THE ANALYST. 259 IlUSTlTUTE OF CHEMISTICP. INAUGURAL DINNEU. (By your own TeZephonne.)--From the Chemist and Druggist. AMONGST the many varied and highly important capacities in which I have been employed, I can recall no instance where my services have been called into requisition for a more laudlble purpose, or with a view to such interesting results, as on the occasion that I had the honour of placing myself a t your disposal to report the proceedings of the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland, at its inaugural dinner.This eminent Association, true to its praiseworthy resolve to shroud its proceedings in mystery, and its members in seclusion, had determined, as most of your readers will be aware, to exclude from its festive board, with the utniost rigour and impartiality, every species of representatives of the Press.But, sir, when, in the historic tones of Xlr. James G . Bennett, you commanded me to “go and find Franklin,” I did not, as most of the members of the “ Institute” would probably suppose, immediately dash away to the Admiralty and buy the Pandora, nor telegraph to the Nontserret Company for six million pipes of litne juice, and then frantically appeal through the Eecond column of the Times for information as to the where- abouts of Sir George Nares.X 0, sir ; for as the pensive gloaming gathered round the last hours of that day in the calendar, marked by so many sad experiences and chastened reflections, snugly shelterd beneath the arm of my great protector, Mr. Graham Bell, I was reposing in the bar parlour of the ‘( Burlingtou Arms,” whilst my noble guardian was cajoling a wily waiter into permitting him to view the feast, a t which the sons of alchemy were soon to congregate.Once within the banqueting chamber it was but the work of a few moments for my good genius to secure me a safe retreat immediately beneath the president’s dinner napkin. From this ambush, unseen and unsuspected by the guests, I was soon busily a t work, For oncc the veil of’ secresy was rent ; a “ chiel” had crept in within the mystical doors of the ‘‘ Institute,” diamond had cut diamond, and your readers are enabled to participate in the events of that festive night from the moment when the chairman’s first burst of rhetoric sent my diaphragm vibrating away at the rate of six hundred million pulses per second (Benson’tl time), until the last faint strains of that classic ode, ‘‘ We won’t go home till morning’’ were being gently wafted down the areas of Piccadilly.The inaugural dinner of the members of the Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland wae held on the evening of April 1, a t the Burlington Arms, Piccadilly, W., the President, Dr.E. Frankland, occupying the chair. The band of‘ the Canterbury company was in attendance, and by its high-class and patriotic music, contributed much to the enjoyment of the evening. The cloth having been removed, the Chairman rose and said :- Gentlemen,-The first duty which I have the honour to perform to-night is to propose the toast of “ The Queen.” It was my hope that one member, a t least, of the Royal Family would have been graciously pleased to join us a t our inaugural dinner. O w Council addressed, as you may be awaie, a letter to His Hogal Highness the Prince of Wales acquainting him with the important nature of this meeting, and mggesting that His Royal Highness would be adding another to the many deeds of glory which have marked his career, by associating his name on this occasion with the peers of the realm of chemistry.(Loud applause.) His Royal Highness, however, very gracefully replied that, much as he appreciated the proffered honour, and constantly as the welfare of our Institute was “ uppermost in his mind,” he must abstain from taking part in gatherings of this kind during the seasoti of Lent.(The company here joined in singing the “ T e Deum.”) The Chairman then said : I must next ask you to drink t s “ The Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces.” Such a toast, at such a period as the present, needs, I am sure, no words from me. I t is true that we have neither the Duke of Cambridge nor Admiral Hornby a t our table ; but, gentlemen, I venture to say, that when the history of our first csmpaign comes to be written, the fame of Professor Abel will outvie that of Wellington or Nelson.(Cheers ) From his proficiency in the art of knowing how to destroy his fellow-creatures on the most extensive scale, his godparents would have been better advised had they given him the name of “ Cain.” He also desired to point out that the gentleman on his right (Mr. Gore) was more a t home on the field of glory than he was.Mr. George Gore, F.R.S., a t the request of the president, then sang with great effect the new national antleiu, b ‘ llere stands a Post.” Professor Abel, in a humorous spcech, briefly responded. His name, he said, was a misnomer.260 THE ANALYST. The Chairman: I t is with unbounded pleasure that I now rise to ask you to fill your glasses in honour of f h e toait of the evening, which I need hardly explain is “Prosperity to the Institute of Chemistry.” (Vociferous cheering.) Gentlemen, I consider that the present occasion offers a fitting opportunity for a few remarks from myself with relation t o the formation of this Institute. (Hear, hear.) Me are, all of us, I fear, but too well aware that, outside our own favoured circle, there exists an