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Journal of the Royal Institute of Chemistry. April 1957 |
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Journal of the Royal Institute of Chemistry,
Volume 81,
Issue April,
1957,
Page 251-352
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摘要:
THE PROFESSION OF CHEMISTRY By D. W. KENT-JONES B.SC. PH.D. F.R.I.c.* In view of the rapid progress of chemistry and the continuous increase in the number of people who earn their living by the practice of chemistry it may be useful to survey the present position of the profession and to relate the past to the possibilities of the future. I t is fitting that such a review should form the subject of a Presidential Address since it is the function and duty of the Royal Institute of Chemistry to promote the education training and qualification of chemists and to look after the professional interests of those who are qualified. Today chemistry is one of the really important professions and it has great and increasing responsibilities. On the work of its members rests to a large extent the future pros-perity of the country.Chemistry as an organised profession has little antiquity. It cannot in this respect rival the law or medicine. I t is claimed that the present system of advocates with exclusive privileges in the High Courts dates from just before 1300. The organisation of doctors is said to date from 1308 although the Royal College of Physicians was not incorporated till 1518. Of the more modern professions that have arisen from progress in knowledge it is as well to remember the dates at which some of their institutions received Royal Charters the Institution of Civil Engineers received its Charter in 1828 the Pharmaceutical Society in 1843 the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 1880 whereas the Institute of Naval Architects was not chartered until 1910.The oldest of the chemical organisations is of course the Chemical Society which was founded in 1841 and received its Royal Charter in 1848. Our own organisation was started in 1877 and it is interesting to recall that its provisional name was “The Institute of Professional Chemists of Great Britain and Ireland,” though it was eventually founded as “The Institute of Chemistry of Great Britain and Ireland.” We received our first Royal Charter in 1885. The title Royal was conferred in 1944 and we received a new Charter in 1949 when our name became simply “The Royal Institute of Chemistry.” GROWTH OF THE INSTITUTE At the first meeting of the Institute on 24 February 1877, forty-eight chemists were elected as Fellows. The roll of corporate members as given in the Report of the Council you have recently * Presidential Address to the Royal Institute of Chemistry at the Senate House University of London on Friday 5 April.25 252 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL received is 14,641. Few qualifying professional bodies can boast an annual increase in membership of 663 as we had last year. When I became a student of the Institute in 1909 the number of corporate members was only about 1,300. Britain had not then awakened to the importance of chemistry and the average person still only knew the term ‘chemist’ as relating to pharmacists. I t took two wars to make Britain chemically minded but today, thanks to British chemists the rapidly expanding chemical industry is one of our larger and more prosperous industries.Before 1914 it was often thought that the Germans had a natural aptitude for chemistry and that perhaps we had very little. How wrong this view has proved to be. Since the Institute has nearly 15,000 corporate members it is obvious that we belong to one of the largest and most important of the newer professions. This brings with it not only influence and prestige but also responsibility. Thus it is the primary duty of the Institute to maintain proper standards of training to ensure that persons admitted to its corporate membership are properly qualified and experienced and further that they conduct themselves in accordance with the best traditions of professional ethics. We exist as a professional body not only to help ourselves but also to help the public.Anyone who is concerned to employ or engage the services of a chemist naturally wants to be assured that the person is learned and proficient in the science and can be relied upon to uphold professional standards. Today industry generally, which employs the bulk of chemists is well aware of the hall-marks represented by the Institute’s qualifications and grades of corporate membership. This applies not only to the chemical industry itself but to the hundreds of other industries that cannot expect to run efficiently and economically unless they employ chemists. When the Institute was formed a high proportion of chemists