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244 the doctrine of evolution is preëminent. In Spencer's mind evolution is not merely a principle in biology, but extends on the one hand to inorganic Nature, and on the other hand to the domain of psychology and sociology. And here we take occasion to remind the reader that, independently of the stimulus given to scientific thought by Darwin, Mr. Spencer early recognized the importance of the law of evolution, to which from the first he gave very wide scope, and which he has illustrated with a multitude of original ideas."

Rumford gold medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, founded to commemorate important contributions toward our knowledge of heat and light, has just been granted to Dr. John William Draper, of New York. This is a distinguished tribute to the scientific labors of our eminent physicist and chemist, and the Academy has honored itself in the award. Yet, those who know how early and eminent were Dr. Draper's original contributions to the chemistry of light, will be tempted to ask why this distinction was not accorded by the Academy to Dr. Draper a generation ago. As reminiscences of Count Rumford are being revived just now, it will be interesting to glance at the history of his medals, which have attained such celebrity in the scientific world.

Deeply impressed with the importance of extending the knowledge of heat and light, to which he had devoted himself with great assiduity and success, Count Rumford, in 1796, presented to the Royal Society £1,000, the interest of which was to be spent in striking two medals both in the same die, one of gold and one of silver, worth the interest of the donation for two years, and to be given biennially for the most important discovery or improvement relating to heat and light that should have been made during the preceding two years in any part of Europe. The trust was accepted and the medals designed. The first award was to Rumford himself in 1802. In 1804 John Leslie received the Rumford medals. The honor then passed, in 1806, to Murdock; in 1810 to Malus; in 1814 to Dr. Wells; in 1816 to Humphry Davy; in 1818 to David Brewster; in 1824 to Fresnel; in 1834 to Melloni; in 1838 to J. D. Forbes; in 1840 to Biot; in 1842 to Fox-Talbot; in 1846 to Faraday; in 1848 to Regnault; in 1850 to Arago; in 1852 to Stokes; in 1854 to Arnott; in 1856 to Pasteur; in 1858 to Jamin; in 1860 to Clerk Maxwell; in 1862 to Kirchhoff; in 1864 to Tyndall; in 1866 to Fizeau; in 1868 to Balfour Stewart.

At the same time Count Rumford made a corresponding donation to the