INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY THE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. FOUNDED 1877. INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER 1885 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 1927. PART VI. Issued under the supervision of the Publications Committee. RICHARD B. PILCHER Registrar mzd Secretary 30 RUSSELL SQUARE LONDON W.C. 1. December 1927. 1 Publications Committee 1927-28 JOCELYN F. THORPE ( C / I ~ ~ I ~ ~ I ! L T / Z ) ARTHUR SMITHELLS ( P m s i d c / l t ) ; H. C. L. BLOXAM A. J. CHAPMAN F. D. CHATTAWAY W. CLAYTON W. M. CUMMING J. C. DRUMMOND LEWIS EYNON I. M. HEILBRON H. H. HODGSON PATRICK H. KIRKALDY (iTr<rr\.lart*r A. W. KNAPP A. G. G. LEONARD THOMAS MACARA . B. G. McLELLAN. FRANK SOUTHERDEN. R. THOMAS D. F. TWISS J. A. WATSON.257 Proceedings of the Council. NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1927. Jubilee Celebration.-The programme outlined in Journal Part V for the Jubilee Celebration of the Institute was duly carried out. On Wednesday the 14th December a Conversazione was held at the Wharncliffe Rooms Hotel Great Central Marylebone and was attended by over 1,000 guests. Following a reception by the President and Council a programme of music was provided and dancing was continued until midnight. The occasion afforded a unique opportunity for the re-union of chemists from all parts of the country. On the morning of the 15th December at the New Gallery Regent Street by the courtesy of the Federation of British Industries and of the Gaumont Company a number of films were shown illustrating British industries on which chemistry has a bearing.A large number of members and students and their friends attended. At the Institute during both days of the Celebration an Exhibition of documents and portraits of historical interest was on view. held at the Wharncliffe Rooms Hotel Great Central where the company numbered 550. The toast of the evening was proposed by Sir Alfred Mond. The banquet was followed by dancing until Also on the Igth the Master and Wardens of the Salters’ Company very kindly entertained to luncheon the President and Officers of the Institute with delegates from the Local Sections and the Presidents or other representatives of many allied scientific and professional societies and institutions. In the evening of the same day the Jubilee Banquet was past midnight.A gracious message was received from H.R.H. the Prince of Wales the Patron of the Celebration and addresses and messages were received from many important scientific bodies as well as from Sections of the Institute in the Overseas Dominions. A full report of the celebration will be published shortly. 258 At a meeting held on the 16th December the Council tendered to the President its hearty congratulations on the great success of the Jubilee Celebrations and expressed its deep appreciaton of the service which he had rendered to the Institute by the part which he had taken in the arrangements and by receiving the guests and by presiding at the Banquet. The thanks of the Council were accorded to the Master and Wardens of the Salters’ Company for the hospitality extended to the Institute and for the kind thought which prompted the desire of the Company to honour the Institute on the occasion of the celebration to members of the Committee of the London Section for acting as stewards at the Jubilee Celebration to Mr.Gabb Mr. Cribb and Mr. J. H. Cook for lending exhibits to be show at the Institute during the Celebration and to the Royal Photographic Society for lending show cases etc. for the purposes of the exhibition. Streatfeild Memorial Lecture.-On 18th November at the Rooms of the Royal Photographic Society by kind permission of the Council of the Society Mr. 0. F. Bloch gave the Tenth Streatfeild Memorial Lecture. Mr.Bloch dealt with the chemist in the photographic industry and his lecture was illustrated by lantern slides. A short discussion followed in which the Presi- dent and others including Professor Morgan and hlr. F. H. Carr participated and the meeting terminated with a cordial vote of thanks to the lecturer. Mr. Bloch’s lecture will be published as a separate monograph as soon as possible. Pu bl ications.-In addition to Mr. Bloch’s lecture Fellows Associates and Registered Students will receive copies of Mr. S. M. Gluckstein’s paper entitled “ Chemists and Dividends,” read before the London and South-Eastern Counties Section on 16th November which should prove of very great interest to manufacturers to their chemists and to the students as illustrating the development of the scientific organisation in an important industry.The revised edition of The Profession of Chemistry has been generally received with kindly criticism. The Registrar finds that more recent information regarding the Department of the Government Chemist was published in the sixth edition of where necessary. 259 Ogicial Chemical Appointments (page 49). The possession of this information was unfortunately overlooked during the revision. The Publications Committee will be glad to receive any further suggestions which may be received for the improve- ment of this book. Register 1 928.-Fellows and Associates are again reminded to return the Register forms in order that their entries in the issue for 1928 may be checked and corrected Cfliicial Agricultural Analysts.-The Public Appoint- ments Committee has further considered the desirability of taking action on behalf of Official Agricultural Analysts appointed under the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act 1926 in view of the provisions of this new legislation which are likely to affect the interest of these officers.On the recommendation of the Committee a letter in the following terms will be issued to the Clerks of the County Councils and of the County Borough Councils in Great Britain and copies of the letter will also be be sent to the Official Agricultural Analysts to the Association of Municipal Corporations to the County Councils Association and to the Ministry of Agriculture:- FERTILISERS AND FEEDING STUFF8 ACT 1926.The Institute of Chemistry has among its Fellows nearly all of the Official Agricultural Analysts of the country. The Council of the Institute has had under consideration the provisions of the new Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act and the Regulations drafted in connection there- with by tho Ministry of Argiculture; and in view of the approaching operation of this Act the Council suggests that it may be helpful if some observations are offered for the consideration of the County Councils and other local authorities chargod With the administration of the Act. The operation of the old Act has been mainly concerned with the detection of adulteration with mis-statements in transactions between merchants and farmers and with the penal suppression of malpractices.The new Act in addition to this is largely civil in character and wider in its scope and may be utilised to control transactions between exporters and importers manufacturers of and dealers in all kinds of fertilisers and feeding stuffs as well as retail sales to farmers. This may be exemplified by pointing out that in the new Elegulations as drafted and about to be issued provision is made for the sampling by the Inspectors or Official Samplers of County and Borough Councils of parcels or fertilisers or feeding stuffs extending to one thousand packages or mom 260 Thus the commercial interests a t stake dependent upon official analyses will be largo and the responsihilitics which will devolve on Official Agricultural Analysts will be correspondingly increased Furthermore the definitions to be laid down under the new Act for the commodities coming under its scope and the standards which are to be implied by these definitions and the statements as to composition which will have to be furnished by vendors are more exacting and more detailed than those a t present reqriired under the old Act and consequently the labours of the analyst in dealing with samples sub rnitted to him will be considerably increased.Again the clerical work involved in recording results and in the issue and distribution of certi- ficates will be materially greater since under the old Act a great many of the samples submitted were “informal.” Some revision therefore will be called for in the remuneration of Official Agricultural Analysts nearly all of whom now receive a fixed fee per sample.Tho Official Agricultural Analyst as tho officer of a county or borough council looks to such Council for his fees and is to continue to do so. What proportion of these fees is to be recharged to or made payable by individual purchasers requiring analyses will be fixed as heretofore by the said Councils. Undel* the old Act the contribution to the cost of analysis payable by farmers has usually been scarcely more than nominal. In some cases the farmer has been called upon for no contribution at all and in others his contribution has been a small sum varying from 2s. 6d. to 7s. per sample. It is probable that most Councils will continuo to bear in mind that the ultimate object of the Acts both new and old is the protection of farmers and will not discourago them from availing themselves of its provisions by increasing the more or less nominal contributions which the farmers are now called upon to pay towards the cost of analyses.On the other hand however it will be matter for consideration as to what contributions may reasonably be fixed for importers manufacturers merchants and dealers who a t present have to pay full fees to the analysts and consultants on whose analyses and opinions they at. present rely for the settlements of their conmmercial transactions The Council of the Tnstitrite of Chemistry has made no suggestion under this head but merely points out the position. It is only directly concerned with the position of i t s Follows and with the expression of the hope that whatover local authorities may arrange about the apportionment of the expense of analyses between the authority and the different classes of applicants for analysis or other scientific assistance under the Act they u7ill fix an adequate remuneration for those who will be charged with the carrying out of the mom complicated analyses which will be required and also the hope that it will be borne in mind that for the most part the fees which are a t present paid to the analysts were fixed at a time when almost every expense entailed in conducting a chemical laboratory was sulnstantially lower than it is at the present day.The Council of the Institute aftcr careful consideration of the whole of the circumstances has drawn up the following proposals with regard to the remuneration under the new Act of those Official Agricultural Analysts who are paid by fee per sample feeling that in so doing they will have helped to give guidance to local authorities as to the fees that will be generally regarded by the chemical profession as fair and reason- able.It will be seen that in this scale regard has been had to the fact that the extent of information required in an analysis varies according to the commodity. 26 1 As an example it may be pointed out that in a sample of super- phosphate all the information required is usually the percentage of soluble phosphate. whereas in for instance a compound fertiliser the analyst will he called upon to state the percentage of soluble phosphate insoluble phosphate nitrogen and potash with in some cases even more detailed information.Further it is provided that in the case of any additional statement being made by the vendor this must be verified by the analyst. On these grounds therefore a graduated scale of fees has been formulated by the Council of the Institute for the analysis of varying degrees of complexity with however an alternative suggestion of a reasonable “ flat-rate ” fee if this should be preferred. The scale recommended is as follows:- (1) For analysis of a fertiliser or feeding stuff only where is the required determination . . . of . not a single less than item E l 1s. Od.per sample (2) Where a determination of two separate items is roquired . . . . not less than €1 11s. 6d. per sample (3) For fuller examination according to the complexity of the analysis required $3 3s. Od. per sample . . €2 2s. Od. to (4) In cases where the number of samples is likely to be small and a “flat rate” is all-round preferred fee by should the Local be . Authority . the . . €2 2s. Od. per sample Chemists in Beet Sugar Factories.-The attention of the Council has been called to the conditions affecting the empIoyment of chemists in Beet Sugar Factories and Refineries and the Council is in communication with the authorities con- cerned with the matter. Benevolent Fund.-The attention of Fellows and Asso- ciates is directed to the special appeal for the Benevolent Fund which is issued with this Part of the JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS.The Benevolent Fund Committee would be glad to see record support given to the fund to mark the celebration of the Jubilee of the Institute. 262 Local Sections. held a meeting in the Physics Lecture Theatre of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution when Dr. W. H. Gibson addressed the members on “The Profession of Chemistry.’’ Belfast and 0lstrict.-On the 25th October the Section In his address Dr. Gibson endeavoured to indicate what the future might hold for the entrant into the chemical profession. The ever-growing importance of the chemical factor in industry if this were all would make the chemical profession attractive and remunerative.The position of the chemist is not solely determined by this but is going to be modified to a considerable extent by the profound general changes taking place in the organisation of industry. Taking the three general components of labour power in industry as labour of ability (which includes the chemist) manual labour and mechanical labour power Dr. Gibson traced the effect mainly adverse of post-war influences in Great Britain on industry and upon the chemist. I t is becoming increasingly evident that industry in Europe is seeking to remedy its condition by what is variously described as scientific management rationalisation Fayolism Taylorism and in a restricted field mass production. Mass production is the production of an article using the maximum of mechanical labour power and the minimum of manual labour and labour of ability.It would therefore seem to narrow the field for employment of chemists and other technicians by reducing the number of chemists required. The rationalisation of chemical industry may tend to retard the growth of the chemical profession. By suitable grouping each chemist in a responsible position may find himself controlling the output of a far larger team of manual workers and much more energy in machinery or plant than at present. The chemist may have to face the prospect of fewer but more responsible and better-paid posts. It is likely that in the near future the annual requirement of chemists in industry will be accurately known.Should more be trained? 263 Birmingham and Midlands.