were either teaching in universities or were consultants or their assistants. This is certainly not so today.The recent remunera-tion survey (J. 1956 526) indicated that nearly 60 per cent of professionally active chemists were in employment in industry. Teachers in Schools Universities and Technical Colleges accounted for some 15 per cent. The Scientific Civil Service and other Government services take another 8 per cent while even the new field of Atomic Energy already requires about 3 per cent of the supply. The number of consultants and their assistants is now small and in this respect the chemistry profession differs from the older professions. Nevertheless even in the latter a change is occurring. More and more legal and medical men to say nothing of accountants and engineers are becoming like chemists salaried people 19571 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS THE PROFESSION OF CHEMISTRY 253 A few facts illustrating the growth of the Institute may be of interest to members and I have set these out in tabular form.It may astonish members to know that as late as 1914 our subscription income was under g1,400 per annum and in 1910 our investments totalled only a little over g3,OOO. I 31 December (or nearest date: 1900 1910 1914 1920 1930 1939 1950 1954 1956 Corporate Membership 1,008 1,330 1,477 3,270 5,847 7,554 11,912 13,65 1 14,64 1 Students 118 30 1 363 799 70 1 78 1 2,692 2,714 2,843 Subscription Income El,Oll &1,272 &1,392 &4,970 L9,238 L11,821 E2 8,746 L35,72 1 &38,3 16 Investments (at cost) L2,393 &3,288 E6,978 L7,841 L20,359 L32,560 L68,723 L60,222 &57,608 SUPPORT FOR THE INSTITUTE AND ITS WORK It is to be regretted that not all suitably qualified and experienced chemists become corporate members of the Institute but it is probable that hitherto about 70 per cent of them have done so.This may not seem a bad record for an institution membership of which is not a condition of being allowed to practise the profession, especially as university degrees are recognised as acceptable qualifica-tions. But it is not good enough and I hope that under the Institute’s new regulations the position will improve. The Associateship now represents something more than evidence of having studied chemistry in a university or college to honours degree level and of having passed the appropriate university examinations or the final examination of the Institute.At that stage the young chemist becomes eligible only for Graduate Mem-bership. Before he can be admitted as an Associate he must show that he has had suitable experience in the practice or application of chemistry in some field of work. I feel sure that employers will soon realise the implications of this change in conditions of admis-sion and will attach increasing importance to candidates for posts who possess the Institute’s professional qualifications irrespective of whether they also hold university degrees or not. I also hope that in the future university graduates in chemistry will apply for Graduate Membership of the Institute as soon as they are eligible and will thus become associated with the Institute while they are acquiring the experience necessary for corporate membership.Hitherto there have always been some suitably qualified chemists who have not joined the Institute and among these are a few who have become eminent in their particular fields [APRIL 254 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY Some have kept out because they were not convinced that member-ship would be of any advantage to them. Maybe they had for-gotten the usefulness of the profession as a whole. I do not propose in this address to detail reasons for joining the Institute but I know from experience that in general the most progressive chemists are those who keep in close touch with their professional colleagues, and I firmly believe that joining the Institute with its well developed activities and services is the surest way of achieving this.This does not mean that being a member of the Institute is all that is necessary for a qualified chemist. Our sister chartered bodies the Chemical Society and the Society of Chemical Industry, as well as the more specialised bodies such as the Society for Analytical Chemistry the Faraday Society and the Biochemical Society are primarily responsible for the publication of the vast and growing amount of new knowledge in various fields of chemistry that emerges from research laboratories throughout the country. These publishing societies deserve every support in the vital work they do for the advancement of our science. Indeed while I firmly believe that it is the primary duty of every qualified and experienced chemist to be a member of the Institute I would urge that every chemist should also belong to at least one of the publishing societies.RECENTDEVELOPMENTS