326 0BITUAR.Y [Vol. 76 Obituary ALEXANDER HENRY MITCHELL MUTER ALEXANDER HENRY MITCHELL MUTER was born in Kennington in 1873. He was the elder son of Dr. John Muter, who was one of the founders and third President of the Society and part proprietor of The Analyst for several years. As he was intended to follow his father’s career, he was sent to Germany to be educated according to the Victorian custom for boys intended to become chemists. On returning to London he entered the laboratory at Kennington, where his father had built up a large practice in the analysis of drugs, food and water, and held several appointments as Public Analyst. He took classes in chemistry at King’s College , London, and passed the examinations for the Associateship and Fellowship of the Institute of Chemistry in 1896 and 1899 respectively.His first public appointment was to Tunbridge Wells in 1908. On the death of his father he succeeded to several appoint- ments for which he had been deputy, including the Boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth, the Parts of Lindsey and the Metropolitan Asylums Board; and in later years he became Public Analyst to the Parts of Holland and Kesteven, Lincolnshire, and to the Borough of Colchest er . He prepared his certificates with great care; he took pains to appreciate and appraise both sides of a case and gave his evidence in moderate terms, conveying the impression that his function was to assist the Court only. He would never appear against another Public Analyst and held strong opinions against the etiquette of this practice. In 1912 he took into partnership Charles Hackman, with whom he had formed a friendship at King’s College while studying for the examination of the Institute of Chemistry in Branch E.Hackman was an excellent analyst, very receptive to new ideas and, as befitted a pupil of Chaston Chapman, a stickler for accuracy, method and neatness. Though the friends were very unlike in temperament and outlook, their association proved a felicitous one during the long period of the partnership. One curious feature they shared in common was a dislike of publishing new work, with the natural result that someone else had to go over much the same ground before the results were available to the profession. Hackman trained for some years as an engineer and he had a flair for designing and con- structing apparatus for speeding up routine work or for some special type of work.Hackman Muter acquired a large experience in the Courts.June, 19511 POLAROGRAPHIC CONGRESS ; PRAGUE, 1951 327 died in December, 1940, and Muter relinquished his daily attendance at the laboratory from that time. Muter was a prominent Freemason for over half a century and attained high office in the fraternity. In his youth, Muter played the violin in some South London orchestras. In those days meetings of the Society used to be followed by informal concerts; Bernard Dyer, in his 91st year, writing to Muter, recalled his playing at these functions. He had many hobbies, with strong preferences for out-door occupations in the country. An almost life-long motorist, he was one of the earliest members of the A.A. But gardening was his greatest delight. He built a house near Charing, some years ago, for week-end residence. In 1940, his house in Dulwich having become damaged in an air-raid, he retired to Charing. He continued to visit the laboratory every week, and on most Saturdays during the winter months came to town to carry out his masonic duties. He passed away on February 7th, 1951, after a few days’ illness. His never-failing good humour, open-handed generosity and readiness to help his professional friends will long be remembered by those who were privileged to know him. J. E. WOODHEAD