-The first meeting of the present session took the form of a Smoking Concert on November 3oth Prof. Ling in the chair. An enjoyable evening was spent musical items being provided by members of the Sect ion. The annual general meeting took place on December Izth the chair being occupied by Mr. A. W. Knapp F.I.C. in the unavoidable absence of Prof. Ling. Satisfactory reports by the Secretary and Treasurer were read and adopted; Officers and Committee were duly elected for the present session. The meeting concluded with a very lively discussion of various points which are engaging the attention of the Section at present. A joint meeting with the Birmingham Section of the Society of Chemical Industry was held in the Department of Biochemistry of the University on December 16th Prof.Ling presiding. Prof. Ling said he had great pleasure in welcoming the members of the two Societies to the new department which had been named the “ William Waters Butler Laboratories.” He then gave an historical account of the foundation of the British School of Malting and Brewing in 1900 the late Prof Adrian Brown being appointed to the chair. Since then the scope of the Department had been extended and at the present time in addition to the Diploma and Certificate Courses in Malting and Brewing there was an Honours School in General Biochemistry. The department had always recognised that one of its main objects should be original research in the many fields open to investigation in connection with biological problems.Prof. Brown’s work was well known; it dealt with bacteria and yeasts and the products obtained when they were cultivated on media containing definite chemical compounds When Prof. Ling took up his position as head of the depart- ment in 1920 his attention was directed in the first place to the chemistry of starch a subject on which he had worked for many years previously. Methods were devised for the estimation of starch in cereals and these are in general use at the present timc. In collaboration with Dr. D. R. Nanji researches on the con- stitution of starch had been carried out and it had been shown that two substances might be separated from starch granules- amylose and amylopectin.By the action of barley diastase amylose was converted to maltose whilst amylopectin was converted to up-hexa-amylose. Lantern slides showing sections of starch granules and the structural formulze of starch and its constituents were shown. Other researches which had engaged the attention of the department during the past eight years were then dealt with. These included work carried out on the pectins which are constituents of the cell walls of plants and of commercial impor- tance in the jam and confectionery industries. At the conclusion of the lecture a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer and the visitors subsequently inspected the new department now fully equipped with the most modern appliances both for the purposes of teaching and research.Bris to1 and South-Western Counties.-The second meeting of the session was held on 15th November in the Chemical Department of the University of Bristol when Mr. R. D. Littlefield presided in the unavoidable absence of Sir Ernest Cook and welcomed Mr. R. L. Collett the Assistant Secretary of the Institute on his first visit to the Section. Mr. Collett gave an address on “The Chemist as the Professional Man.” He reminded the members that the Institute of Chemistry was about to celebrate its jubilee and called attention to the great changes which had taken place since the time of its foundation. At that time it had been seriously argued that it was derogatory to science that any man should attempt to make his living by the practice of analysis and investigation.In the early days apart from the teachers of chemistry and pure research workers there were few practising chemists ; these were almost entirely private practitioners who prided themselves on being “Bohemians.” Nowadays if a chemist were to succeed it was necessary that he should be as much a man of business and man of the world as a chartered accountant. The Institute of Chemistry occupied a unique position in that round its Council table met all kinds of chemists; the professors the teachers the chief chemists of large industrial firms the private consultants and public analysts and technical heads of Government departments. The Institute now numbered 5,300 members and its influence and prestige was rapidly in- creasing.Unlike the professions of medicine and law the majority of the members of the chemical profession were employees Many of them held very high positions of responsi- bility but they did not deal directly with the public. In spite of this he felt that their professional position was becoming increasingly recognised. Various points raised in the discussion which followed by the chairman Mr. E. Lewis and Mr. A. W. Wintle were replied to 265 by Mr. Collett who was cordially thanked on the proposition of the chairman for his admirable and stimulating address. The local celebration of the Jubilee of the Institute will be held in Bristol on 24th January when the President hopes to attend and will address a meeting at the University on “What has become of Tnorganic Chemistry? ” On the same evening a dinner will be held to which a number of distinguished guests have been invited.Edinburgh and East of Scotland.-The first ordinary meeting of the new session was held on 27th October in the North British Station Hotel Edinburgh when Mr. J. Adam Watson delivered his inaugural address entitled “Chemistry the Slave of the Lamp.” The following extract is prepared from the report in the Weekly Scotsman on the 5th November :- From the earliest times he said there had been theories of the universe. In fact there had been as many theories as peoples. Thus the Hindu idea of the earth was a hemisphere supported on elephants who in turn stood on a tortoise that floated in water. What kept the water in place nobody tried to imagine- it was simply there.Nowadays we have a globe supported in space by gravitational forces but what really causes the gravita- tion is as little known as the container of the water. During the time that has elapsed between the two ideas much has been discovered concerning our universe. Within the limits of our knowledge the components of the cosmos are of finite number What warrants such a statement? I t is the information gained by chemistry in its exaniination of the spectra of terrestrial elements. The composition of the luminous bodies in the universe ceased to be a secret when it was dis- covered that the light absorbed by a cool vapour was identical with that emitted by the same vapour when in a condition of incandescence.Gradually all the lines noted by Frauenhoff er were identified and chemistry scored a great point when the spectrum of a gas newly discovered in a rare mineral was found to correspond with a band in the solar spectrum; and helium from being a problematical element known only as a dark line became an ordinary gas that could be examined in the laboratory Continued investigations along spectroscopic lines showed that the atmosphere of the sun is roughly stratified the denser elements occurring nearer the photosphere while the upper 266 portions consist mainly of hydrogen the corona or outermost envelope containing as well an element-named coronium-as yet unknown on the earth. The developments that followed on the discovery of radium leading as they did to the conception of atomic disintegration and the transmutation of elements have introduced a new phase in cosmical speculation.It is no longer possible to regard the sun merely as a mass of incandescent vapour gradually cooling from a very high temperature arid to calculate its age on this basis. Consideration must be given to the effect that radio-active elements may have on the rate of cooling. The decomposition of these bodies gives rise to heat so if this change be going on in the sun the rate of cooling will be retarded. But it may well be that the conditions are favourable for the building up of such elements in which case heat will be absorbed and the cooling rate will be increased. Thus chemistry has introduced another unknown quantity into an already involved problem.The knowledge gained in the investigation of radio-activity has given rise to a theory which accounts very plausibly for the definite order of events in the crustal movements that have at several periods resulted in the ridging up of the earth into mountain ranges. Being led into the realms of geology we find that a second “ branch of science ” must acknowledge its indebted- ness to the slave of the lamp for geologists done would have polished away every bit of that lamp in their calls for assistance. In the dark days when Werner was teaching that all rocks had been deposited from water and postulating a primeval ocean totally unlike anything that was known Sir James Hall made use of the magic powers of the lamp and prepared marble from limestone by heating it in a closed vessel under the pressure of the carbon dioxide evolved thereby laying the foundation of geo-chemistry.From then onwards chemistry has been the corner stone of geologic architecture. We have already seen the effect of studies in radio-activity on the old calculations of the sun’s age. Here the results are the same. Radium is found to exist in all rocks so that the heat developed during its disintegration must be considered in refer- ence to the internal heat of the earth and all previous calculations become valueless while the uncertainty as to the downward distribution of radium and uranium make it very difficult to estimate the necessary corrections.267 By this time we have reached the border line of yet another branch of science for it is the worker in physical chemistry who is best able to assist in geological problems. But really it is difficult to say where chemistry ends and physics begins chemical and physical properties are both manifestations of the same force. According to present-day theories the ultimate basis of matter is electricity. The elements are but a number of units of negative electricity or electrons revolving or vibrating under the control of a positive charge. Therefore we seek in the arrangement of the electrons for the explanation of differences and peculiarities of the chemical elements. It thus becomes a matter of mere expediency to call the hardness of the diamond a physica1 and the instability of phosphorus a chemical property.This position however has only been reached by the physicist and chemist working in conjunction and starting from the discovery that helium is a product of the breaking up of uranium. Thus has physics adopted the chemical notion of an ultimate particle as a fundamental conception in its latest theories. The case for biology is far different. All vital activity is dependent on chemical reactions sometimes simple more often exceedingly complex. A biologist can tell the purpose of the various cells in a living organism; he can also tell the way in which each part develops; but he must rub his lamp in order to learn what is going on inside the cells and what reactions are responsible for the growth which he observes.Unfortunately complete answers cannot at present be given to all the questions that may be asked. I t is possible to syn- thesise sugar in the laboratory but only by using reactions that cannot possibly take place in the sugar-cane. Chemistry has shown that the so-called organised ferments produce bodies called enzymes and these carry out the reactions peculiar to the ferment but the real nature of the enzymes is yet a mystery though it is undoubted that they are of a purely chemical nature. Here even the chemist hides his ignorance under a grand rion- committal name-ca talysis. Up to the present one branch of world knowledge or science has made no call on our genie of the lamp. So far no chemical reaction has been suggested as the cause of the bad weather of the past summer and the atmospheric conditions known as cyclones and anti-cyclones are still considered to be the result of 268 quarrels for precedence between masses of air differing in tem- perature and in the amount of moisture they carry.Since weather forecasting is still in its infancy there is a chance for the ubiquitous chemist to bring order out of chaos and deduce an equation that will tell us whether or not we should pack waterproofs and Wellington boots for our holidays. On deserting the refined and cultured sphere where science is studied for its own sake. for the humdrum world where everyone strives to get the biggest monetary return for the least effort it will be found that the mercenary manufacturer while he grudges the expense must yet call on the slave of the lamp.Mr. Watson surveyed the field of progress in alkalis paper- making dyemaking coal tar products and distillation of oil photographic emulsions analysis of foodstuffs and aids in the home. In the minds of some there was the thought that tobacco owed nothing of its flavour to adventitious aid. He could not leave them even that consolation. I well remember he said the consternation with which I read over the contents of a flavouring essence which the pharmaceutical firm for which I worked was preparing for a well-known Edinburgh tobacco maker. They were heliotropin cassia coumarin vanillin rum peppermint oil aniseed oil; and as if there were not more than enough the basis of the concoction was Stockholm tar! Having remarked on the happy hunting ground that chemis- try had opened up for the writer of sensational fiction he said that the chemists unfortunately were as yet treated as slaves and to a certain extent relegated to their dim and smelly regions as soon as the utility of their knowledge was over; but there was growing up an appreciation of their value and fortunately they were not entirely dependent on their resources.They had an Institute which was somewhat of a power in the land. When all members of the Institute work in the spirit of D’Artag- non’s motto “All for one and one for all,” chemistry in this country will come into its own. The discussion which followed was opened by Major R.Bruce. Mr. W. A. Williams spoke optimistically of the prospects in the profession and said that nowadays wise employers did not relegate the chemist to the background during periods of trade depression. Mr. Merson having recently returned from a visit to Australia and New Zealand assured the younger men that if they were prepared to go to these colonies they would find 269 employment and advancement more easily than a t home. It wits insufficiently known that these countries were able to absorb chemists and that they had most up-to-date chemical factories and other industries in which the chemist was in control. In spite of American influence British men and goods were s t i l l preferred. On behalf of the students present Messrs.A. Caws and T. R. Bird thanked Mr. Watson for his illuminating address. They welcomed the optimism of the other speakers and were glad to find that the young member’s point of view was considered. Dr. W. T. H. Williamson in reply to this said that the Section had tried always to encourage the younger members and he hoped they would take part in the discussions held. He noted that Mr. Watson had not referred to the artificial silk industry among the products of which the “art” silk stocking bore such elegant testimony to the skill of the “Slave of the Lamp.” Mr. W. M. Ames suggested that the young chemist of to-day would be better able to show his worthiness if he were given a freer hand so that his imagination did not become stifled nor his ambition cramped during the early years.Other speakers were Mr. J. Rutherford Hill and Mr. Abernethy the latter as an interested nonmember expressing the view that Mr. Watson in claiming for chemistry a premier place would not have support from any other body of scientists. In conclusion Mr. Watson was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his address. A t a meeting held jointly with the local section of the Society of Chemical Industry in the Pharmaceutical Hall Edinburgh on 17th November Professor R. M. Caven read a paper on “Chemical Formuh of Long Ago.” Commencing with references to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics the lecturer showed how the origins of the symbols of the later philosophers could be seen in the early picture writings. In particular the symbols of the metals were traced and it was shown how the more obvious properties of the metals were represented so that the less perfect iron copper and mercury were compared with the more perfect silver and the noble metal gold.Then followed the symbols of the elements or principles of Aristotle (earth air fire and water) and of Basil Valentine (sulphur salt and mercury). By means of old allegorical pictures and their interpretations the lecturer showed how the alchemists represented their hoped-for transmutations 270 and reactions in a way which would mystify the uninitiated. The return to symbols representing actual substances in contrast to the principles of the alchemists was illustrated by reference to Bergrriann and Geoffrey who in the later years of the Phlogis- ton period about 1792 used a most complete and well-thought out set of characters for the metals and their calces and for acids.Conibinations of these to give salts were represented in a simple way and methods of writing reactions of double decomposition were used which compared very favourably with our present-day system. Thus reactions in aqueous solution were clearly differen- tiated and precipitation of a product or evolution of a gas was also shown. Even something akin to ionisation could be traced. Unfortunately Bergmann showed confusion of thought with regard to phlogiston and in addition to writing a composite symbol for a calx which included the formula of the metal he also used another symbol for phlogiston.Dealing with the closing years of the eighteenth century and the period immediately before Dalton’s notation was put forward Professor Caven referred to the system used by Lavoisier with its first attempts to include the quantities of combining sub- stances in the equations the actual relative weights being stated without any underlying suggestion of an atomic theory. Thus the symbols of the substances did not themselves have any definite weight value this being added numerically. Although a t this time Hsssenfratz and Adet laid down a systematic code of symbols which was in itself quite good most of the chemists including Cavendish and Priestley abandoned the use of formulae entirely and siniyly wrote laboriously an account of the operations they performed.Finally came Dalton’s picture atoms a return to symbolism; but with a new meaning to the symbol since by him the symbol was meant not only to give the nature of the substance but also its combining weight. The cumbersome and somewhat in- adequate atom pictures later gave way to the letter symbols of Berzelius such as we use to-day with little modification. The meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer proposed by Mr. J. A. Watson Messrs. Rutherford-Hill and Kermack also speaking in appreciation of the paper. The Section held a joint meeting with the local branch of the Society of Chemical Industry on 6th December in the Pharma- ceutical Hall Edinburgh Mr. J. Adam Watson presiding. 