AND THE FUTURE The Institute is far from static. In fact practically all its activities and services have been substantially extended in the last few years. I would mention particularly the increased vigour of the Local Sections the great and progressive improvements in the Journal and the growing value of Lectures Monographs and Reports, as is shown by the rising sales to non-members. Many of the latest developments have arisen however from the introduction of the new Regulations for admission to member-ship. I have already referred to this but would remind you that much attention is also being given to conditions of training and to examination requirements.Thus the new Institutions Committee is engaged in reviewing and encouraging improvement in the facilities of the technical colleges. Recognition by the Institute is accorded only to those at which student members can receive proper training either to Part I or all the way to Part I1 of the Graduate Membership examination. The high standard of prac-tical work demanded in the old Associateship examination is still necessary in Part 11 of this new examination. The recently issued Study Guide indicates that the level of knowl.edge and understanding of principles required is at least as high and that the standard of the Institute’s examination as a whole is equivalent to that for a goo 19571 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS THE PROFESSION OF CHEMISTRY 255 honours degree.It is reassuring to hear when interviewing an applicant for employment that he has passed the Institute’s exam-ination for this is good evidence that he is a sound practical chemist and worth his salt. The work of the Institute in the field of professional and economic status is of increasing range and importance. Although details cannot always be publicised I would strongly recommend to your notice the extensive section of the Annual Report of the Council on “Professional Status and Employment of Members.” These annual statements like the Annual Reports of the Benevolent Fund afford a good general picture of what is happening about matters on which some degree of confidence has to be preserved.The latest and perhaps the most important of new develop-ments is the establishment of the Royal Institute of Chemistry Fund for the Development of Education in Chemistry. I look forward to this Fund becoming very active during the term of office of my successor. I hope that as it is a charitable trust the good work it will do will attract money from industry and individuals to extend its activities. If the nation is to keep its place’in the struggle ahead we shall want more chemists-and more boys and girls must be stimulated to take up chemistry as a career. If the schools knew enough about the prospects of those who enter the chemical profession I believe all would be well. As recent remunera-tion statistics show chemists in general are no longer badly paid; on average their salaries probably compare not unfavourably with those of members of many other learned professions.Up to now, however we have been very much behind in publicising the attrac-tions of chemistry as a career for we have not had adequate funds or personnel for the purpose. Now we intend to go ahead with the production of some first-class careers books as well as films and special monographs on various features of chemistry and its applica-tions which science teachers will welcome and which will bring to their pupils some of the glamour of the chemist’s rewarding work. The atomic age is now upon us and if this country is to hold the leading position it has already won in this field we shall need more and more chemists.Also we must bring about a wider and better understanding by the general public of what the work of the chemist means to them. This again is something which the Institute should do-and do effectively. It is good to find that an increasing number of scientists especi-ally chemists are now occupying positions of authority in industry and the public services. I hope that this relatively new movement will spread for I see no reason why men trained in science should not be as suitable as those trained in the arts for holding the highest positions in goverment industry and commerce. This means o 256 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL course that more scientists must show that they have breadth of view wide knowledge outside their immediate interests a general appreciation of business and an ability to weigh up the factors in any situation with proper detachment.In this technological age we cannot expect to survive if we rely on leaders without knowledge or understanding of what science means. THE MECHANISM OF PROGRESS I hope I have shown you why I feel so strongly about having a strong expanding and progressive Institute and why