Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Letter from John Frederick William Herschel, Collingwood, to Edward Sabine

Reference number: MS/843/17

Date: 17 May 1862

Description

On the award of the Rumford Medal. Herschel considers that the researches of Joule, Thomson et al are not yet mathematically sound. Professor Tyndall's work falls exactly within the terms of the award and is sufficiently established. Mentions researches in lines of spectra by Sir David Bewster and J H Gladstone, and discusses in detail recent work by Kirchhoff and Bunsen. The latter 'certainly eclipses all that has lately been done on the spectrum'. Suggests that the Copley Medal might be appropriate for Kirchhoff [Bunsen and Kirchhoff were the first Davy Medallists in 1877]. Refers Sabine to Graham's paper on liquid diffusion.

Reference number
MS/843/17
Earliest possible date
17 May 1862
Page extent
4 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

John Frederick William Herschel

View page for John Frederick William Herschel

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

John Frederick William Herschel, Letter from John Frederick William Herschel, Collingwood, to Edward Sabine, 17 May 1862, MS/843/17, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ms_843_17/letter-from-john-frederick-william-herschel-collingwood-to-edward-sabine, accessed on 07 March 2026

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ms_843_17/letter-from-john-frederick-william-herschel-collingwood-to-edward-sabine

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/ms_843_17/letter-from-john-frederick-william-herschel-collingwood-to-edward-sabine" title="Letter from John Frederick William Herschel, Collingwood, to Edward Sabine" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Hierarchy

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Manuscripts General

    Science in the Making presents selected items from the 'Manuscripts General' series, notably astronomical observations, investigations of discrete topics, and indices and registers of papers read before the Royal Society.

    Dates: 1551 - 1951

    View collection