271 Professor Sir James Walker in a lecture on Electro-Synthesk.gave in the first place an account of the experiments of Kolbe made some eighty years ago including the preparation of ethane from acetic acid and octane from valeric acid. Since Kolbe’s time the process of electrolysis of solutions of salts of fatty acids had been applied to the preparation of hydrocarbons with straight chains of carbon atoms of over sixty links in length. This he would define as true synthesis. In addition to the saturated hydrocarbon the reactions in some cases gave other products particularly the unsaturated hydrocarbon of half the length of chain and the ester of the acid used. The lecturer then referred to his association with the late Professor Crum-Brown and said that the method was adapted by them to the synthesis of dibasic acids the product of each step being used as the starting point of the next.Thus starting from sodium ethyl malonate they prepared diethyl succinate and so in turn the esters with four eight and sixteen carbon chains between the end groups. Other preparations gave the other members of the even series the method being quite general. Branched chain cornpounds were also used. Since the higher members of the various series tended to have a soapy nature some difficulties were here encountered but later on Dr. D. A. Fairweather had overcome these by using solvents other than water. The lecturer pointed out the importance of the methods for the preparation of long chain compounds of known constitution which could be directly compared with similar substances of natural origin with a view to elucidating the structures of the latter.A point of special interest was that the syntheses could be carried out in the cold thus minimising the risk of intra- molecular and other abnormal changes. The methods were not necessarily restricted to unsubstituted acids but if active groups were present they could be blocked by alkylation as in the case of glycollic acids. Nevertheless some experiments on these lines had not met with complete success. Discussing the mechanism of the reactions the lecturer referred to some differences in behaviour which had been found in using electrodes of different materials. A very suitable electrode for the cathode was a layer of mercury at the bottom of a glass vessel and an anode of platinum could be used.Three theories had been suggested to explain the mechanism. Kolbe 272 attributed the reactions to anodic oxidation later the union of the discharged anions with simultaneous elimination of carbon dioxide was suggested and still later the peroxide theory intro- ducing the intermediate formation of the peroxide such as acetyl peroxide which subsequently decomposed In any case there was not sufficient experimental evidence to determine the true mechanism. In his own laboratories there were two schools of thought the theory of direct union and the theory of anodic oxidation. Attempts to solve the problems of the anode mechanism by the direct study of electrode potential measure- ments so far had not been very successful.After the lecture a number of members spoke in appreciation and questions were asked by Major Bruce Dr. Kermack and Messrs. Cope Ingham Robertson and Cameron. In reply Professor Walker said that so far as he knew experiments of a similar nature with aromatic substances proteins and halogen derivatives of fatty acids had not been successful. The benzene ring even at the end of a fatty chain in some way prevented the normal reaction from taking place. Similarly halogen compounds in general gave no oily synthetic products complete breakdown resulting or else the ester forma- tion without synthesis. Dr. R. E. Gibson had obtained a quantity of hexachlorethane from trichloracetic acid. Ring closure was another thing which had not been observed in these experiments.On the other hand interesting reactions with cyclic compounds were possible and he quoted the case of sodium ethyl camphorate from which unsaturated synthetic products could be obtained in good yield as well as small quantities of other synthetic products. Dealing further with the constitutions of the products and comparisons with natural substances he showed how melting- point determinations could be successfully used and if the acids themselves gave ambiguous results the esters could be substituted. He thought that the method of synthesis could be relied upon to give a compound of known constitution. Although the sodium salts of high molecular weight were either soaps or like soaps these studies did not appear to have thrown any light upon the colloidal properties of the soaps.In the electro-synthesis it had become the practice to use alcoholic solvents for the higher members and in these solvents the colloidal properties were not marked. Other points dealt with were the yields of half saponification of the esters of dibasic acids the 273 use of stirring during electrolysis and the question of efficiency in relation to consumption of electricity. On the motion of the chairman a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Professor Sir James Walker for his address. Glasgow and West of Scotland.-The opening meeting of the session was held jointly with the Society of Chemical Industry and the Chemical Engineering Group of that Society in the Ca’d’oro Restaurant Glasgow on 19th October when a paper was read on “The Desiccation (De Vecchis) Process of Beet Sugar Manufacture” by Dr.C. S. Garrett and Mr. G. W. Riley. The paper was subsequently published in Chemistry and Idt4stry (Nov. 4th n t h and 18th). A vigorous discussion followed upon the reading of the paper.* The Annual General Meeting of the Section was held on 28th October. The foIlowing office bearers and new members of Committee were elected:-Chairman Mr. F. W. Harris ; Vice-chairman Professor F. J. Wilson; Honorary Treasurer Mr. J. W. Hawley; Honorary Secretary Dr. P. F. Gordon; members of Committee Mr. T. J. R. Alexander Mr. Hugh Findlay and Dr. D. N. McArthur. Special reference was made in the Hon.Secretary’s report to the valuable work of the Committee appointed by the Section to enquire into questions relative to registration. Tribute was paid to Dr. W. M. Cumming who resigned the office of Hon. Secretary during the past session after about five years’ service and to Dr. I. V. Hopper who was resigning the office of Honorary Assistant Secretary. Prof. Henderson subsequently addressed the meeting. He dealt with the value of local sections to the Institute as a whole; and with the new regulations and exhorted alI Associates to qualify for the Fellowship. He appealed for a small annual subscription from every member to the Benevolent Fund. He then preferred to registration and spoke of the many views that had been expressed on the subject.At the conclusion of the meeting votes of thanks were accorded to the office bearers and committee and especially to Prof. Wilson who had so successfully conducted the business of the Section during three years and also to the Publicity Sub-committee. On 4th November Mr. F. W. Harris opened a discussion on “ Municipal Chemistry.” Starting with early practice from * Consequent upon the publication of a lengthy report of this meeting in the daily press the discussion was continued in the form of letters to the Editor of the Glasgow Herald. 274 the Middle Ages he led up to the Food and Drugs Act of 1875 which he said marked the birth of modern municipal chemistry. Mr. Harris then referred to the many duties carried out in modern times by municipal chemists in the interests of the community involving not only the analysis of food and drugs and the examina- tion of the quality of materials supplied to the various municipal departments but such great undertakings as the disposal of sewage which nowadays involved intricate biological processes and the consideration of the problem of atmospheric pollution as well as the utilisation of bye-products from the manufacture of city gas.An interesting discussion followed in which Mr. R. L. Collett Assistant Secretary of the Institute participated. During which several members expressed the hope that in view of the public importance of Mr. Harris’ address he would permit its publication in the local daily press. On the motion of Mr. Harris the meeting accorded Mr.Collett a hearty vote of thanks for attending the meeting and participating in the discussion. Papers on “Sulphur in Rubber Manufacture” by Dr. D. F. Twiss and ‘Naphthas and their Uses,” by Mr. C. Chapman were read at a joint meeting in the Ca’d’oro Restaurant Glasgow with the Edinburgh Section and with the Society of Chemical Industry and the Institution of the Rubber Industry. A summary of the papers was published in ‘Chemistry and Indus- try” on 16th December. On 21st December the local Section celebrated the Jubilee of the Institute at the Ramsay Chemical Dinner which was held under the joint auspices of the Institute of Chemistry the Society of Chemical Industry the Society of Dyers and Colowists the Glasgow University Alchemists’ Club the Andersonian Chemical Society the Ardeer Chemical Club and the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow.This dinner is held annually but on the present occasion was sub-titled “Institute of Chemis- try Jubilee.” The Committee of the local Section have elected Dr. D. N. McArthur to the office of Honorary Assistant Secretary in succession to Dr. I. V. Hopper resigned. H u d d ersfi e I d .-The annual general meeting of the Section was held at the Queen Hotel on 28th October Dr. H. H. Hodgson in the chair. The statement of accounts was read and approved. 275 Dr. F. I. Morley and Mr. C . E. Randolph were elected to committee in place of Dr. Paul and Dr. Everest who retired in accordance with the rules. Subsequent discussion dealt with the points raised at the last meeting of the North-East Coast Executive Committee at York.The following decisions were arrived at:- I. That this meeting endorses the recommendation of the North-East Coast Executive Committee viz. :- “That election to Council be by district alone provided that this be done by ballot within the several districts and not by a delegate nomination as at present obtains in the case of District Members.” As a rider to this it is the opinion of this meeting “That as long as the present method of election to Council obtains no indication should be made on the ballot paper as to which nominations are made by the Council and that the only intimation should be to indicate retiring members.” 2.“That a member shall not be debarred from eligibility for election to Council solely on account of his Associate status.” The first Ordinary Meeting of the Session was held at the Technical College Huddersfield on 16th November 1927. Dr. H. H. Hodgson took the chair and introduced the lecturer Professor C . H. Desch who proceeded to address the meeting on “The Structure of Metals.” The subject was illustrated by numerous lantern slides be- ginning with two showing the type of reflecting microscope camera and optical bench employed in metallurgical studies. All metals said Professor Desch are of crystalline structure but very few give external indications of this. Generally speaking to find the crystalline structure the interior of the metal had to be examined by etching a highly polished surface.Growth of crystals from molten metal was next dealt with showing that crystals grow by branching as distinct from regular uniform growth. The lecturer proceeded here to describe experiments by which it has been shown that the shape of crystal grains is deter- mined by surface tension. By a metallurgical study it becomes known which types of crystalline structure are weak and which strong and it is the duty of the metallurgist to find and remedy 276 structures known to be weak. As an example of this was cited the well-known process of annealing. The X-ray examination of metal crystals was next touched upon showing that by a study of the “space lattice” the most likely plane of shearing could be found.In conclusion Professor C. H. Desch said that it is now possible to predict the properties of a new alloy by a combination of chemical metallurgical. and X-ray knowledge. After many questions had been answered the meeting accorded a hearty vote of thanks to Professor Desch. On 1st December at the invitation of the Chemical Society of the Technical College Huddersfield a joint meeting was addressed by Mr. A. Cousen of the Department of Glass Technology Sheffield University on ‘‘ Modern Glass Manu- facture-Its Progress and Problems.” Mr. Cousen indicated the difficulty of assigning chemical formulze to even the simplest glasses and showed that the most profitable and useful method of study was by observing the effect of various oxides and variations in ratios of con- stituents on the physical properties of glass.He went on to show lantern slides illustrating the progress from hand work to modern machinery for working glass. For efficient operation modern machinery demanded careful control of the batch mixtures; it further called for variation of physical properties. Thus a slower setting glass was needed and produced by decreasing the lime and increasing the soda content of the glass. Other difficulties to be overcome were devitrification and chemical instability. All this was the work of the technologist so that the value of the chemist and technical man in the glass industry was admitted by managers and directors alike. A small party from Huddersfield journeyed to Leeds on 2nd December to join with the Leeds Area Section in the Jubilee Celebrations of the Institute in Yorkshire.By the kindness of the organisers of the dinner a centre table was reserved for the party which comprised Dr. H. €3. Hodgson (chairman) Mr. P. C a l m (hon. sec.) Mr. E. Lodge Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Weir and Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Jones. The Huddersfield guests for the occasion were :-Principal J. F. Hudson (Principal Technical College) and Mrs. Hudson Mr. J. D. Eaton Smith (representing the legal profession) and 277 Mrs. Smith and Mr. Warwick Mitchell (representing the local textile industry). The Huddersfield Section acknowledges its gratitude to the Leeds Area Section for the hospitality shown to its repre- sentatives and their guests.Irish Free State.