I feel so anxious that all properly qualified chemists should join it. Person-ally I cannot understand why all do not come in even if they are concerned only with improving their own material prospects and do not appreciate the importance of strengthening the profession as a whole. I t may be that in spite of all that is now published about the work of the Institute the extent and significance of that work are not sufficiently realised.Perhaps even members unless they have had the good fortune to serve on the Council may not realise fully what is being done in their interests. I t happens that I have now been on the Council continuously for eleven years a record period which is only possible if one has been Treasurer. I am therefore in a favoured position to speak of Council’s work. During that time I have been associated with some two hundred members of Council and I should like to pay a tribute to them for their devotion to duty. Most of them have served on several committees necessitating not only attendance at meetings but also spending hours of work in the study of papers and in informal discussions.They quite rightly express their views in no uncertain terms. I t is the duty of the popularly elected Council to manage the affairs of the Institute and to take a lead in promoting new develop-ments for the benefit of the profession. In dealing with any project the Council is naturally concerned to secure a full knowledge of the facts and the best advice available so that the interests of mem-bers may be properly looked after. I want therefore to combat the view which a few people seem to hold as a result of recent discussions that the Council may at times be out of touch with members. Certainly recent voting has not supported this view. It may happen of course that occasionally a proposal by the Council does not find favour with some members.It is then right and proper that the matter should be freely discussed and that it should be voted on at a General Meeting for this is the procedure whereby the wishes of the majority can be discovered and made effective. There is also the correspondence column of this Journal for airing views 1957 J PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS THE PROFESSION OF CHEMISTRY 257 I would remind you that the Council is a democratically elected body and that about a third of its members change every year. There are 17 District Members who are effectively elected by the Committees of Local Sections throughout Great Britain and Ireland. The 21 General Members are elected by general ballot from candidates nominated partly by groups of individual members of the Institute and partly by the Council which is charged with the duty of seeing that the various branches and applications of chemistry are properly represented so far as is possible.There is no dis-tinction between the District and the General Members in their participation in the business of the Council though the former naturally keep in touch with their constituencies. Another important contact between the Officers of the Institute and the Local Sections is provided by the useful Conferences of Honorary Secretaries held twice a year. There are therefore many ways in which the Council is kept regularly in touch with the views of members. In addition, individual members have access by correspondence to the adminis-trative officers at headquarters who are always anxious to do all they can to deal with enquiries to assist in every way and to arrange personal interviews with members who have specific problems to discuss.I have always hoped that more members would visit the Institute and use the facilities of the Members’ Room as well as take the opportunity of consulting the administrative officers on any matters that may be troubling them. We have a great programme of development ahead of us. On its success depends not only the future of the Institute and the profession of chemistry but also the well-being of the country and its people. May we go forward as a united body so that we may play our part worthily in this great adventure OUR NEW PRESIDENT WILLIAM WARDLAW c.B.E. D.SC. is no stranger to members of the Institute for he has served it continuously and in various capacities since he was first elected to the Council in 1929.After serving twice for six years he was an Examiner for the Associateship from 1936 until 1951. He has also given valuable service as an Assessor for National Certificates in Chemistry for seventeen years. It is a pleasure to all that this work should culminate in Professor Wardlaw’s election as President -the chief honour the Institute can bestow. William Wardlaw was born in 1892 and was educated at Rutherford College (1 904-1 0) and Armstrong College (1 910-15) now King’s College University of Durham. His early prowess in inorganic