PROCEEDINGS *』 OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES IN GERMANY AND THE NORTH. SOCIETY OF THE LOVERS OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY AT BERLIN. ON N the 24th of April, 1798, the society had proposed the following prize question: "Supposing that electricity be necessary for the production and formation of hail in the air; may we expect to be capable of preventing the thunder-clouds from forming it, as we do with respect to lightning, by means of conductors? "What means would, in that case, be most proper for this purpose? and what obfervations and facts have we already collected, that might guide us in essaying further experiments on this subject?" The prize, which is valued equal to 20 ducats, was adjudged to the author of the dissertation with the motto: Quod potes id tentes, operis ne pondere pressus Mr. Wrede, professor of mathematics and natural history, in the royal academy, established by Frederic William, was the successful candidate. The accessit (second prize) was adjudged to the author of a dissertation with the motto: Dubitare et aliquid nescire ausi sumus, jam vincat veritas.-The dissertations will be printed, next Easter, in the New Transactions of the Society. ROYAL SOCIETY AT FRANKFORT ON THE ODER. THE royal society of arts and sciences, at Frankfort on the Oder, celebrated, on the 3d of August, the birth day of his Prussian majesty, in a public meeting, when Dr. and Prof. Meister read a discourse on Right and Law, according to the original notions of the ancient Romans, as well as a supplement to a former discourse on the first satire of Persius. Prof. Hausen, the president of the society, read a Retrospect of the Colonies established in Prussia, under the Government of the Elector William Frederic, the Great, and under the reigns of his Successors, till the death of Frederic II. from 1640 to 1786. This discourse, which has been printed, comprizes 1 sheet. ROYAL ECONOMICAL SOCIETY of the MARK, at POTSDAM. 1 THIS Society, wishing to diminish the quantity of lamp and sallad oil, annually imported into Prussia, they strongly recommend the cultivation of oil plants, and the manufacturing of the seeds thereof into oil. In order to enable every housekeeper to manufacture his oil himself, they offer a prize of 20 dollars for the best model of a cheap hand-press, calculated for manufacturing oil with facility and dispatch. PRIZE PRIZE QUESTIONS, PROPOSED BY THE THEOLOGICAL FACULTY, AT HALLE. SINCE the beginning of the present year, the theological faculty of the university at Halle proposed, every six months, prize questions for the students in theology. The curators of the university, in order to promote the study of theology, have granted 50 dollars, to be paid every six months, for the support of this useful institution. 30 dollars are bestowed upon the author of the best, and 20 to the com. poser of the next best, treatise, whilst, at the same time, in filling up the vacant places in the theological seminary, preference is given to those young men, who in resolving the prize questions, have particularly distinguished themselves by a display of sound judgment and erudition. The subjects for the prize questions are taken from exegetical, historical, dogmatical, or moral, theology, and published in the beginning of January and July; and, after the lapse of three months, the dissertations sent in by the different candidates, are examined by the whole theological faculty. The distribution of the prizes is always made publicly known, before the new prize questions are proposed. The prize question, proposed in January last, was : Explicatio doctrinæ sacrarum scripturarum de fide Jesu Christo habenda. Eleven dissertations were sent in, amongst which that of a Mr. Evers, of Hanover, with the motto: Tamen est laudanda voluntas, obtained the larger prize, whilst the accessit was adjudged to Mr. Ringletaube of Warshau. The second prize question: Recenseantur, in classes et ordines redigantur, explicentur denique tropi, quibus in V. et N. T. Scriptis doctrina de animorum hnmanorum emendatione adumbratur, is closely connected with the first. ELECTORAL JABLONSKI SOCIETY OF SCIENCES, LEIPZIG. THE prize questions for 1800, are: 1. History; a short delineation of the history of the trade of Poland. 2. Mathematics; an historical account of the application of the laws of attraction since Newton's time; together with a specification of the authorities. 3. Physical Economy; the effects of the atmosphere on different soils, as far as they may have been experimentally ascertained; especially, how does the nature, situation, and culture of the soil, contribute to promote the activity and efficacy of the influence of the atmosphere ? ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ERLANGEN. THE academy, amongst other important questions, has proposed an enquiry, whether frictions with oil, which prevent the infection by the plague, will prove equally efficacious against variolous infec tion ? ELECTORAL ACADEMY OF USEFUL SCIENCES, ERFURT. IN a sitting held August 5th, this academy published their decision respecting the solutions of the promological prize questions, proposed in December, 1797, and, on account of the deficiency of the the answers received, renewed in July 1799. Dr. C, L. Wildenow, prof. of Natural History at the collegio medico chirurgico, at Ber lin, obtained the law prize, and the accessit was adjudged to Mr. A. H. Homeyer of Limmer, in the Duchy of Brunswick Lüneburg. The authors were, at the same time, nominated members of the Society. ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AT GÖTTINGEN. THE economical prize question for Nov. 1800, proposed by this society, was: by what means can horticulture be best promoted in villages? The question for July 1801, is: an elaborate and complete Natural History of chrysomela, and a statement of the best remedies against the injury occasioned by these insects.-The prize for each of these questions is 12 ducats. SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF INLAND INDUSTRY AT NUREMBERG. THIS Society has announced that the question proposed by them: "How can poor persons of either sex, especially mechanics, who, through the effects of war, sumptuary laws, &c. &c. have been deprived of the means of gaining a livelihood, and reside in large cities, especially at Nuremberg, be most easily and expeditiously provided with work, and a suitable support, till they shall be able again to resume their usual occupation?" has not been solved to their entire satisfaction. The prize offered last year, to the inventor of a complete cooking vessel, most conducive to the preservation of health and the saving of fuel, upon the principles of the late prof. Werner, remains to be contended for till the first of March 1801. PRIZE QUESTIONS OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AT COPENHAGEN, FOR THE YEAR 1801. No answer having been received to the historical, mathematical, and physical prize-questions for last year; the same questions are again proposed for the present year, viz: 1. In History.-Qænam gentes ante Norvegicos Americam invenerint et itinera per mare in hanc terræ regionem instituerint? Quosque detecta Norvægicorum in America præsertim austrum versum extensa fuerint? Que hac de re constitui poterunt argumentis et conjecturis ex scriptis monumentisve, V. C. munumentis, ædificiis, linguis, traditionibus Americanis probanda sunt. II. In Mathematicks.-Invenire functionem omnium quantitatum, quæ conjunctim determinant magnitudinem effectus calorifici cujus cunque materiei igni accipiendo aptæ in re familiari usitatæ, tam ligni. quam cespitis (Turfæ) caminari et Lithantraics, seu carbonum fossilium cujuscunque speciei. Æquatio quæsita ad minimum determinanda est pro quatuor diversis casibus. 10. Si lignum vel cespes caminarius seu carbones fossiles in fornace deuruntur, ut spatium æris inclusum ex. gr. cubiculi, calefieri potest; 20. si in foco fluido cuicunque coquendo inservient; 30. si materiæ molli indurandæ ex. gr. in camino laterario lateribus coquendis; 40. si materiis duris liquefaciendis ex. ex. gr. metallis sive in clibano sive in ustrina fundendis in servient. Singulæ æquationes experientia duce ita analysis ope dete gendæ et instituendæ sunt, ut ex ipsis computari possit ratis effectus calorifici æque ac usus œconomiei cujuscunque speciei, ligni, cespitis eaminarą et carbonumi fossilium. III. In Physics.-Experimentis invenire maximum caloris gradum, quem calefacti vapores aquei cum aliis corporibus communi care possunt? An ea pars aquæ in olla papiniana, quæ non in vapores calore mutata est, majorem quam 2120 Fahr. temperaturam habere potest? IV. In Philosophy-In disquisitionibus de humanæ, quæ res existentes spectat atque considerat, cognitionis natura indole indaganda atque explicanda, post Platonis et Aristotelis tempora, quid philosophia novi præstiterit?