-On 8th November at Trinity College Dublin before the Dublin University Experimental Science Association Dr. James Bell read an address on “The History of Chemistry in Dublin.” Although it does not come within the proceedings of the Section the following abstract of this address from The Irish Times of 9th November is reproduced as a matter of interest :- For Z O O ~ years chemistry was dominated by the belief in alchemy that is the possibility of transmuting baser metals such as lead and mercury into gold. So much did this idea obsess the minds of alchemists that little else was done. No doubt exists that the ancient Irish had some knowledge of alchemy. Towards the end of the sixteenth century Edward Kelly having forged several public documents in Ireland fled the country.He is next heard of in the position of alchemist to Rudolf I1 at Prague. Here it is said he converted mercury into gold obtaining a knighthood. The Emperor to find out the secret cast Kelly into prison. In attempting to escape he broke his leg with fatal results. Modern chemistry commences with Robert Boyle who denounced the alchemists and gave chemistry its present scientific basis. He is spoken of as the “Father of Modern Chemistry.” He was the son of the Earl of Cork but did not work in Ireland; his opinion was that Ireland was a barbarous country where chemical spirits were so misunderstood and chemical instruments so unprocurable that it was very hard to have any “hemetic” thought in it.Boyle was not wholly lost to Ireland His influence fell on two Dublin men the brothers Molyneux graduates of Trinity College who started chemistry in Dublin William Molyneux in 1683 founded the Dublin Philosophical Society which was short-lived owing to civil war. Its work was taken up by the foundation in 1731 of the Royal Dublin Society and in 1756 by the forerunner of the Royal Irish Academy. 278 Richard Kirwan born in Galway in 1733 studied chemistry in London for ten years. On his return with new ideas chemistry received a great spurt in Dublin. A contemporary of his William Higgins a Sligo man educated in England was made chemist to the Apothecaries’ Company of Ireland at the then princely salary of 6200 a year with apartments coals and candles.In 1795 he was made Professor of Chemistry to the Royal Dublin Society. Higgins had some idea of an atomic theory twenty years before Dalton but unfortunately failed to follow up his idea. During this time the University played no significant part in chemistry owing mainly to a distrust of the science on the part of the authorities. A succession of lecturers of whom little is known was attached to the Medical School from its foundation in 1711. The present chair was founded in 1785 its first occupant being Dr. Perceval of whom it is recorded that he knew little chemistry. He was followed in 1809 by Francis Barker of whom little is recorded. He held the chair till 1850 being followed by Apjohn whose claim to fame rests moreon physics thanchemistry ; he was however instrumental in bringing out the first edition of the British Phurmacop&a.The appointment of Barker coincided with a great advance in chemistry. The famous Sir Humphry Davy was brought to Dublin by the Royal Dublin Society before which he delivered a series of six lectures on the application of chemistry to agriculture receiving a sum of E750. He also obtained an honorary degree from the University. His visit led to the appointment in 1826 of his brother Edmund to succeed Higgins as chemist to the Royal Dublin Society. Here in 1836 he made one of the greatest chemical discoveries ever made in Dublin namely-acetylene gas. About the same time Sir Robert Kane born in Dublin and educated in Trinity College made an important discovery in connection with theoretical chemistry obtaining a cyclic hydrocarbon from an open-chain compound.Professor Apjohn retired in 1875 when James Emerson Reynolds was called upon to take the Chair. Although intended for the medical profession he taught himself chemistry with great success; perhaps no one has done more to further the reputation of Dublin chemistry than he. Reynolds’s best known contribution to chemistry was the discovery of thiourea an exceedingly reactive compound which led up to Dr. Werner’s great work on the chemistry of urea itself. 279 Reynolds’s reputation may be judged by his many distinctions among them being :-President of the Chemical Society President of the Society of Chemical Industry President of the Chemical Section of the British Association and Vice-Presiden t of the Royal Society.Reynolds retired in 1903 when the chair gained its present worthy successor Dr. Young. Proposing a vote of thanks to Dr. Bell for his address Dr. J. Reilly said that there was no doubt chemistry had reached a very high standard in medieval Ireland In the succeeding 600 years there was very little development in the science principally because the greater portion of the population was deprived of higher education. In England also the position was bad at the beginning of the nineteenth century. At Cambridge for in- stance the Professor of Chemistry was also a Professor of Divinity. Chemistry was chiefly studied because of its applica- tion to medicine.The College of Science in Dublin had done much for chemistry. Dr. Reilly then referred to some famous Irish chemists from the seventeenth century to the present day. The work accom- plished by these men should be an incentive to the younger chemists. Dr. J. P. C. Kirkpatrick who seconded the motion said that the Irish were a learned people before the coming of the EngIish. Whether Ireland was an island of saints or not he could not say but it was certainly an island of scholars. After the arrival of the English the Irish who really wanted to get on with their work left the country. Many of them reached high positions in England France Germany and other countries. Great things were expected when Trinity College was founded in 1592 but unfortunately they did not fructify.In 1628 the then Provost pointed out “ that it was a poor College of divines.” There was little change until the end of the seventeenth century. Supporting the motion Professor E. A. Werner referred to a certain I talian publication dealing with the world’s greatest chemists. The well-known Irish chemists were almost altogether ignored but it was pointed out that “in Ireland ether is drunk as a liqueur-a refined form of alcohol.’’ The full paper is filed at the Institute for reference. Dr. Werner after the lecture exhibited some specimens of a new type of ware a substitute for china 280 The Annual General Meeting of the Section was held on 16th November 1927 in the Chemical Theatre Trinity College Dublin Professor W.E. Adeney presiding. The reports of the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer were read and adopted. The following Committee was elected for the session 1927-28 Professor W. E. Adeney Mr. B. G. Fagan Dr. A. G. G. Leonard Dr. J. H. Millar Mr. A. O’Fmelly Mr. J. W. Parkes and Professor Sydney Young. Mr. P. O’Callagahan and Mr. G. Brownlee were elected Hon. Auditors. Professor Adeney was nominated as delegate to represent the Section at the Jubilee Celebration of the Institute in London and Dr. J. Bell was nominated to represent the Section at the Annual Dinner of the Belfast Section. Leeds Area.-On 31st October a meeting of the Section jointly with the Yorkshire Section of the Society of Chemical Industry was held at the University of Leeds when Dr.0. C. de C. Ellis of the Safety in Mines Research Station at Sheffield University gave a lecture on “Flame,” illustrated by many beautiful slides. Dr. Ellis showed how ideas of flame from mere superstition had developed with the growth of exact knowledge resulting from scientific observation. The recent development of photographic technique had made it possible to follow the life history of a flame with a remarkable insight. Dr. Ellis described his experimental method of snap-shot photography whereby the state and position of a flame could be registered at intervals of a few thousandths of a second on one plate. In this way a complete record of the process of an explosion could be made from ignition to extinction. Many curious properties were thus brought to light.Two flames separately ignited in a compound mixture show a marked individualism being reluctant to coalesce. A flame was always retarded on approaching an obstacle and appeared to seek out and penetrate any opening it might approach. The low density of a flame always affected the shape and the rotatory movement produced could be plainly recognised in the numerous slides displayed. The slides also showed the phenomenon of “ after burning,” the nature of which is a subject of considerable discussion among chemists and engineers. 281 A discussion followed in which the Chairman Mr. .H. J. Hodsman Prof. W. T. David Dr. A. Parker Mr. G. B. Howarth and Mr. Lighton participated. The Annual General Meeting of the Section was held at the Great Northern Hotel Leeds on 18th November Mr.B. G. McLellan in the chair. Messrs. R. 30. Abell T. W. Price D. McCandlish and G. V. Hall were elected to the Committee in the place of Messrs. N. M. Comber R. Whytlaw Gray L. L. Lloyd and J. A. Reddie. Mr. J. Firth and Mr. R. Gawler were re-elected Hon. Auditors. The Hon. Secretary and Treasurer were also re-elected. The Treasurer’s report was received and adopted. A paper on “The Training of a Leather Chemist,” was then read by Mr. H. Salt. Mr. Salt said that it was curious that what was probably the oldest industry in the world should have been so late in develop- ing on the scientific side. Leather chemistry could be associated with the name of the late Professor Proctor more closely than that of any one man could be associated with any other industry to which chemistry was applied.Before the opening of the Leather Industries Department in the Yorkshire College now the University of Leeds leather manufacture was considered to be a series of secret processes the successful operation of which could be acquired by years of practice; that chemistry could be useful to the industry had been appreciated by only very few scientists. No other Univer- sity in England had a similar Department and no other in the world granted a degree in the chemistry of leather manufacture. Such being the case the lecturer was justified in taking as an example of the training necessary for the leather chemist the courses in the University of Leeds which had given to the industry a number of chemists whose work was sufficient indica- tion of the soundness of the training At the outset it must be realised that it very wide field had to be covered.The skins of animals varied as much as the animals themselves. The study of skin immediately involved the chemistry of the proteins a knowledge both of physical and organic chemistry and also of histology and bacteriology. Vegetable tanning involved the chemistry of the colloids and a knowledge of botany. Tannage with oils and with[ mineral salts also opened up other wide fields. Some knowledge of 282 engineering was necessary in order to study the special machinery in use in the industry and an acquaintance with dyestuffs was also essential.Since the Association of Leather Trades Chemists published a journal in French and much literature was published in German a knowledge of these languages was essential. It was clear that the trainifig of the leather trzdes chemist must be very wide. The course at Leeds aimed at the production of chemists with both wide general and specialised knowledge and in its applica- tion to the production of leather. The course extended over four years; the students were required to attain a standard in pure chemistry equivalent to that required for an ordinary degree and were in addition required to pass examinations in the specialised subjects. For the honours degree students had to take honours courses in physical and organic chemistry bacteri- ology and enzyme action and engineering in addition to the usual physics French and German.They also had to take cIasses dealing with the special materials used in the industry such as barks woods leaves fruits etc. used for tanning and in the special methods of analysis of h e chrome and tan liquors etc. Microscopical methods were also studied. The student who had passed through the full course was not merely an expert in leather manufacture but was also primarily a well trained chemist; the honours degree wits accepted by the Institute of Chemistry. The paper was followed by a protracted discussion on the work of the chemist in the leather industries on the relation of works practice to academic training and on various points of technical interest.The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the lecturer. The Leeds Area and Huddersfield Sections celebrated the Jubilee of the Institute by a dinner held at the Great Northern Hotel Leeds on and December Mr. 33. G. McLeUan Chairman of the Leeds Area Section presiding. The guests included Prof. J. F. Thorpe F.R.S. Vice-President of the Institute of Chemistry; Mr. Francis H. Cam C.B.E. President of the Society of Chemical Industry; Mr. J. H. Portway President Leeds Chamber of Commerce; Prof. J. K. Jamieson Dean of the Faculty of Medicine University of Leeds; Mr. H. J. C. Johnston President of the English Ceramic Society; Mr. A. H. Mann Editor The Yorkshire Post; Mr. J. H. Barker 283 Chairman Yorkshire Branch Institute of Mechanical Engineers Mr.J. E. Storr Chairman North Midland Centre Institute of Electrical Engineers; Mr. H. Jennings Chairman Society of Dyers and Colourists ; the Bishop of Knaresborough (Dr. Lucius Smith); Mr. Warwick Mitchell Mr. Eaton Smith and Principal J. F. Hudson (Huddersfield). The Chairman having welcomed the Huddersfield Section said that chemists were formerly apt to be very seclusive but in recent years they had come to realise their community of interest arising from the fact that chemistry permeated practi- cally every branch of human activity. If science and the arts were to be interwoven successfully then the leaders of science and of the arts must mix together get to know one another and share their joys as they had in industry to share their difficulties.Welcoming the representatives of other professions he said the relations between the chemists and the engineers were very close for the chemist had often to call in the engineer to provide plant for a large scheme in the place of the laboratory beaker. In the solution of such a problem as the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen for instance the triumph could be claimed by the engineer jointly with the chemist. The bond was also close with the medical profession though chemists studied their problems irt vitro and the physiologists studied theirs iut vivo. The service rendered by the chemists to that profession had been exceedingly valuable. Mr. Francis H. Caw President of the Society of Chemical Industry gave the toast of the ?City and Trade of Leeds.” He suggested that the only way to prosperity which lay before industry was to continue to utilise science as much as possible and to eliminate the influence of unlimited competition.He welcomed the completion of combinations in the chemical industry generally and urged that the trade must be so organised that even the rank and file who were better educated nowadays than was formerly the case could take an interest in their work. We regretted that the old idea was still maintained in some parts that the man of science lost caste when he left pure