chemistry is shown by his gaining the Freire-Marecco Medal and Prize in that branch in 1913 and in the award of an 1851 Royal Exhibition in 1915.His first series of papers dealt with the oxidising properties of sulphur dioxide for which work he was awarded the D.SC. (DUNELM.). In the first world war he volun-teered for military service and was transferred to the Army Reserve and employed as a chemist in the Ministry of Munitions. He became a lecturer and later senior lecturer in inorganic chemistry in the University of Birmingham. I t was here that he met Mrs Wardlaw who graduated at Birmingham with first class honours in chemistry. In 1937 he was appointed Professor of Physical Chemistry at Birkbeck College London where he has since remained and followed his interests particularly in coordination compounds and latterly in the alkoxides of titanium zirconium, hafnium and other elements.During the last war he gave valuable service to the Government as joint secretary of the War Cabinet Scientific Advisory Committee (1941-45) and Secretary to the Scientific Advisers Ministry of Production. He was later scientific adviser to the Technical and Scientific Register Ministry of Labour and National Service. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1949. He has also given widely appreciated service to a number of academic and scientific bodies. He was Hon. Secretary of the Chemical Society from 1940 to 1948 and its President from 1954 to 1956. He was President of the British Association Section By at its Belfast meeting in 1952 and became General Secretary for the Association in 1955. He has been an external examiner for the Universities of Birmingham Cambridge Durham Glasgow Leeds, London Oxford Sheffield Wales Alexandria and Cairo.We are happy to welcome yet another President who is already well known for his long interest in the life of the Institute. Since 1948 he has been a Censor. 25 PROFESSOR WILLIAM WARDLA LOUIS JACQUES THENARD 1777-1857 ANDREW URE 1778-1857 ARTHUR RUDOLF HANTZSCH 1857-193 CHEMICAL ANNIVERSARIES By J. H. S. GREEN B.SC. PH.D. A.R.I.C. PART 11 1857 In 1857 there died three chemists of note whose work naturally belonged to the earlier years of the century and will be considered first. Louis Jacques Thenardl was born in 1777 at Louptikre and went to Paris in 1793 to study pharmacy. He worked as Vauquelin’s laboratory assistant for three years and then obtained a post as chemistry teacher in a school.From 1799 he was rkpktiteur at the Ecole Polytechnique with C. B. Ddsormes ( 1 777-1862) ; in 1804 he succeeded Vauquelin at the Collkge de France and in 1809 followed Gay-Lussac as Professor of Practical Chemistry at the Ecole Poly-technique. Two years later he was promoted to one of the senior professorships. From I799 Thenard was closely associated with Gay-Lussac both in teaching (including the teaching of practical chemistry) and research-their research students in 1823 included Liebig. Following Davy’s work of 1807 Gay-Lussac and Thenard were provided with a giant electric battery. But before it was ready they had found an improved and chemical method of preparing the alkali metals-reduction of the fused alkalis by red-hot iron.This led also to the preparation of boron and subsequently of boron fluoride and hydrofluoric acid. They discovered sodium and potassium peroxides and by the action of potassium on ammonia, potassamide; this work was published in two volumes of Recherches Physico-chimiques ( 181 1 ) . They showed that the alkalis which Davy thought were oxides contained hydrogen though Davy held correct views on the nature of chlorine which the Frenchmen believed, following Lavoisier must contain oxygen. Their work on thc analysis of organic compounds-by heating with potassium chlorate and analysis of the evolved gas-gave the first satisfactory method developed. Thenard’s first notable piece of work had been his preparation of ‘Thenard’s Blue’.The chemist J. A. Chaptal (1756-1832) as Minister of the Interior had told him to find a suitable substitute for the blue pigment for porcelain previously imported and he succeeded in a month. Thenard made a number of other important developments in applied chemistry including a method of purifying oils for illumination which was used for some time. In organic chemistry he prepared sebacic acid and investigated bile and ethers. With Dulong he studied the catalytic property of spongy platinum of causing combination of hydrogen and oxygen. In 1818 he discovered hydrogen peroxide and calcium and strontium peroxides. 