ill- disguised feeling of envy and discontent. A lying spirit is abroad, whispering uncharitable things of the philanthropic project upon which we are engaged, and attributing other than the mosl disinterested motives to our laborious efforts to float this Institute successfully. (Cries of shame.) Now, gentlemen, let me remind you how this association originated.I n September last I received a communication from the Board of Trade, intimating its desire to form a company for the protection of the interests and the advancement of the position of the consulting and analyticai chemists of Great Britain and Ireland, and requesting my advice and active assistance in carrying out the proposal. Well, gentlemen, for a long time I was sorely puzzled as to the course it would be best to take.I could see that, for any society of the kind to be successful, it must be, in the first place, exclusive, and in the second, that its members must be bound together by some common tie. (Cheers.) By means of two thousand post cards I communicated with every member of the Chemical Society for the purpose of ascertaining the number and names of those chemists who employed the organic carbon and nitrogen process for the examination of potable waters.I received a courteous reply to each of my applications, and had the satisfaction to find that no less than sixteen professional chemists were in the habit of using the process referred to. Need I say that these sixteen gentlemen, with myself, were immediately registered by the Board of Trade as a limited liability company ‘( to promote the Advancement of the Profession of Chemistry and to maintain the Profession of the Consulting and Analytical Chemist on a sound and satisfactory basis.” (Great cheering.) At length, gentlemen, a happy idea seized me.The toast having been duly honoured, Professor Redwood, in response to loud calls, sang, with telling effect, a song which he had composed for the occasion.The first verse ran;- Come chemical lads, take leave of your “fads,” And away to the Institute hie, For every care will vanish there While Frankland’s standing by. And Carteighe shall have his Way, And Smith will find his Brown ; And puff it, puff it,puff it, puff It, Puff it up and down.The Secretary (Mr. C. E. Groves), said that after the able and exhaustive speech of their President, he need not himself enter into any details respecting the reasons which led to the formation of the Institute. He desired, however, to offer a few remarks in reference to the malicious observations which were from time to time being made out-of-doors regarding the strict secrecy which the directors of their company maintained on all matters connected with its constitution, and its objects.He would in the first place remind them that every member of the Council had pledged himself by a most solemn oath not to divulge the motives which had induced him to join the Institute, and ever to preserve in public the most abject silence as to the policy and intentions of the executive.I t needed but a slight acquaintance with history for them to perceive what an immense power was wielded in the political world by secret societies, and i t was something akin to that authority for which they were craving. It would, of course, be necessary that members should have some means of identifying each other, and it had been suggested that, in mafionic fashion, some sign, such as placing the fore-finger upon one side of the nose woiild be a convenient emblem of recognition.But after much deliberation they had decided that in future every member should, on admission, be branded with the initials M.I.C.E.’ (Member of the Institute of Chemistry, England). H e might add that Mr. Fletcher, of Warrington, was manufacturing for them a very powerful hot blast blow- pipe for the purpose.blr. Michael Carteighe, as one of the promoters of their Institute, in a speech which showed great mastery of detail, pointed out some additional qualifications which candidates for fellowship would in future be required to possess. They would have to produce a certificate of vaccination, countersigned by not less than three magistrates, and, amongst other things, give satisfactory evidence that they habitually consumed not less than three bottles of fluid magnesia per week.Mr. C. T. Kingzett insisted that it should be a sin2 qud norz that candidates should also be prepared to prove that they were immediately before admission, thoroughly disinfected with “ Sanitas.” Dr. C. R. Alder Wright was sure that no candidate was fit for election who had not published an original memoir upon the Aconite Alkaloids and their Derivates. Professor Attfield, in a most pathetic speech, then proposed the last toast, ‘(Absent Friends.” There were many faces, the Professor remarked, whom they would have welcomed at their table, but who had not yet been brought to see the inestimable blessings which the lnstitute was prepared to convey. His heart ached to recognise as a friend the “ Credulous chemist,” and as for Dr. Muter, he could assure them he yearned to clasp him in a fond embrace. He would conclude by calling upon their President to respond to the toast. The Chairman appropriately replied, and to the great delight of the company, sang to the ac- companiment of the band, a touching melody, commencing- (Loud applause.) ‘‘ 0 Wanklyn, we have mlssed you.” After joining in the Evening Hymn, the company separated,