science to aid industry. Mr. J. H. Portway Chairman of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce referred to the progress which in recent years was visible in Leeds but lamented the fact that trade was in some directions still very bad.Everyone would like to see a greater improvement in the staple industries particularly the heavy 284 trades. One thing they must have and that was peace in industry. He regretted the difficulties which had arisen in the woollen trade and expressed the fervent hope there would be an amicable settlement soon in order to prevent any stoppage of work. When trade was bad and foreign competition made things difficult the wise manufacturer sought means of reducing his costs. It was beginning to be realised that it was absolutely essential to progress to promote scientific research and to en- courage science to get to the root causes of their business difficulties. Prof. J. K. Jamieson who proposed the toast of “The Institute of Chemistry,” suggested that chemistry was waiting for a new inspiration.He thought it was coming and meanwhile he suspected that the energies of scientific men were being devoted to the invention of new technical terms with the object presum- ably of protecting their mysteries from the rest of the world. Prof. J. I?. Thorpe who responded expressed the regret of the President of the Institute that other duties prevented his at- tendance at that gathering. Reviewing the past half-century of organisation in the science of Chemistry he observed that the Chemical Society was formed for the discussion of new knowledge. The Institute had as its foundation duty the task of ensuring the efficiency of chemists. Although it was boasted that the total membership of all the twenty chemical societies in existence in this country made a very large figure it was to some extent a stage army for many of the members of one of the societies were also members of the others That multiplication was a really serious matter for the younger men who could not afford a large number of subscriptions.Was it not possible to do something to obviate that very great disadvantage! Dr. H. H. Hodgson Chairman of the Huddersfield Section also responded. Prof. J. W. Cobb proposed the health of the guests. Remark- ing on the help that the Press could render to science he observed that in the last decade the stature of the Press that used to be described as “ provincial ”-newspapers of the standing of The Yorkshire Post and Manchester Gztardian-had greatly developed and was now such as compared honourably with the best of the Metropolitan Press the superiority of which at one time used to be taken for granted.Mr. H. J. C. Johnston Mr. A. H. Mann and Mrs. McLellan responded. 285 Liverpool and North-Western.-Professor I. M. Heilbron presided at the Annual General Meeting held at St. George’s Restaurant on 10th November. Referring to the appointment of the officials of the Section the Chairman said that his successor would be elected by the committee. He announced that the committee had received with regret the resignation of Mr. Hanley from the position of Honorary Secretary. He expressed gratitude to Mr. Hanley for the many years of hard work which he had so ably devoted to the Section.To him more than to any other man the Section owed its present secure position. He had worked right well and it had been no easy task. In thanking Mr. Hanley he expressed the hope that he would be with them for many years to cvme in order that the Section might still have the benefit of his advice. Professor Roberts in supporting the vote of thanks said that Mr. Hanley was one of the onginal members of the Provisional Section the first formed in the country. He could thoroughly endorse all that the chairman had said. The Chairman announced that the committee had appointed Mr. H. E. Monk as Honorary Secretary in the place of Mr. Hanley and that Messrs. H. J. Evans and G. E. Knowles had been elected members of the committee.Messrs. Hardwick and Knowles were re-elected as Honorary Auditors Dr. Kamm and Mr. Ross Associates were also elected mem- bers of the Commit tee their nomination being unopposed; but as Mr. Ross had left the district the election of another Associate in his place was referred to the committee. Dr. Kamm being willing to serve was declared elected. Mr Hanley was appointed to represent the Section on the Benevolent Fund Committee. The Secretary’s Report on the activities of the Section during the past session was adopted. Mr. E. Gabriel Jones moved:-“That the position of Vice- Chairman be created and that the retiring Chairman be eligible for the position irrespective of whether he be a member of committee or not; also that the Vice-chairman be an ex-ofJicio member of the committee and that the rules be amplified accord- ingly.” Mr.Jones explained that the proposed addition arose from the fact that the chairman was elected from the committee. It would be a great advantage if the rules were altered to provide 286 for retaining the retiring chairman on the committee as Vice- Chairman in order that he might give the incoming chairman the benefit of his guidance and advice for at least one year. Professor Bannister seconded the motion which was carried unanimously. Subject to the confirmation of the new rule by the Council it was agreed that Professor Heilbron be appointed Vice-chairman of the Section. A discussion was held on the arrangements for a local cele- bration of the Jubilee of the Institute.Subsequently Professor C. 0. Bannister was elected Chairman of the Section and Mr. John Hanley was appointed a member of the Committee in the place of Mr. Bennett who had left the district. At a meeting held at St. George’s Restaurant on 13th October -Professor Heilbron presiding-Mr. William French gave a very interesting address entitled “ Reminiscences of Fifty Years of Chemistry.” Mr. French said that since the Institute had this year reached its Jubilee he thought it not out of place to refer briefly to its growth. He remembered the events in 1874 which led up to its formation in 1877. He was so impressed by the high ideals put forward by the first President Sir Edward Frankland that he set steadfastly to work to become a member of it but it was not until 18% that he entered for the Associateship Examination.The formation of the Institute was not a simple matter in its initial stage. The Chemical Society or many members of its Council were somewhat passive. The Universities did not give much constructive help-they were generally academic in their outlook. The professional chemists were for the most part unattached units and were a little afraid that their claim might be overlooked or swamped by too great a consideration being given to the academic factor. I t was Frankland who together with a small band of young but far-seeing men took the via m,edin and realised the need for an organisation for the profession as a whole The Institute as they knew it to-day with its sections estab- lished in the great centres of this country and in various parts of the Empire was very largely due to the efforts of Frankland who by his indomitable will his unswerving devotion to duty and his sagacity of purpose as indicated throughout his life overcame difficulties and smoothed the path to success.287 Referring to the local sections Mr. French expressed the opinion that they were a true measure of the advance made by the Institute during the past ten years. It was largely due to the hard work of Mr Hanley that the first Section had been formed at Liverpool and from this initial step a territorial system of Sections had been formed Manchester being the second. There had been for some years a general desire on the part of members in the north of England to get more into touch with the Institute to increase its activities and to make it more widely known.Mr. French strongly recommended all students and young Associates to read the History of the Imtitute. He had read it through with the abstracts of the Presidential addresses several times with undiminished interest. They were well written and well thought out having a driving power of remarkable inspiration and constructive criticism contending against apathy and passive resistance. This especially referred to Frankland’s first address when he outlined the policy and aims of the Institute the endeavour to raise the status of the chemist by enlisting men of sound general education and culture on which to base a highly scientific training.To-day they were proud of Frankland’s efforts of fifty years ago. Mr. French gave a brief account of Frankland’s early life in Lancaster. His intention after leaving the grammar school there had been to become a medical man but through an exaggerated account of the cost of medical training as given to his parents by the family physician he was advised to enter the profession by the “ back door.” Frankland became apprenticed to a chemist and druggist but he appeared to have quite set his mind against the business of this kind. He stated he “learnt nothing” from his master but he gave great credit to two well-known physicians in the town-the Johnson brothers- and a schoolmaster who taught him chemistry and electricity.The former subject fascinated him and as the ultimate result he became a great teacher and a great thinker and experi- mentalist. Mr. French referred briefly to his original work on Chemical Constitution his continuous publications of papers on various subjects and his books on Notation. Incidentally he recollected that when he was examined by Frankland in 1876 one question which completely floored him was-“ Write the Graphic formula 288 of Meerschaum.” When Frankland left Marburg to accept a lectureship at Queenwood College where he met Tyndall he relates-“ I had only once lectured before viz. at the Mechanics’ Institute in Lancaster during my visit there in 1846.” Mr. French then recalled his own early experiences at Cam- bridge University Chemical Laboratories under Professor Liveing in 1874.The laboratories there were vastly different from those of to-day both in facilities for lecturing and in equipment for practical work and research. Much glass apparatus was made by the teachers or assistants. Professor Liveing was an expert glass-blower and a handyman with tools. He would often sit down at the blow-pipe table surrounded by a few students and with a beaming smile genial manner and steady hand shew the evolution of a T-piece or glass bulb from a straight piece of tubing; he made Bell jars from Winchester Quarts and windows for the ends of his spectroscopic tube; and he ground down the sides of bottles on sandstone putting in place thin plate glass sides in order to produce prisms useful for examining liquids by the spectroscope.From his earliest days he appreciated that the study of Natural Sciences was progressive that the quest for truth in each and every branch was developing and that with each decade came abundance of new facts discoveries and theories. While it was beyond the possibility of any man to keep abreast of all the recent work published during those fifty years it was his aim to know something of it so far as a non- mathematical brain would allow him to do so but he honestly confessed that “ P values ” and much of the Physical Chemistry which had been given to them during the past fifteen years or so did not appeal to him This physical chemistry would possibly open up vistas for original work and chemistry might become a branch of physics.He wished it to be understood that he was not sufficiently drugged in the chemistry of the past as to obliterate from his mind the better work of to-day and the future. “New times demand new methods and new men The world advances and in t h e outgrows The laws that in our fathers days were best. And doubtless after us gome purer scheme Will be shaped out by Wiaer men than we Made wiser by the steady growth of truth.” The laboratory work the study of chemistry and other branches of natural philosophy in those days were calm and 289 rational-quite unlike the rush of to-day which appeared to the older generation its almost bordering on the murder or suicide of scientific method.Then there appeared to be more time to think and reason the idea heiiig rather towards a better and deeper understanding of the subjects under consideration. There also appeared to be less specialising and more thoroughness. The men trained in the seventies and early eighties as we know them to-day seemed to be more versatile. In those early days there were no typewriters no telephones no secondary batteries. When power was required for lecture work to illustrate the vaporisation of metals and the consequent examination of them by the spectroscope it was a ratter of fitting up fifty Groves’ cells. To-day many people hardly realised what a Grove cell was. Platinum in those days was 23s. an ounce and it was usual for a student to have his own platinum crucible There were no electric lighting vacuum bulbs; Swan and Edison had not yet invented these.He well remembered the excitement in the public press when Swan of Newcastle-on-Tyne brought to notice his first patented practical lamp of this nature about 1877; afterwards came Edison’s and others. After reading the announcement he had made one of these lamps and incidentally gave an account of its construction and its fate. The terminals were two pieces of rather thick platinum wire-the bulb was exhausted by a Sprengel pump and sealed. Four Groves’ cells were then fitted up and taken to a dark cellar. One cell wits connected and a feeble glow was observed. Two cells gave a bright glow whilst three cells gave sufficient light for reading.All assistants and students in the laboratory were asked to come and see it. They came-it was the first novelty of the kind seen at Cambridge. Someone said “Try four cells.” Alas! the lamp glowed very vividly for a second or two and fizzled out. At the same period about 1877 the scientific world was startled by the researches of Pictet in Geneva and CaiUetet in Paris who had liquified the previously so-called “ permanent gases ”-hydrogen oxygen nitrogen and air-a triumph arising from the earlier work of Andrews and Faraday. A year later 1877 Professor Dewar had installed at Cambridge one of Cailletet’s machines the first in this country and he remembered his jog on seeing oxygen liquified. 290 At Cambridge in 1874 there were five laboratories for practical chemistry-the large university laboratories from which sprang the new laboratories of to-day with Sir William Pope and Professor Lowry in charge and smaller laboratories at St.John’s (the first built in the town by Liveing before he became Professor) ; Caius College laboratory conducted by Mr. Apjohn then public analyst and later by Pattison Muir one of Roscoe’s pupils and assistants; Downing laboratory conducted by Mr. Lewis and that at Sidney conducted by the Rev. George Hicks (afterwards Bishop of Capetown). This laboratory although very small became known for the classical researches carried out there by Heycock and Neville on the properties of metals gold silver alloys etc. Liveing was the most unselfish man he ever knew He lived €or duty and service-he was not sure which came first- and while keeping always his chemical school in a progressive state his great aim was the building up of a medical school worthy of the University.He lived to see the accomplishment of this. He was the first man in Cambridge to open his lecture room and laboratories to women. As a lecturer he was quiet and undemonstrative; he disliked applause or any show of boyish exuberance at the result of some spectacular experiment. On many occasions he would stop during a lecture to give a little homily on good manners to medical students and suggest that they should read Lord Chesterfield‘s letters. He was most painstaking in the preparation for lecture illustrations.As a rule he gave notes a week beforehand of the work he wished to illustrate which he would invariably check or rehearse before a lecture took place. On one occasion a boy had been sent for something and told to hurry; the boy tarried and was met with the exclamation in short crisp words “Have you never heard the old saying ‘Never keep the devil waiting for hot pitch.’ ” On another occasion when about to illustrate the explosive properties of iodide of nitrogen which had been dried overnight on a piece of filter paper placed on a block of wood he noticed a fly settling on the paper. He stopped talking and gazed at the fly then called the attention of the students as to what might happen if the fly walked on to the black mass. He had hardly spoken when the fly meandered to its destruction.Bang!-a small 291 cloud-cheers from the audience! On the occasion of a lecture on the properties of ammonia Liveing specially requested that three jars of carefully dried ammonia and three similar j a m of carefully dried hydrochloric acid should be collected over mercury in his special mercury trough. Great care was taken with the preparation but when the time arrived for the illustra- tion (towards the end of the lecture) Liveing carefully placed a jar of each mouth to mouth-nothing happened. He next tried two other jars with a like result. He was for a moment speechless apologised and walked out of the room. As he walked out white clouds were appearing; the assistant went after him and told him what was happening.“The gases were too dry,’ he said but Liveing was far too much upset and worried to bother further about them. When some years later Baker had published his work he spoke to Liveing of the incident; he (Liveing) smiled and said “Yes,-no doubt it was as Wilson (the assistant) had said,-the gases were too dry.” When the honorary degree of D.Sc. was conferred on Liveing after sixty years’ Professorship the words of Lowell when speaking of Abraham Lincoln were pronounced by the Public Orator Dr. Sandys:- ‘‘ The kindIy earnest brave far-aaeing man Sagaoious patient dreading prcriw not blame.” His modesty was only exceeded by his generosity and worth. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. French on the proposition of the Chairman.The seventy-ninth general meeting of the Liverpool Section was held at the St. George’s Restaurant on 8th December. Thanks were accorded to the retiring officers the Chairman Prof. Heilbron ; the Secretary Mr. John Hanky; and the Assistant Secretary Dr. Morton. The vacancy for Assistant Secretary was filled by the election of Mr. E. E. Abraham. Prof. C. 0. Bannister the Chairman gave an address in the course of which he related much of his experience as a chemist and metallurgist. He thought the profession of chemistry still worth while for a young man and that it held out promise of more than ordinary interest and of sufficient-though not enormous-material reward. The chief things demanded of the novitiate were that he should love his job and not be afraid of hard work.292 A vote of thanks to the Chairman proposed by Prof. T P. Hilditch and seconded by Mr. Gabriel Jones was carried with acclamation. The Committee of the Section has decided to adopt Mr. H. E Monk as its nominee for the election of a District Member of Council. The dinner arranged by the Section in connection with the Jubilee Celebration of the Institute will be held at the Adelphi Hotel Liverpool on Friday 13th January. Tickets price 10s. 6d. may be obtained from the Hon. Secretary or Committee. Members are urged to a$& for their tickets early London and South-Eastern Counties.-The Annual General Meeting of the Section was held at the Institute on 16th November,-Sir Robert Robertson in the chair.Messrs. Bars and Rayner were appointed scrutineers to report on the ballot for Associate members of Committee. The Committee’s report and the Treasurer’s report were read and adopted. The Committee for the ensuing session was elected as follows:-Officers Chairman Prof. J. C. Drummond; Vice-Chairmen Sir Robert Robertson and Mr. G. S W. Marlow; Treasurer Mr. A. J. Chapman; and Secretary Mr. E. B. Hughes Committee.-Fellows Dr. L. E. Campbell Mr. S. H. Greenwood Dr. G. A. R. Kon Mr. P. J. Sageman Mr. N. Evers Mr. S. H. Johnstone Dr. L. H. Lampitt Mr. H. Shankster Mr. A. E. Garland Dr. D. W. Kent-Jones Prof. G. T. Morgan Miss S. M. L. Snelus. Associates Messrs. A. W. Barrett J. Haslam A. V. Hussey S. G. Kendrick C. W. Spiers F. J. Tritton.On the proposal of Mr. Eynon seconded by Mr. Brewis a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the retiring Chairman Sir Robert Robertson for his services to the Section during the past year. After returning thanks Sir Robert introduced and welcomed Prof. Drummond who then took office as Chairman. The business of the evening was followed by a Smoking Concert rendered successful by the generous and highly appre- ciated services of the following artistes :-Mrs. Boseley violin; Miss Arline King and Miss Bertha Rackman songs; Mr. Boseley piano; Mr. J. H. Bushill Dr. L. E. Campbell Mr. H. H. Hudson and Mr. W. G. Messenger songs; Mr. F. W. Smith humorous was much enjoyed. 293 entertainment. A one-act Play (arranged by Dr L. H. Lampitt) Miss Winnie Cullen Miss Dorothy May and Mr.Mark Bogod Manchester and District.-The Annual General Meeting took place on the zIst October in the rooms of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. The newly elected Chairman Mr. L. G. Radcliffe presided. The Hon. Secretary’s report on the past session’s activities and the financial statement of the Treasurer were read and adopted. Messrs. H. H. Bagnall M. Choate W. Hubball W. Silvester and Dr. W. J. Naunton were elected to the committee. The Hon. Secretary Dr. A. Coulthard and the Hon. Auditors Messrs. J. R. Hodgson and F. Scholefield were re-elected. At the conclusion of the business a joint meeting was held with the Society of Dyers and Colourists with Mr. J. R. Hannay in the Chair when a lecture was given by Prof.E. C. C . Baly entitled “ Light and Life.” Professor Baly called attention to the val- uable results that were being obtained by the treatment of men and animals with ultra-violet rays and discussed the scientific explanation of this. He considered the reaction by which carbohydrates and proteins were synthesised in the living leaf as of the highest fundamental importance as all life depends on this reaction. Visible light was unable to supply sufficient energy for the purpose. The quantity of energy as determined from thermodynamical data was known as the critical increment of energy. In order to form a single gram molecule of a hexose sugar the carbon dioxide required must absorb energy equiva- lent to 840,000 calories but in the living leaf this was achieved by the absorption of no more than 263,000 calories under the influence of red light.The definitive factor of the reaction was the amount of energy required to bring the carbon dioxide molecules into the particular reactive state that was required. Laboratory reactions of carbon dioxide were characterised by much smaller critical increments of energy than that of the carbohydrate reaction. The chemistry of the laboratory was one of low energy. That of carbohydrate and protein synthesis was one of high energy. The lecturer maintained the view that the whole chain of reactions in the living leaf which were the consequence of the initial activation of the carbon dioxide took place at an energy level far higher than that attainable by ordinary laboratory methods and suggested that this was the key of the mystery of the chemistry of vital processes.He 294 said that light was the driving force of life since the products of photosynthesis are the inevitable results of the high activation of carbonic acid due to the agency of sunlight. The problem was different in the case of men and of animals which do not depend on photosynthesis for their life and being. These obtained the high energy necessary to their vital pro- cesses by feeding on living plants or on other animals. Man differed from most animals in keeping his food awhile before eating it. When an animal was killed or a plant was gathered the vital processes ceased and the high energy began to be dissipated until at last all the components sank to the energy level of inanimate matter.But food values were not a mere matter of calories man should see to it that he had his food as fresh as possible; green vegetables especially lost their vital energy very quickly indeed. This should be a plea for a greatly accelerated distribution of food. The second way that man might gain energy was by means of light particularly that of short wave length for which his skin had the greatest absorptive power. In this connection reference was made to the con- version of ergosterol (present in the skin) into the anti-rachitic vitamin D by irradiation with ultra-violet rays as shown by recent work of Morton Heilbron and Kamm. This offered an explanation of the cause of the benefit accruing when rachitic children were exposed to ultra-violet rays.The special value of the new substitutes for glass which were transparent to ultra- violet rays was at once apparent in this connection. The influence of moonlight on plant and animal life was discussed by the lecturer. He referred to the folk-lore which upheld the benefit of moonlight to plants and its opposite effect on man. Instances of the beneficial action of moonlight on seeds and seedlings were given and experiments referred to which appeared to show that the action was due to polarised light of which moonlight contains some 10 per cent. during the early phases of the moon. As examples of the ill effect of polarised light on man attention was drawn to the peculiarly inflammatory effect of the light scattered from snow at high altitudes and the occurrence of " moon-blindness " in watchers on ships on moon- light nights in the tropics.In conclusion the lecturer stressed the importance to man of eating his food as soon as possible after it has been killed or gathered and the vital necessity of ultra-violet rays in both normal and subnormal health. 296 A discussion followed in which Prof. A. Lapworth Messrs. A. J. Hall L. G. Radcliffe Sylvester Scholefield Jowett and Edge took part. On the motion of Mr. Radcliffe seconded by Mr. Edge a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer and carried with great enthusiasm. A meeting of the section in conjunction with the Society of Chemical Industry the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society and the Society of Dyers and Colourists (under the auspices of the last-named Society) was held on 4th November 1927 in the Assembly Room Blackfriars House Manchester.The chair was taken by Dr. H. Levinstein the President of the Society of Dyers and Colourists who received an enthusiastic welcome on his re-appearance after a period of prolonged illness. A paper entitled “Some New Principles in Chemo-therapy,” by Prof. A. G. Green and Dr. Myer Coplaus was read by Prof. Green. The following is an abstract of the paper :- The chemotherapy of dyestuffs and allied synthetic organic substances based largely upon the views of Ehrlich has on the whole been disappointing owing to the influence of factors not at first realised namely the chemical alteration of the drug under the influence of living matter.Such progress as has been made in therapeutic research has been mainly empirical since we are at present unable to predict what specific chemical groupings would give to a drug a preferential affinity for invading organisms rather than for the protective cells of the body. The authors have examined the question whether it may not be possible to exert a controlled and selective action upon foreign organisms and their toxins by the administration of compounds (derivatives of dyestuffs in particular) which are themselves inactive and innocuous but which could be converted in the body or particular parts of it into active agents. The slow and continuous production within the system of such an active substance might exert a definite bactericidal or at least bacteri- ostatic action without materially harming the defensive cells (leucocytes) .Two classes of compounds which might fulfil those conditions have been examined. A. Leuco-compounds which could give rise to physiologically active dyestuffs upon oxidation. 4. 296 B. Special dyestuffs (or leuco-dyes) containing “hbile- acidic” groups such as the “ sulphate ’’ group-NH.C&,. OS0,H or the “ omega-sdphonic ” group-NH.CH,.S03H These new classes of dyestuffs have been described in a series of papers by Green and Saunders published during rgzz and 1923. Whilst functioning in the unaltered condition like ordinary acidic dyestuffs (or leuco-com- pounds) they are converted by hydrolysis into basic compounds.From the authors’ investigation the following conclusions are derived. I. Leuco-compounds of the triphenylmethane compounds have a much smaller toxicity and bactericidal activity than the corresponding dyestuffs. When administered to animals they are excreted both by the liver and kidney if acidic or by the liver alone if basic. 2. Leuco-compounds of the triphenylmethane dyes exhibit a very remarkable neutralising or detoxicating action upon toxins such as those of diphtheria tetanus and cobra venom. In the case of the first two a very definite quantitative relationship could be proved- to exist which varies with the toxin and the leuco-compound. I t is believed that further investigation of this action may afford a basis for the local treatment of diphtheria tetanus and snake bite.3. Sulphate dyes and sulphate leuco-compounds have in the unaltered condition little toxic action and little or no bactericidal power. When however these substances are administered to animals they are excreted both by the kidneys and liver and render the urine and bile strongly antiseptic so that added .pathogenic organisms will not grow in these fiuids. Rabbits which had been artificially infected with an active strain of B. tyekzosus and had thus become typhoid carriers were completely sterilised by continued adminis- tration of sulphate compounds the organisms disappear- ing from gall bladder and blood. 5. Experiments made with mice infected with trypanosomum equifierdum indicate the possibility of employing omega- sulphonic acids of active substances for blood sterilisation.These substances outside the body exert little or no bactericidal or trypanocidal action. 297 The resrflts obtained would seem to indicate the possibility of new methods of attack in the treatment of disease in which substances having little or no toxicity or physiological activity in themselves may be administered with the object of gradually liberating in the system by chemical changes definite active drugs having a destructive effect upon invading organisms. A very interesting discussion followed in which Dr. Levinstein Mr. Hailwood Mr. Newton Mr. W. Kaye Miss R. Robinson and Dr.Renshaw took part. A hearty vote of thanks to the authors proposed by Mr. J. R. Hannay and seconded by Mr. C . J. T. Cronshaw was carried unanimously. The Institute’s Jubilee was celebrated in Manchester on 12th December by adinner held at “The Manchester” Ltd. (St. Ann’s Square) which was attended by many distinguished guests. Proposing the toast of the Institute Mr. W. Howarth President of the Textile Institute said the benefit of the work which the chemist did was to be seen in a wide sphere and the Textile Institute was applying that work for its benefit. At the time the Institute of Chemistry was founded the colleges and universities did not take the large part in the training of chemists that they did to-day and it might be claimed that the Institute by its examinations in which a very high standard had been maintained had played no small part in the development of systematic chemical education.It was difficult to realise what the position of professional chemists would have been to-day if no such institution had been founded in order to bring together in one body those who practised a calling now so necessary to the affairs of everyday life and the progress of civilisation. Mr. L. Guy Radcliffe Chairman of the Manchester and District Section in responding to the toast remarked that the advances in chemistry were so rapid that it was almost impossible to keep pace with them. The importance of the profession of chemistry was not recognised in the world outside the profession as it ought to be Those who followed it were too often confused with another type of chemist who they thought might be referred to as a pharmacist or apothecary.They had no quarrel-with him but they desired it to be understood that there were other types of chemist than the pharmacist and they thought they ought to have some sort of title that would distinguish them from the pharmacist. 