25 260 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL In later life Thenard was made a Baron and Chancellor of the University of Paris.He had great fame as a teacher; for many years he had a class of more than 1,000 and he boasted of having had 40,000 pupils. After attending one of his lectures Berzelius said “I have been a teacher of chemistry for 20 years but not until now have I seen how it should be taught.” Edmund Davy2 ( I 785-1857) is much less known than his famous cousin though he has been called “a scientific Humphry Davy in miniat~re.”~ No doubt he was partly overshadowed by his elder relation and also neglected because of his geographical location. He had been assistant to Humphry Davy and superintendent of the mineralogical collection at the Royal Institution from 1804 to 1813, when he became professor of chemistry and later secretary at the Royal Cork Institution. Here he remained for 13 years being appointed professor of chemistry at the Royal Dublin Society in 1826.Inevitably he was much influenced by Humphry Davy both in his research work and his teaching. For example he gave courses of popular lectures on chemistry particularly in its applica-tion to agriculture and he continued to lecture on agricultural chemistry after his retirement. On this subject he carried out some work trying to improve poor wheat crops and he designed a lactometer to detect frauds in the sale of skimmed milk. His earliest chemical work which had been started in London, dealt with new compounds of platinum with sulphur and phosphorus. He prepared a sample of platinum black and observed its vigorous effect on alcohol vapour including the formation of acetic acid-an early example of catalysis.Before Dobereiner invented the lamp using spongy platinum Davy had made a tinder-box “to provide immediate light by means of the powder.” He published many other papers on chemistry including a study of the action of iodine on oils but most notable was his preparation of acetylene (1836). He obtained it by the action of water on the product (which he considered to be a compound of potassium and carbon) of fusion of potassium and tartar determined correctly the ratio of carbon to hydrogen in it and observed some of its reactions. Andrew Ure (1778-1857) is also now perhaps a little-known figure in the history of chemistry and was associated with no great discoveries. He studied at Edinburgh and Glasgow graduating M.D.from the latter in 180 1. He followed George Birkbeck (1 776-1 841) as lecturer in chemistry and Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Andersonian University Glasgow in 1804 and it has been said that the beginning of the school of chemistry there may be regarded as dating from that time.* “Ure in addition made it famous as a seat of research, and may be regarded as the founder of the Chair of Chemistry.’’ His fame was chiefly as a writer and teacher 19571 CHEMICAL ANNIVERSARIES 26 1 In 1830 he moved to London and established himself as an analytical and commercial chemist in 1834 being appointed analyst to the Board of Customs. Ure published a number of papers on miscellaneous chemical topics including methods of analysis. Other writings included A Dictionary o f Chemistry on the Basis of Mr Nicholson’s which first appeared in 1821 and was in its fourth edition by 1835.(William Nicholson ( 1 753- 18 15) also notable for his Journal published a number of similar works including a translation of one by Fourcroy.) I t in its turn formed the basis of Henry Watts’s famous dictionary of 1863 which went through many editions. Ure’s The Philosoplp o f Manufactures or an Exposition of the Scientific Moral and Commercial Economy of the Factory System of Great Britain (1835) and The Cotton Manufacture o f Great Britain SystematicallJy Investigated ( 1836) were important works of social and economic history and are still of value. I t is these that have led to Ure being called ‘(the apologist of the Industrial Revolution.” In 1857 the Chemical Society had been In existence for 16 years and although its membership was less than 300 it was already the centre for interchange of information on chemistry.Its Quarter& Journal had reached volume 10 and contained many important papers. However chemical papers continued to be published in the Proceedings and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society and were often reprinted in the Journal which also carried a list of chemical papers published elsewhere. In that year the Society moved to its first accommodation in Burlington House. Another great development in Britain since 1807 had been the rise of new Universities and Schools of Chemistry. In London at University College A. W. Williamson had carried out his classic ether synthesis and though from about 1857 he carried out little research he did much by his teaching to popularise the new ideas of Laurent and Gerhardt.At King’s College W. A. Miller, President of the Chemical Society had followed J. F. Daniell the first professor of chemistry and a close associate of Faraday. The Royal College of Chemistry founded in 1845 