleman died on 18th December 1888, in the 49th 
year of his age. Trained first as a chemist and druggist, he was 
early led to the study of chemical science, and so soon as in 
his 22nd year he contributed papers on chemical subjects to the 
Proceedings of the British Association. In course of time he 
became chemist to the Young’s Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil 
Company, and in this capacity made original investigations on the 
gases produced in the distillation of bituminous shale. By sub- 
mitting these to great pressure, at a low temperature, Mr Coleman 
obtained highly volatile liquid hydrocarbons. This investigation 
led him to the problem of the mechanical production of low 
temperatures, and to the invention of the well-known machine by 
which a low temperature is maintained in the holds of steamers 
conveying large cargoes of fresh meat from America and Australia. 
Along with Mr James Bell, the method was successfully carried out, 