298 A short address was given by the Chairman Mr. L. G. Radcliffe at the close of the dinner. The dinner was followed by a dance and cabaret entertainment. N ewcastle-on-Ty ne and North- East Coast.-The Annual General Meeting was held in the Chemical Industry Club Newcastle-on-Tyne on 25th November Prof. H. V. A. Briscoe in the chair. The report of the Committee and the accounts for the past session were received and adopted.The following were elected as members of the Committee for the ensuing year :-Chairman Prof. H. V. ,4. Rriscoe. Committee:-Mr. H. C . L. Bloxam Prof. G. R. Clemo Mr. J. Hamilton Dr. P. L. Robinson Mr. L. H. Sensicle ; Hon. Treasurer Mr. T. Wallace and Hon. Secretary Mr. F. H. Walker. Messrs. J. B. Duncan and A. Short were appointed Honorary Auditors. On the motion of Mr. G. J. Greenfield seconded by Mr. H. C . L. Bloxam it was decided that the rules of the local Section be reprinted and distributed to members. MI+. H. C. L. Bloxam placed before the meeting a summary of the programme for the Jubilee Celebrations of the Institute in London. The date--I3th January xgzS,-was fixed for the local celebrations and it was announced that the Registrar of the Institute had been invited to deliver a lecture which would be followed by a programme of music in the King’s Hall.Armstrong College New as t le-on-Tyne. Further dates for meetings were announced as follows :- 24th February and 26th March 1928. It was suggested that arrangements be made if possible to broadcast a “Talk” on the history and work of the Institute of Chemistry in connection with the Jubilee. The programnic for the session and the general activities of the Section were then discussed at some length. Thanks were accorded to the retiring members of Committee and also to the Honorary Secretary. South Wales.-A meeting of the Section was held at Thomas’ Cafk Swansea on 7th October Mr.C. M. W. Grieb occupying the chair. The Chairman welcomed Mr. Christie the first Chairman of the Section who attended the meeting during a visit to the district. A warm tribute was paid to Mr. Christie’s 299 early association with the Section and the keen interest he had taken in its formation. In reply Mr. Christie gave a brief account of the early history of the Section. The meeting discussed the resolution passed at the Extra- ordinary Meeting of the Liverpool and North-Western Section held on the a3rd February referring to registration. After a long discussion it was agreed that the matter of the resolution was premature and that it be referred for a future date. Dr. Macnair pleaded for better conditions for metaIlurgica.1 chemists in connection with the Institute’s regulations referring especially to the requirements regarding organic chemistry which were a hardship to the metallurgist.Dr. Macnair also commented on the non-returnable fee payable on application for admission to the Fellowship. The Chairman explained that this fee was necessary in order to cover expenses involved in examining and assessing the evidence offered in support of the application. He and other Fellows in the Section would gladly help to form an opinion on the Fellowship qualifications of any applicant before his case was forwardcd to the Council. The second nieeting of the session was held on 28th October Mr. C. M. W. Grieb occupying the chair. Dr. Macnair again referred to the position of the metallurgist in relation to the Institute.He would like to know the total number of chemists directly connected with metallurgy in the local Section and also in the whole Institute membership. The number must be fairly large and unless the Institute catered for metallurgists he feared that a separate body would be formed. The Chairman explained that this matter had been considered by a conference and it had been decided by the Council that a fundamental knowledge of organic chemistry must be an essential qualification of applicants for membership. Dr. Macnair pointed out that the training of metallurgists in most universities and colleges did not include a study of organic chemistry. Prof. Coates was of the opinion that no matter how well qualified a candidate might be in other branches of chemistry any candidate without some knowledge of organic chemistry had not sufficient fundamental knowledge of chemistry.The Chairman mentioned that the South Wales Section resolution referring to the election of .4ssociates to Council had 300 not received support from other local Sections and the matter had not therefore been carried further. The members then attended a joint meeting with the South Wales Section of the Society of Chemical Industry at which Mr. D. H. Hey read a very interesting paper on “Hormones.” The lecturer described the better known ductless glands special attention being paid to the suprarenal thyroid and pituitary glands. The functions of the hormones secreted by these bodies were explained and far-reaching effects of abnormalities in the functioning of the ductless glands were cited.Experi- mental work on the removal of glands and on subsequent grafting also on the injection and oral administration of gland extracts was described. The chemical nature of the hormones of known constitution was explained and the brilliant work of Prof. Harrington which led to the synthesis of thyroxine was described. An account of recent work on insulin was given and the r61e of sulphur and of nickel and also that of cobalt in insulin preparations were discussed. Iieferciice was made to the discussion on this subject at the recent meeting of the British Association at Leeds and some of the possibilities of further work in this field were visualised.The lecturer concluded with a reference to the ideal attitude of scientific research to life. There was just a possibility that one day we might in our thirst for knowledge find ourselves with powers which we have no wish to possess; but that if we could direct our progress along such lines as would lead to a better understanding of life to the alleviation of human suffering and perhaps to the control over unhealthy conditions of mind humanity would be the richer for a store of knowledge the benefits of which it would be impossible to over-estimate. After an interesting discussion in which the Chairman Prof. Coates Dr. Macnair Mr. Ayling and Dr. Ramsay took part a cordial vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer.At a meeting held jointly with the South Wales Section of the Society of Chemical Industry on 8th November Mr. George E. Hider read a paper on “The Engineer-Chemist and his Influence in Engineering Economics.” The lecturer remarked that during the present depression of many British industries representatives had been sent abroad to study foreign industries in order to ascertain how foreign enterprises were able to compete on so much better terms. This 301 was remarkable as in many cases the British industry had been the pioneer and British engineers chemists and other specialists were equal to those of any other country. He considered one of the chief causes more particularly in the tin-plate industry to be the lack of co-oyeration between engineers chemists salesmen etc.He suggested that the chemist should not be content to take samples and carry out analyses in the laboratory. He should ascertain that engineers interpreted results correctly and modified their processes according to the I information supplied. Revolutionary methods of manufacture such as their competitors were designing could not be originated without complete collaboration between engineers and chemists. Mr. Hider presented much evidence to show that prosperity in the past had spoiled perspective. Many inventions originating in Great Britain had been neglected in times of prosperity to be developed into highly successful industries by foreign com- petit ors. The lecturer concluded that Britain had lost much business because manufacturers had failed to regard obsolescence of processes as a concrete liability and had failed to link up the results of fundamental research with that series of acts which led to the economic accomplishment of any specific enterprise.An interesting discussion followed,and a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Hider for his interesting and suggestive lecture concluded the meeting. At the annual general meeting held on 9th December the annual report and statement of accounts were adopted. The following officers and committee were elected:- Chairman Mr. C. M. W. Grieb; Hon. Secretary Dr.A. G. Ramsay; Committee Messrs. J. W. Adye E. Anderson E. E. Ayling P. F. Ellis Dr. L. E. Hinkel and Mr. C. A. Seyler. Messrs. U.Hartshorne and E. A. Tyler were elected honorary auditors. Mr.C. M. W. Grieb was nominated for election as District Member of Council. The Hon. Secretary was instructed to enquire if the Council had considered the resolutions passed at the ordinary meeting of 29th April referring to the election of Associates to Council and further if replies had been received from any other sections which had considered the matter. 302 The Institute of Chemistry Students’ Association (London). The fifth annual general meeting of the Students’ Association (London) was held on Thursday 13th October 1927 at the Instit Ute. The annual report and accounts were received and adopted. Prof. Arthur Smithells C.M.G. F.R.S. the retiring President of the Association welcomed his successor Mr.E. Richards Bolton F.I.C. The Committee for the Session 1927-1928 was duly elected and the retiring officers and committee heartily thanked for their services to the Association. After the formal business an enjoyable social evening was spent. The Officers and Committee 1927-28 :-President E. Richards Bolton F.I.C.; Vice-president F. E. Joselin BSc. A.I.C. (Birkbeck College) ; Hon. Treasurer Richard B. Pilcher O.R.E. ; Hon. Secretary N. Stuart (Imperial College) ; Hon. Secretary for Works Visits D. C. Beese (Sir John Cass Technicat Institute) ; Members of Committee King’s College L. A. Warren ; East London College F. S. Hawkins; Battersea Polytechnic Y. A. Farmer; University College E. B. Robertson; Sir John Cass Technical Institute D.C. Beese; Northern Polytechnic G . W. Packman; Imperial College N. Stuart ; Chelsea Polytechnic €3. L. Fielder; Birkbeck College G. W. Ferguson; The Poly- technic Regent Street J. H. Hamence. 303 Notes. Seventh Congressof Industrial Chemistry.-Mr. Arthur R. Smith who kindly represented the Institute at the Seventh Congress of Industrial Chemistry held in Paris from 16th-zznd October has forwarded a report of the proceedings. On the 16th the foreign delegates were received by the President of the Socikth de Chimie Industrielle,-M. Donat Agache and the Vice-president delegate M. Jean Gkrard the reception being followed by a very enjoyable entertainment. On the morning of the 17th the Congress met under the presidency of hL Tardieu the Minister of Public Works.The Mkdaille d’Honneur of the Society was presented to M. Georges Claude. The Society having been established for exactly ten years a speech was delivered by M. Agache outlining its history from its foundation by M. Paul Kestner and M. Jean Gbrard. M. Agache also dealt with the progress of chemistry as applied to the use of combustibles and to agriculture the two subjects in which the Congress was especially interested. Other lectures given during the Congress included the following:- M. Lebeau on “ The gaseous products of carbonisation ” ; Prof. Fierz David on “The problems of Organic Industries”; &I. Ch. E. H. Boissevain on “Nitrogenous Manures in Holland”; and M. 11. S. Wino- gradsky on “Le Pouvoir Fixateur des Terres.” The closing ceremony on the 20th was presided over by M.Roux representing M. Queille Minister of Agriculture and a resume of the work of the Congress was read by M. Maurice Deschiens. Delegates were received at the Hotel de Ville by M. Delsol President of the Municipal Council and the Prbfet of the Seine. On the Igth they were very cordially entertained to dinner by M. and Mme. Donat Agache at the Cercle Interallid. The banquet at Claridge’s Hotel on the zoth was presided over by M. Bokanowski Minister of Commerce and Industry and was followed by a dance. A visit was paid to the Etablissements Kullmann at Villers- St. Paul manufacturers of colouring matters on which occasion 304 the visitors were entertained to luncheon at the Grand Condk Hotel Chantilly.M. Duchemin a director welcomed the guests and in his speech ernphasised the need of international co-operation especially in view of the present day tariffs. Sir Alfred Mond replied for the foreign delegates. A visit was also paid to Messrs. Houbigant toilet-soap and perfume manufacturers whose directors took special pains to show their manufacture in detail and to explain the working of modern plant; and M. Bienaimk Chairman of the Company gave an instructive explanation why Perfumery was essentially a French industry. The affability of the President M. Donat Agache and the organisation of M. Jean Gkrard rendered the International Congress in every way successful and enjoyable. M arcel i n Berth e I ot Ce n ten ary.-Professor Jocelyn F.Thorpe Vice-president represented the Institute at the celebra- tions in connection with the centenary of the birth of Marcelin Berthelot which were held in Paris from z3rd-qth October and presented an address from the Institute. The proceedings opened on 23rd October with a soirke at the Sorbonne to which some 1200 guests and delegates had been invited. On 24th October a visit was paid to the Laboratories of the Ecole de Pharniacie and of the Coll6ge de France. The former contained an exhibit of some of the apparatus used by Berthelot as well as of many of the organic substances which he had prepared. In the Collkge de France many of the appliances employed by Berthelot were set out in surroundings very similar to those in which he had actually used them forming an interesting and instructive demonstration of the work of this great chemist.A t the same time various pupils and research students of Professor Ch. Moureu the present holder of the Chair were engaged in carrying out modern research work in the smaller rooms into which the building is divided. Speeches of welcome were delivered in the quadrangle of the College Professor Bogert of Columbia University replying on behalf of the Anglo- Saxon races. During the afternoon of the 24th a concert was given at the Hbtel de Ville by invitation of the Mayor and this was followed in the evening by a “Seance Solonelle” at the Sorbonne. This last-named function was the most important of the meeting and was attended by all the delegates in full academic costume.The Chair was occupied by M. Painled 305 Minister of War and Chairman of the Centenary Committee who was supported by a large number of members of the Academie des Sciences. On this occasion each delegate per- sonally delivered an address to the Chairman. On 25th October the morning was occupied by a service at the Pantheon which contains the tomb of Berthelot; after which the delegates were driven to Versailles where a “banquet ” was served in the large picture gallery. Over 1000 guests attended this function which was presided over by M. H&rior who subsequently gave an address. The day closed with a gala performance at the opera at which two ballets and the first act of Herodias were given On 26th October the foundation stone of the new “Maison de Chemie” was laid on the site selected in the Rue de St.Honor& In the afternoon delegates and guests were driven by motor-coaches to the Chatbau de Chantilly where a reception was held by the members of the Academie des Sciences and a light luncheon was served. Finally in the evening the delegates were received by the President of the Republic hf. Doumergue at the Elyske where a concert and ballet were given. Birds in Mines.