had been incorporated with the School of Mines in 1853 and under A. W. Hofmann became the first real school of organic chemistry in Britain and was closely associated with technology.6 Other new schools of chemistry included that of Owens College Manchester which the first professor of chemistry E. Frankland left in 1857 and the laboratory of the Pharmaceutical Society for the practical instruction of twenty-one students.Tilden saw this laboratory around 1857 “It had the aspect which one usually associates with ideas of the alchemists. Many of the operations were connected with the us 262 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL of furnaces such as fusion sublimation etc. and the place was full of smoke and fume^.''^ Chemistry was slowly breaking away from its association with medicine but many of the leading chemists were still teaching at medical schools. Frankland’s move was to St Bartholomew’s Hospital for example to succeed J. Stenhouse (under whom Kekult had worked whilst in London) there to be succeeded in turn by William Odling. We can now see that in 1857 chemistry was almost clear of the confusion over atomic weights and equivalents which had beset it for so long.An important paper “De la dissociation ou dtcompo-sition spontanke des corps sous l’influence de la chaleur” (Compt. rend. 45 857) was the beginning of the work of H. E. Saint-Claire Deville (1818-81) on dissociation which established it as a general phenomenon in chemistry. Following on this Cannizzaro in the same year gave the correct explanation in terms of dissociation of abnormal vapour densities for example of ammonium chloride. This had been suggested tentatively by Bineau (181 2-61) in 1838. Anomalies due to this had been a serious difficulty in the acceptance of Avogadro’s hypothesis, The Copley Medal of the Royal Society was awarded in 1857 to M. E. Chevreul (1786-1889) ‘(for his important researches upon the nature and composition of the fats and fixed oils,’’ and a Royal Medal was given to Frankland for his work on the isolation of organic radicals and the preparation of organo-metallic compounds.Five years previously he had put forward the idea of a definite combining power for each element and in 1857 with Kolbe fore-shadowed the quadrivalence of carbon though they were hampered by the use of the old atomic weights (C = 6). Kekulk in 1857 wrote of the Marsh Gas Type-substances derived from a hydro-carbon C,H containing four atoms of hydrogen replaceable by radicals. When a year later he used Gerhardt’s new atomic weights marsh gas became CH and the quadrivalence of carbon was apparent. Another paper of note appearing in 1857 was one by Clausius in which he considered that a small proportion of the molecules of an electrolyte in solution were dissociated into ions.This anticipation of electrolytic dissociation followed upon even earlier ideas of Williamson. Also in 1857 Odling published8 a classification of the elements which emphasised certain family relationships. For example he grouped fluorine with chlorine, bromine and iodine ; oxygen with sulphur selenium and tellurium ; and calcium with strontium and barium. This was one of the many anticipations of Mendelkef and Lothar Meyer. We may now consider briefly some notable chemists born in 1857. Their life and work necessarily carries us into the develop-ments of the later nineteenth century 19571 CHEMICAL ANNIVERSARIES 263 Arthur Rudolf Hantzsch (d. 1935) was born in Dresden and studied at the Polytechnikum there under R.Schmidt a pupil of Kolbe. After obtaining his Ph.D. at Wiirzburg in 1880 he worked for a short time under Hofmann in Berlin. His earliest work was on organic synthesis-compounds of the pyridine series from acetoacetic ester and aldehydes and thiazole and analogues with the sulphur replaced by oxygen and selenium. In 1885 he succeeded Victor Meyer at Zurich; in 1893 Emil Fischer at Wurzburg ; and finally ten years later J. Wislicenus in Leipzig. Hantzsch made a very important contribution to the stereo-chemistry of nitrogen in a paper published in 1890 with A. Werner. The concept of cis-trans isomerism was extended to the -C=N-bond the two benzaldoximes for example being written as (I) and (11) below.Hantzsch then extended the C,H5.N C,H5.N .. * . K0.N N.OK n- or syn- iso- or anti-(111) (IV) idea to the aromatic diazo compounds, 8.5. (111) and (IV) and this led to the long controversy with Bamberger. His later work included study of the tautomerism of phenylnitromethane and the nitrophenols as pseudo-acids. Eugen Bamberger (1857-1932) who had been a student of Baeyer at Munich was Hantzsch’s successor at Zurich and amongst other work had discovered pyrene investigated the reduction products of naphthylamines and introduced the term ‘alicyclic’ for compounds containing a ring of saturated carbon atoms. In 1894 he observed the rearrangement of phenylhydroxylamine to give p-aminophenol and made a detailed study of this and a number of closely related reactions.Bamberger maintained contrary to Hantzsch that the isomerism of the diazo compounds could be explained by structural isomerism. I t has been said that “few if any chemists have surpassed Hantzsch in the manner and vigour of their contro~ersies.”