Front Matter

The only official reprint authorized by The Royal Society of London Printed in U.S.A. ADVERTISEMENT. The Committee appointed by the Royal Society to direct the publication of the Philosophical Transactions, take this opportunity to acquaint the Public, that it fully appears, as well from the council-books and journals of the Society, as from repeated declarations, which have been made in several former Transactions, that the printing of them was always, from time to time, the single act of the respective Secretaries, till the Forty-seventh Volume; the Society, as a body, never interesting themselves any further in their publication, than by occasionally recommending the revival of them to some of their Secretaries, when, from the particular circumstances of their affairs, the Transactions had happened for any length of time to be intermitted. And this seems principally to have been done with a view to satisfy the Public, that their usual meetings were then continued for the improvement of knowledge, and benefit of mankind, the great ends of their first institution by the Royal Charters, and which they have ever since steadily pursued. But the Society being of late years greatly enlarged, and their communications more numerous, it was thought adviseable, that a Committee of their members should be appointed to reconsider the papers read before them, and select out of them such, as they should judge most proper for publication in the future Transactions; which was accordingly done upon the 26th of March 1752. And the grounds of their choice are, and will continue to be, the importance and singularity of the subjects, or the advantageous manner of treating them; without pretending to answer for the certainty of the facts, or propriety of the reasonings, contained in the several papers so published, which must still rest on the credit or judgment of their respective authors. It is likewise necessary on this occasion to remark, that it is an established rule of the Society, to which they will always adhere, never to give their opinion, as a body, upon any subject, either of Nature or Art, that comes before them. And therefore the thanks, which are frequently proposed from the chair, to be given to the authors of such papers, as are read at their accustomed meetings, or to the persons through whose hands they receive them, are to be considered in no other light than as a matter of civility, in return for the respect shewn to the Society by those communications. The like also is to be said with regard to the several projects, inventions, and curiosities of various kinds, which are often exhibited to the Society; the authors whereof, or those who exhibit them, frequently take the liberty to report, and even to certify in the public newspapers, that they have met with the highest applause and approbation. And therefore it is hoped, that no regard will hereafter be paid to such reports, and public notices; which in some instances have been too lightly credited, to the dishonour of the Society. CONTENTS TO VOL. LXVI. PART I. I. On the Nature of the Gorgonia; that it is a real Marine Animal, and not of a mixed Nature, between Animal and Vegetable. By John Ellis, Esq. F. R. S. in a Letter to Daniel Solander, M. D. F. R. S. page 1 II. The Variation of the Compass; containing 1719 Observations to, in, and from, the East Indies, Guinea, West Indies, and Mediterranean, with the Latitudes and Longitudes at the Time of Observation. The Longitude for the most Part reckoned from the Meridian of London; if otherwise, it is taken Notice of in the Margin. By Mr. Robert Douglass. Recommended to the Public by the late Dr. Halley. Communicated by the Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. with a Letter prefixed from William Mountaine, Esq. F. R. S. to Mr. Maskelyne. p. 18 III. Propositions selected from a Paper on the Division of Right Lines, Surfaces, and Solids. By James Glenie, A. M. of the University of Edinburgh. Communicated by the Astronomer Royal. p. 73 IV. A IV. A new Method of finding Time by equal Altitudes. By Alexander Aubert, Esq. F. R. S. p. 92 V. An Account of Falkland Islands. By William Clayton, Esq. of his Majesty's Navy. p. 99 VI. Short and easy Theorems for finding, in all cases, the Differences between the Values of Annuities payable Yearly, and of the same Annuities payable Half-yearly, Quarterly, or Momently. By the Rev. Richard Price, D. D. F. R. S. In a Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 109 VII. An Account of the Romansh Language. By Joseph Planta, F. R. S. In a Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 129 VIII. A Supplement to a Paper, entitled, Observations on the Population of Manchester. By Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. and A. S. p. 160 IX. Violent Asthmatic Fits, occasioned by the Effluvia of Ipecacoonha. By William Scott, M.D. of Stamfordham, Northumberland. p. 168 X. An Account of the Success of some Attempts to freeze Quicksilver, at Albany Fort, in Hudson's Bay, in the Year 1775: with Observations on the Dipping-needle. By Thomas Hutchins, Esquire, in a Letter to Dr. Maty, Sec. R. S. p. 174 XI. Astronomical Observations made in the Austrian Netherlands in 1772 and 1773. By Nathanael Pigott, Esquire, F. R. S. Foreign Member of the Academies of Brussels and Caen. In a Letter to the Reverend Nevil Maskelyne, Astronomer Royal, F. R. S. p. 182 XII. An Account of some Attempts to imitate the Effects of the Torpedo by Electricity. By the Hon. Henry Cavendish, F. R. S. p. 196 XIII. Observations on Respiration, and the Use of the Blood. By Joseph Priestley, LL.D. F. R. S. p. 226 XIV. Experiments on Water obtained from the melted