-A prize of LIOO has been offered by the Royal Society €or the Protection of Birds through the generosity of Lady Cory for the invention of a testing apparatus for the detection of carbon monoxide which could be used in the place of canaries and small wild birds which are now used as part of the equipment of Rescue Brigades and are taken down the pits immediately after any disaster.The instrument must be simple and easy to be handled by an inexpert user. I t must give immediate warning of the presence of very small quantities of carbon monoxide recording as low a percentage as .OI or .oz. The test must be continuous and infallible. The invention must be approved by the Board of Trade. Descriptions and particulars should be sent to the Honorary Secretary of the Royal Society €or the Protection of Birds 82 Victoria Street London S.W.1 on or before the 31st March 1928 but working models should not be forwarded in the first instance. Institution of Civil Engineers.-In response to an invitation received from the Institution of Civil Engineers the President of the Institute has been appointed a delegate to attend the Ccntenary Celebrations of the Institution which are to be held in June 1928.306 S.E.3. The Register. At the meetings of Council held on 18th November and 16th December I new Fellow was elected 7 Associates were elected to the Fellowship 39 new Associates were elected and 28 Students were admitted. The Institute has lost I Fellow and I. Student by death. New Fellow. Smith Henry 83 Brownlow Rod Horwich nr. Bolton. Associates elected to the Fellomship Kelly Charles Ignatius M.Sc. Tech. (Manc.) 41 Thorold Road Ilford. Maplethorpe Cyril Wheatley 83 Grasmere Road Muswell Hill London N. 10. Mernagh Laurence Reginald B.Sc. (Lond.) A.C.G.F.C. 12 Albert Road Wolverhampton. Mott Reginald Arthur M.Sc. (Leeds) Ennerdale Bushey Wood Road Totley Rise Shefield. Reynard Herbert Corner B.Sc. (London.) 37 Hervey Road London Sanders Alexander M.I.Chem.E. Langholm St. Andrew’s Road Avon- mouth Bristol. Stanhope Percy Edward 26 Kings Road Cheadle Hulme Manchester. New Associates Allen Kenneth Alfred M.Sc. (N.Z.) Chemistry Department Otago University Dunedin Now Zealand. Bailey Frank William College of Technology Manchester. Barr Miss Mollie B.Sc. (Lond.) Langton Erith Road Belvedero Kent. Bayne William James B.Sc. (Edin.) 135 Craiglea Drive Edinburgh. Belton Joseph Watkin BSc. (Liv.) 34 Thistleton Avenue Birkenhead. Christy Ronald Kington B.Sc. (Lond.) 3 Crieff Road London S.W.18.Coppock Philip Dalton B.Sc. h1.Sc.Tech. (Manc.) 50 Albany Road Currie John M.A. (St. Andrews) 67 Grange Road Allos Scotland. Darlaston Arthur John Halstead B.A. (Oxon.) 32 Coolhurst Road Davies Ronald Glyn B.Sc. (Wales) Gltmllynfi Maesteg Glam. Dester John M.A. (Cantab.) B.Sc. (Lond.) 1 Cambridge Road Lee Victoria Park Manchester. Crouch End London N.8. London S.E. 12. Diamond Willirtm Edward de Boutllier B.A. (Cantab.) Agricultural Department Moor Plantation Ibadan Nigeria. 307 Dudman Walter Henry 1839 Maryhill Road Maryhill GZasgow N.W. Eaton James Caithness B.Sc. (Glas.) 90 Merrylee Road Newlands Glasgow. Evans Eric Bertram M.Sc. (Lond.) 704 Southchurch Road Southend-on- Sea. Fonseka Eric Lawrence B.Sc. (Lond.) Nemoni Bagatelle Place Colombo Ceylon.Gardner Harry B.Sc. (Lond.) 39 Kingsland Road Plaktow London Gell Miss Gwenyth Mary B.Sc. (Lond.) 123 Upper Tollington Park London N.4. Gell Miss Mavis Ada BSc. (Lond.) Broken Hill Northern Rhodesia. E.13. Good William A.R.T.C. Bent Cottage Mill Road Hamilton Lanarkshire. Hayward William Aldred M.Sc. (N.Z.) 34 Pine Hill Road Dunedin Hewson John Lester Frank B.Sc. (Lond.) 5 Red Post Hill Dulwich Jones Philip Laurence B.Sc. (Lond.) A.R.S.M. 77 Maidstone Road New Zealand. London S.E.21. London N. 1 1. Kennedy Alan Richmond M.Sc. (Lond.) Gloy Mfg. Co. Ltd. 16-17 Devonshire Square London E.C.2. Lea Colin Henry B.Sc. (Liv.) 24 Barnes Street Everton Liverpool. Levi Alfred Aaron M.Sc. (N.Z.) Club House Moray Place Dunedin New Zealand.hiackay John George B.Sc. (Edin.) 43 Viewforth Edinburgh. McGregor Thomas BSc. (Glaa.) Teraparn Maidens Ayrshire. Miller Brian Edward Merriman B.Sc. (Lond.) Dilston Christchurch Crescent RadIett Herts. Nave George Marshall B.Sc. (Dun.) 94 Park Road Wallsend-on-Tyne. Palmer Frederick Grove 15 Onslow Gardens Muswell Hill London N. 10. Read Norman John A.C.G.I. 30 Uckfield Road Enfield Wash Middlesex. Reynolds Cedric Victor BSc. (Lond.) 10 Park Avenue Wood Green London N.22. Sosson Charles Edwin Ph.D. (Edin.) 27 Spring Valley Terrace Edin- burgh. Staddon Lenzil Sydney B.Sc. (Bris.) 3 Brook Street Bmpton Devon. Turner Ernest B.Sc. (Dun.) 83 Ashley Road South Shields. Wadsworth Henry B.Sc. (Lond.) 47 Somerford Grove Park Lane Tottenham London N.17.Wilkin George Angus Cameron A.R.C.Sc.I. 17 Foyle Road Fairview Dublin. Willis Gervase Hewitson M.Sc. Ph.D. (Sheff .) St. Leonard8 Grange Ridge Road Rotherham. New Students. Bell James Alfred 50 Hulton Street Salford. Blankinsop. John Clifford 14 Heathfield Terrace Far Hedingby Leeds. Boxer Stanley Edward 24 Brigstock Rod Belvedore Kent. Buchanan Alistair Phillips 3 Broadlands Road Highgate London N.6. Cash Wilfrid Ernest 3 Havelock Road Belvedere Kent. Cosh Frederick William James 332 Wickham Lane PIumsteacl London S.E 18. Dembrey Ivor 142 East Street Bedminster Bristol. Eaglesfield Philip 14 Clarkehouse Rod Sheffield. Fitton Charles Forsyth Inglo Nook Mossley nr. Manchester. Gornm Albert Stanley 16 Durham Street Swindon.308 Goodwin Harold Walter British India Corporation Ltd. Cawnpore India Gray James John 21 Park Place Kinghorn Fife. Gullick Norman George Redcliffe Lodge Marine Drive Paignton. Haffner Albert Edward 16 Yorkshire Street Burnley Lancs. Hall Douglas Alfred 6 Essery Road Eastville Bristol. Hooper Minard Gilbert 57 King Street Neath Glam. Jeffree Edward Percival 181 Hainault Road Leytonstone London E. 11 Kimbell John Harvey Tavistock Residential Club 37 Tavistock Square London W.C.1. Matthews Thomas Quirk 2 Grasville Road Higher Tranmere Birken- head. Rodriguez Gabriel 43 Murray Street Port of Spain Trinidad B.W.I. Rush Arthur William 1 Catherine Villas Wellington Road Belvedere Kent. Sawyer Edward William 16 The Brittox Devizes Wilts.Silcox Arthur Leonard Eastbourne Langland Bay Mumbles Swansea. Statham Francis Sydney 12 Fulney Road Nether Green Sheffield. Stewart Francis 1553 Cumbemaulde Road Millerston Glasgow. Trotter John Frederick Felix 83 Mildred Avenue Watford Herts. Wells Edward Robert 67 Macoma Road Plumstead London S.E. 18. Wood Joseph Herbert James Grasmere Ashfield Road Davenport nr. Stockport. DEATHS Fellow. Thomas Featherstone Harvey. Student. Stanley Ernest Pusey. Obituary. THOMAS FEATHERSTONE HARVEY died at Heme1 Hempstead on the 22nd October in his 57th year. Born a t Sleaford. he was educated a t Woodhouse Grove School Apperley Bridge Leeds and a t Kingswood School Bath. Having passed the Major Examination of the Pharmaceutical Society in 189-1 he joined the laboratory of Messrs.Boots Pure Drug Co. for whom he established and managed t.he analyt,ical laboratory a t Notting- ham which was devoted to the control of drugs chemicals and other products and to technical research in connection with manufnctore. He held this position until the end of 1915 and shortly afterwards joined Messrs. Thomas Morson & Son Ltd in a similar capacity remaining with them until 1926. He published a considerable number of papers mainly on pharmaceutical chemistry in The Chemist and Druggist and in the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. He was elected a Fellow of the Institute in 1918 309 General Notices. Examinations in 1 928.-The arrangements for examina- tions during 1928 are as follows:- Entries close.Monday 14th November 1927. Monday 13th February rg28. Monday 16th July 1928. A p po i n t m en t s R egi st e r.-A Dates of Exams. 2nd to 7th January. or 9th to 14th January. 16th to zrst April. or 23rd to 28th April. 17th to zznd September. or 24th to 29th September. Candidates for the Associateship will be examined in January April and September and candidates for the Fellowship in April and September. Beilby Memorial Awards.-From the interest derived from the invested capital of the Sir George Beilby Memorial Fund at intervals to be determined by the administrators representing the Institute of Chemistry the Society of Chemical Industry and the Institute of Metals awards will be made to British investigators in science to mark appreciation of records of distinguished original work preference being given to in- vestigations relating to the special interests of Sir George Beilby including problems connected with fuel economy chemical engineering and metallurgy.Awards will not be made on the result of any competition but in recognition of continuous work of exceptional merit bearing evidence of distinct advancement in knowledge and practice. The administrators of the Fund are the Presidents the Honorary Treasurers and the Secretaries of the three partici- pating Ins ti tu tions . Notice t o Associates.-The Council desires to encourage all Associates to proceed to the Fellowship as soon as possible. The attention of Associates elected prior to October 1924 who have since been continuously engaged in the study and practical application of chemistry is directed to the revised syllabuses for the examinations for the Fellowship.Copies of the regulations and forms of application can be obtained from the Registrar. Register of Fellows and Associates of the Institute of Chemistry who are available for 310 appointments is kept at the offices of the Institute For full information inquiries should be addressed to the Registrar. Fellows and Associates are invited to notify the Institute of suitable vacancies for qualified chemists. Students who have been registered as Students of the Institute for not less than six months and are in the last term of their college course may receive the Appointments Register of the Institute on the same terms as Fellows and Associates provided that their application for this privilege be endorsed by their professors.Lists of vacancies are forwarded twice weekly to those whose names are on the Appointments Register. Fellows and Associates who are already in employment but seeking to improve their position are required to pay 10s. for a period of six months. Members and Students who are without employ- ment are required to pay 6s. 6d. for the first period of six months and if not successful in obtaining an appointment will there- after be supplied with the lists gratis for a further period of six months if necessary. The Institute also maintains a Register of Laboratory Assistants who have passed approved Preliminary Examinations and in some cases Intermediate Science Examinations.Fellows and Associates who have vacancies for such Registered Students and Laboratory Assistants are invited to communicate with the Registrar The Library.-The Library of the Institute is open for the use of Fellows 4ssociates and Registered Students between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on week-days (Saturdays 10 a.m. and I p.m.) except when examinations are being held. The library consists of books which are likely to be required by candidates during the Institute’s practical examinations. The comprehensive Library of the Chemical Society is avail- able by the courtesy of the Council of the Society for the use of Fellows and Associates of the Institute wishing to consult or borrow books from 10 a.m.to g p.m. on week-days (Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Registered Students of the Institute are also permitted for the present year to use the Library of the Chemical Society for reference purposes but not to borrow books. Members and Students of the Institute using the Library of the Society are required to conform to the rules of the Society regarding the use of its books. 31 1 Covers for Journal.-Members who desire covers for binding the JOURNAL (cost about IS. zd. each) are requested to notify the Registrar of their requirements indicating the years for which they are desirous of binding the JOURNAL. Arrangements have been made with Messrs. A. W. Bain & Co. Ltd. 17-19 Bishop’s Road Cambridge Heath London E.z.to bind volumes of the JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS on the following terms Buckram case IS. zd.; binding 2s. gd.; postage and packing gd.; in all 4s. 8d. Lantern Slides for Lectures.-A collection of slides is kept at the Institute for the use of members who wish to give lectures. The collection includes a large number of portraits and pictures of alchemists and chemists which are especially useful to members lecturing on various phases of the history of chemistry. Changes of Address.-In view of the expense involved through frequent alterations of addressograph plates etc. Fellows Associates and Registered Students who wish to notify changes of address are requested to give so far as possible their permanent addresses for registration.Books and their Contents. The following books have been presented by the authors or publishers and may be seen in the Library of the Institute:- “Chemistry A Guide to the Literature of.” E. J. Crane and A. $1. Patterson. Pp. 438. (London Chapman & Hall Ltd.). 25s. Books; periodicals ; patents ; other sources ; indexes; libraries ; procedure. “ Coal-Tar Hydrocarbons The Higher.” A. E. Everest. Pp. xiii.+334. (London Longmans Green & Co. Ltd.). 18s. Introduction; acenaphthene group ; flouorene group; phenanthrene group ; miscellaneous; indexes. “Phase Rule and its Applications The.” A. Findlay. Sixth edition. 165 figures. Revised and largely re-written. Pp. xv,+326. (London Longmans Green & Co. Ltd,).10s. 6d. Mr 0. C de C. Ellis has forwarded a copy of his lecture on Flame given before the Royal Photographic Society reprinted from the Photographic Journal for August 1927 the substance of which was read before the Leeds Area Section of the Institute on the 31st October. 31 2 ATTENDANCES AT MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES MARCH TO 1 6 ~ ~ DECEMBER 1927. 26 Council Council in Committees Committee 36 0 A. Smithelk,* Pres. London . . 8 E. R. Bolton V.P. London . . 7 25 8 18 16 H G. Colman V.P. London E. M. Hawkins V.P. Canterbury 29 8 4 4 23 2 - 8 22 R. H. Picknrd V.P. Manihester 0 7 0 8 5 7 3 5 26 31 5 14 28 1 0 2 21 21 0 0 . . 4 . . 4 9 I 0 7 0 8 0 5 I 0 7 20 5 0 7 0 0 0 0 17 0 1 1 13 5 19 5 6 0 I9 20 7 J. F. Thorpe V.P. London . . .- 0 . . 4 8 G G. Henderson V.P.Glasgow . . 3 P. E. Rowles . . London 8 Oxford P H. Kirkaldy Tpeas. London . . 7 F. W. F. Arnaud . . Mulaidstone . . 4 T.L Bailey H.C.L Bloxam . . Newcastle-on-Tyne 2 . . Kewcastlc-on-Tyne 6 A J.Chapman . . London 8 F. D. Chattaway G.C.Clayton . . Chester W. Clayton Liverpool . . * . 5 J W.Cobh Lceds W.H.Coleman London 4 TV. M. Cumming . . Glasgow . . 2 J. C. Drummond London . . 2 F. Dent . . London 8 B. Dyer . . . . London . . 8 A.V.Elsden L. Eynon . . London . . 8 A.G.Francis 5 20 25 5 5 1 0 1 2 0 3 1 2 10 2 14 0 0 1 13 20 0 3 0 1 7 3 4 8 8 0 2 9 8 I 0 1 6 6 19 7 1 12 14 0 19 13 0 5 12 3 1 12 6 0 0 0 T. Gray A. RPe E K. Rideii 2 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 8 12 12 12 13 12 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 . . 1 . . London . . 5 London 7 . . Glasgow . . 1 C. M W. Grieb . . Smansea . . 5 I. M. Heilbron . . Liverpool . . 2 E.Hinks London . . 7 H.H Hodgson . . Huddersfield €3. F. Howard C. K.IngoId Loeds A.TV.Knapp Birmingham A G. G. Leonard . . Dublin T. Macara W. Marsha11 B. G. McLellan . . York L. G. Radcliffe . . Manchester . . Manchester . . Cambridge W. Rintoul . . Ardrossan F. Scholefield . . Manchestor F.Southerden . . Exetcr R. Thomas J.H.Totton D. F. Twiss J . A. Watson * Ex-officio a member of all Committees. 3 5 . . 3 . . 4 . . London . . 8 f . * . 3 . . Birkenhead . . 1 Birmingham 5 6 4 ,. 4 4 0 . . London . . 7 . . Stockport . . 3 2 5 . . Belfmt . . Edinburgh 1