-Hic videlicit non innuuntur pro gressus et incrementa scientiarum doctrinarumque, quæ de rebus agunt existentibus sive corporeis sive incorporeis; sed qnæritur de nobis intrinseca, quæ subjectiva quibusdam dicitur, harum rerum cognitione, qualis nimirum generatim sit hujus cognitionis indoles et efficacia ejusque quænam sit origo et causae, quæ porro sint principia et rationes, quibus ille cognoscendi modus definitur ac adstruitur et quibus quæ illi inest aut inesse putatur restitudo et veritas innititur. De his quidem rebus, quidnam philosophornm meditationibus a platonis inde et Aristotelis teinporibus ad nostram usque ætatem fuerit effectum, quid additum, aut magis confirmatum, aut rectius et clarius definitum atque illustratum historice ut exponatur desideramus in hisce philosophia fecisse videratur, id quidem ex historia dogmatum ut demonstretur. For the best answer to each of these questions the society offers the usual prize, consisting of a gold medal, of the value of 100 dollars, Danish. The answers must be transmitted (postage paid) before the 1st. of June 1802, to professor Abildgaard, secretary to the society." The dissertations may be written in the Danish, German, French or Latin language. SWEDISH ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS. As none of the treatises presented of late years to this society had been found worthy of a prize, this institution had discontinued to. distribute first prizes for rhetoric and poetical compositions. But this year several second prizes are again offered, and new subjects pointed out. TRUSTEES OF THE MONNIKHOFIAN LEGACY, AT The trustees of this legacy have advertised, on the first of Sept, 1800, that Mr. C. Kerbert has obtained the prize offered for the best answer to the question relative to the cure of ruptures, proposed last year. For the year 1802, they have proposed the following question: As incarceration is reckoned the most dangerous accident, attending ruptures, frequently proves mortal, and therefore requires the most speedy and proper assistance, and as this depends upon a perfect knowledge of this circumstance :-Answers are required to the fol lowing questions: 1. "In what do incarcerations consist, in which kinds of ruptures they take place, and in which not?. 2 Are the common distinctio is and divisions under which they are classed complete and satisfactory?. 3 Are the causes to which they at present generally generally are imputed, the real ones or not, and are there others besides those hitherto adapted?. 4 Which are the symptoms that indicate the formation of an impending incarceration; how do they manifest themselves and succeed each other, and how can a fortunate or fatal termination be prognosticated therefrom. Which is the general and special mode of treatment indicated by the different kinds of incarcerations?. 6 Which of the circumstances attending them, do admit of the application of external remedies, and which demand an operation?."-Answers are received till the first of March, 1802. -A medal, worth 300 guilders is to be presented to the author of the most satisfactory answer. All physicians and surgeons in Holland and other countries are invited to contend for the prize. The treatises must be composed in Latin, French, German, or Dutch, and sent (postage paid) either to Mr. Bonn, Prof. of Anatomy and Surgery at the Ecole Illustre, or to Mr. H. F. E. Willet, physician, at Am sterdam. TEYLEREAN INSTITUTION AT HAARLEM. On the 29th of April, 1800, the directors and members of that institution met for the purpose of deciding on the answers to the ques tion: "What are the reasons why most nations have chosen metals, and especially gold and silver, to be the representative signs of value and wealth? Which are the advantages resulting from the adoption of this circulating medium, and which the disadvantages connected therewith? Are there no other substitutes that might, permanently, and with benefit to the public, be used in their room?" The golden medal was adjudged to the author of a German dissertation, with the motto, "Il faut se ressouvenir ici, que le fondement du pacte Social est la proprieté. I. I. Rousseau. The author is professor G. Sartorius, of Göttingen. A Latin dissertation, with the motto, Auro quid melius,” and part of a French dissertation, signed G**, which answered the latter part of the question, were likewise declared deserving of being printed; and the directors of the society offer a silver medal to each of the authors, if they will make themselves known within three months. ; The society likewise unanimously resolved, that the prize could not be adjudged to any of the answers received to the question: "What influence has the republican form of government on the prosperity or misery of the people; and how far may this influence be elucidated and determined from the history of the ancient Greek and Roman republics?" This question is, therefore, again proposed to be answered before the 1st of November, 1801. The prizes will be adjudged before the 1st of May, 1802. BATAVIAN SOCIETY OF SCIENCES, AT HAARLEM. On the 24th of May, the society held their annual meeting, when the president read a report on the answers received to the questions proposed till the 1st of November, 1799. The result was as follows: I. On the question relative to "the utility, choice, and use of ventilators on board of ships," two memoirs, in Dutch, had, been presented ;-to one of them, by Dr. Bicker of Rotterdam, a golden medal was adjudged.. II. On |