Ice of Sea-Water, to ascertain whether it be fresh or not; and to determine its specific Gravity with respect to other Water. Also Experiments to find the Degree of Cold in which Sea-Water begins to freeze. By Mr. Edward Nairne. Addressed to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 249 XV. Easy Methods of measuring the Diminution of Bulk, taking place upon the Mixture of common Air and nitrous Air; together with Experiments on Platina. By John Ingenhoufz, M. D. F. R. S. Physician to their Imperial Majesties at Vienna. In a Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 257 XVI. An Account of Three Journeys from the Cape Town into the Southern Parts of Africa; undertaken for the Discovery of new Plants, towards the Improvement of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. By Mr. Francis Masson, one of his Majesty's Gardeners. Addressed to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. 319 XVII. Meteorological Journal, kept at the House of the Royal Society, by Order of the President and Council. p. 268 CONTENTS TO VOL. LXVI. PART II. XVIII. An abridged State of the Weather at London for One Year, commencing with the Month of March 1775, collected from the Meteorological Journal of the Royal Society. By S. Horsley, LL. D. Sec. R. S. page 354 XIX. Extract of a Meteorological Journal for the Year 1775, kept at Bristol, by Samuel Farr, M. D. p. 367 XX. Extract of a Register of the Barometer, Thermometer, and Rain, at Lyndon, in Rutland, 1775. By Thomas Barker, Esquire. Communicated by Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 370 XXI. An Account of the Meteorological Instruments used at the Royal Society's House. By the Hon. Henry Cavendish, F. R. S. p. 375 XXII. The Method taken for preserving the Health of the Crew of His Majesty's Ship the Resolution during her late Voyage Voyage round the World. By Captain James Cook, F. R. S. Addressed to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 402 XXIII. Extraordinary Electricity of the Atmosphere observed at Islington on the Month of October, 1775. By Mr. Tiberius Cavallo. Communicated by William Watson, M. D. V. P. R. S. p. 407 XXIV. Proposals for the Recovery of People apparently drowned. By John Hunter, Esq. F. R. S. p. 412 XXV. An extraordinary Cure of wounded Intestines. By Charles Nourse, Surgeon, at Oxford. p. 426 *XXV. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Alexander Small, Surgeon to the Train of Artillery at Minorca, to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. Dated St. Philip's, Aug. 8, 1775. p. 439 XXVI. Of the Tides in the South Seas. By Captain James Cook, F. R. S. p. 447 XXVII. An Experimental Examination of the Quantity and Proportion of Mechanic Power necessary to be employed in giving different Degrees of Velocity to Heavy Bodies from a State of Rest. By Mr. John Smeaton, F. R. S. p. 450 XXVIII. A new and general Method of finding simple and quickly-converging Series; by which the Proportion of the Diameter of a Circle to its Circumference may easily be computed to a great Number of Places of Figures. By Charles Hutton, Esq. F. R. S. p. 476 XXIX. An Account of a very extraordinary Effect of Lightning on a Bullock, at Swanborow, in the Parish of Iford, Iford near Lewes, in Sussex. In sundry Letters, from Mr. James Lambert, Landscape-Painter at Lewes; and One from William Green, Esquire, at Lewes, to William Henly, F. R. S. p. 463 XXX. Of the Light produced by Inflammation. By George Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S. p. 504 XXXI. Experiments on ignited Bodies. By John Roebuck, M. D. F. R. S. p. 509 XXXII. Experiments and Observations on a new Apparatus, called, A Machine for exhibiting perpetual Electricity. In a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Horsley, Sec. R. S. from Mr. William Henly, F. R. S. p. 513 XXXIII. Account of the Iron Ore lately found in Siberia. In a Letter to Dr. Maty, Sec. R. S. by Petr. Simon Pallas, M. D. F. R. S. p. 523 XXXIV. On the Crystallizations observed on Glass. By James Keir, Esquire, of Stourbridge. Communicated by G. Fordyce, M. D. F. R. S. p. 530 XXXV. A Belt on the Disc of Saturn described in an extract of a Letter from Mr. Meffier, F. R. S. to Mr. Magellan, F. R. S. Dated Paris, May 29, 1776. p. 543 XXXVI. An Account of some poisonous Fish in The South Seas. In a Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. from Mr. William Anderson, late Surgeon's Mate on board His Majesty's Ship the Resolution, now Surgeon of that Ship. p. 544 XXXVIII. Experiments on ignited Substances. By Mr. John Whitehurst, in a Letter to James Stuart, Esquire, F. R. S. p. 575 XXXIX. An Account of a Suppression of Urine cured by a Puncture made in the Bladder through the Anus; being an Extract of a Letter from Dr. Robert Hamilton, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians at Edinburgh, and Physician at King's-Lynn, in Norfolk, to Sir John Pringle, Bart. P. R. S. p. 578 XL. Observations made during the late Frost at Northampton. By A. Fothergill, M. D. Communicated by William Henly, F. R. S. p. 587 XLI. An Account of the Magnetical Machine contrived by the late Dr. Gowin Knight, F. R. S. and presented to The Royal Society, by John Fothergill, M. D. F. R. S. p. 591 XLII. Demonstrations of Two Theorems mentioned in Art. XXV. of the Philosophical Transactions for the Year 1775. In a Letter from Charles Hutton, Esq., F. R. S. to the Rev. Dr. Horley, Sec. R. S. p. 600 XLIII. Experiments made in order to ascertain the Nature of some mineral Substances; and, in particular, to see how far the Acids of Sea-Salt and of Vitriol contribute to mineralize Metallic and other Substances. By Peter Woulfe, F. R. S. p. 605