Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh

Founding of the Society
Year	Authority / Notes
1771	This date is supported by Hume, pp.172-173, where Hume also indicates "At various periods, other Societies of less importance have been united with it, so that its members are very numerous. Thus, in 1782, the CHIRURGO-MEDICAL SOCIETY was joined with it; in 1796, the AMERICAN PHYSICAL; in 1799, the HIBERNIAN MEDICAL; in 1803, the CHEMICAL; in 1812, the NATURAL HISTORY; and in 1813, the DIDACTIC SOCIETY." There is a book in the Harvard Univ. cat. with the title: The laws of the Royal Physical Society; instituted at Edinburgh July 2, 1771. And confirmed by royal charter, May 5, 1788. As revised by a committee after its union with the American Physical Society in 1796. With the amendments and additions made since that time ... (Edinburgh, Printed by T. Ross and Sons, M,DCC,XCVIII). It is unclear whether there is any relationship between the American Physical Society mentioned here and the American Physical Society () founded in 1899. The Illinet cat. contains the following note in its Authority Record Display for the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh: "Founded 1771 as Physico-chirurgical Society; name changed shortly thereafter to Physical Society; royal charter granted in 1778, since which time known as Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. Its Catalogus librorum, in bibliotheca Societatis Regiae Physicae Edinburgenae, 1799.NUC pre-56 (Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh)" The Wikipedia article on the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh speaks of the Society in the past tense, and indicates that it published its Proceedings from 1854 to 1965, suggesting a cessation date of 1965,
Seat of the Society
City	Authority / Notes
Edinburgh Scotland	This location is supported by Hume, pp.172-173.
Name of the Society
Dates	Name	Authority
1771 - ????	Physico-Chirurgical Society	The Illinet cat. note in its Authority Record Display for the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh.
1771? - 1778	Physical Society	The Illinet cat. note in its Authority Record Display for the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh.
1778 -	Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh	The Illinet cat. note in its Authority Record Display for the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. This name is also supported by Hume, pp.172-173, and the publications for the Society.
No webpage found, as of 2024, September 8. In any case, the Society appears to have ceased around 1965.

Journals of the Society
Years	Full Journal Title	Abbrev.
1854/1858 - 1955 (v.1 - v.24)   A	Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh Continued by B. Indexed RSLC [Harvard Univ. cat.; Illinet cat.; Scudder #122a]	Edinb. Proc. Phys. Soc. [RSLC, v.1, p.xxx] Edinburgh, Phys. Soc. Proc. [RSLC, v.9, p.xvi] Edinb. Phys. Soc. Proc. [RSLC, v.13, p.xxxv] Proc. Phys. Soc. Edin. [Proc. Roy. Soc., Vol. 109, No. 764 (Jan. 2, 1932), p.486 cites vol. 18 (1911).] Proc. Phys. Soc. Edinb. [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 221 (1932), p.389 cites vol. 8 (1885), vol. 12 (1894) and vol. 13 (1897).] Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edin. [Geographical Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jul., 1908), p.41 cites vol. 17, 1908.] Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edinb. [Geographical Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jul., 1908), p.36 cites vol. 16, 1906.] Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh [J. Animal Ecology, Vol. 4, No. 1 (May, 1935), p.158 cites 22 (1933).] Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin. [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 196 (1904), p.291 cites vol. 12, 1893.] Proc. roy. phys. soc. Edinb. [Science, Vol. 1, No. 13 (May 4, 1883), p.371 cites vii, circa 1883.] Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc., Edinburgh [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 189 (1897), p.93 cites vol. 9, 1886.] Proc. Roy. Physical Soc. Edin. [J. Ecology, Vol. 22, No. 1 (Feb., 1934), p.37 cites 22, 1933.] Proc. Roy. Physical Soc. Edinburgh [J. Ecology, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Dec., 1913), p.313 cites 19, 1913.] Proc. Roy. Physical Soc. of Edinburgh [Bull. Am. Geog. Soc., Vol. 45, No. 10 (1913), p.793 cites 1912-13, Vol. 19.] Proc. Royal Phys. Soc. Edinburgh [Ecological Monographs, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Jul., 1940), p.526 cites 14, 1902.] Proc. Royal Physical Soc. Edinburgh [J. Ecology, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Aug., 1928), p.403 cites 21, 1927.] Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin. Proc. [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 196 (1904), p.229 cites vol. 9, 1891.] Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh, Proc. [Geografiska Annaler, Vol. 18 (1936), p.276 cites Vol. 6, 1881.] Roy. Physical Soc. Edin. Proc. [Proc. Roy. Soc., B Vol. 81, No. 547 (Jun. 5, 1909), p.168 cites vol. 16, 1905.]
1956 - (v.25, pt.1 - )   B	Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh. Proceedings of the meetings devoted mainly to experimental biology and natural history Continues A. [Harvard Univ. cat.]	Proc. phys. Soc. Edinb. [Phil. Trans., B Vol. 294, No. 1072, (Aug. 18, 1981), p.263 cites 28, 1960.] Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edin. [J. Animal Ecology, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Jun., 1963), p.311 cites 27 (1959).] Proc. R. phys. Soc. Edinb. [Proc. Roy. Soc., B Vol. 155, No. 959 (Nov. 21, 1961), p.304 cites 25, 1956.] Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh [Science, New Series, Vol. 206, No. 4423 (Dec. 7, 1979), p.1158 cites 27 (1958).] Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edin. [Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., Vol. 50, No. 4 (Oct. 15, 1963), p.619 cites 28 (1959).] Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinb. [Proc. Roy. Soc., B Vol. 149, No. 935 (Dec. 4, 1958), p.166 cites 25, 1956.] Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinburgh [Science, New Series, Vol. 145, No. 3628 (Jul. 10, 1964), p.178 cites 27 (1958).]