~ The one between Hantzsch and Bamberger became quite heated. Its historical significance lies in the use by Hantzsch of physico-chemical arguments for example measurements of electrical conductivity, as against the purely classical chemical methods of Bamberger. In later life Hantzsch made still further use of physical measurements, including depression of freezing point and ultra-violet absorption spectra in his studies of nitric acid and he may thus be regarded as an early worker in ‘physical organic’ chemistry 264 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Theodor Curtius ( 1857- 1928) was a student of Bunsen at Heidel-berg and later of Baeyer at Munich where his contemporaries included W.H. Perkin jun. and Bamberger. Curtius was later professor at Heidelberg succeeding Bunsen. He is best known for the discovery of hydrazine hydrazoic acid and of derivatives of hydrazoic acid particularly lead azide which replaced mercury fulminate as a detonator. He later (1916) used the reactions of acid azides-acyl derivatives of hydrazoic acid-to build up poly-peptides and another reaction constituted the Curtius rearrangement. The British tradition of the study of gases was continued by the work partly with Ramsay of Sydney Young who was born in Lancashire in 1857.He studied under Roscoe and Schorlemmer at Manchester and Fittig at Strasbourg before going in 1882 to work with Ramsay at Bristol. He succeeded Ramsay as professor there 5 years later and in 1903 became professor at Trinity College Dublin. Whilst at Strasbourg Young had become a skilful glassblower and probably taught Ramsay the art which was essential for their work. In M. MI. Travers’s assessment “it is not too much to say that Young had a very important influence on Ramsay’s life and work.”l* Their early work was on heterogeneous equilibria and the behaviour of liquid crystal and vapour phases near the triple point. I t is commemorated in the textbooks in the form of the Ramsay-Young ‘rule’-the ratio of the boiling points of two similar substances is a constant independent of the external pressure.Young’s later work was confined almost entirely to very accurate measurements of the vapour pressure critical constants densities and so forth of highly purified substances. His results were sum-marised in Stoichiometry (1908). This work in turn led to improve-ments in methods of fractional distillation on which he wrote in Distiltation Principles and Processes ( 1922). Professor J. Timmermans has written “the accuracy of his results is such that even after 50 years they remain unquestioned . . . . The care taken by Young in the execution of his very precise measurements places him on the level of physicists like Regnault.”ll Finally brief mention must be made of Edmund 0. von Lippmann (1857-1940) distinguished both as a sugar chemist and an historian of chemistry.He studied under Victor Meyer and G. Lunge at Zurich for 3 years from 1874 and then spent a year under Bunsen. From 188 1 he was director of a number of sugar refineries and his Chemie der Zuckerarten was a standard work. He wrote a very large number of papers-according to Partington,12 a total bibliography would run to 2,250 items! His historical studies included Geschichte des Zuckers 1890 1929 and many works on early chemistry and alchemy 19571 THE ORGANISATION OF SCIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND 265 REFERENCES 1. Proc. roy. Soc. 1859 9 60; K. R. Webb Chem. €3 Znd. 1945 2. 2. J. Russell J . chem. Educ.,. 1953 30 302; M. MacSweeney and J.Reilly, 3. J. Kendall Humphry Day “Pilot” of Penzance London 1954 77.4. J. A. Cranston J. 1954 116. 5. T. S. Moore and J. C. Philip The Chemical Society London 1947. 6 . R. Brightman Nature 1956 177 815. 7. W. A. Tilden Famous Chemists London 1921 192. 8. W. Odling Phil. Mag. 13 423 480. 9. T. S. Moore J . chem. Soc. 1936 1051. 10. M. W. Travers A L$e of Sir William Ramray London 1956 61. 11. J. Timmermans Endeavour 1947 6 11. 12. J. R. Partington Osiris 1938 3 5. ibid. 1955 32 348. THE ORGANISATION OF SCIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND By W. A. JOINER M.SC. M.I.CHEM.E. F.N.z.I.c. F.R.I.C. Depub Secretaty Department of Scientijic and Industrial Research Wellington The two main islands of New Zealand the North Island and the South Island lie between the 34th and 47th degrees of south latitude and are separated by a rather deep strip of ocean Cook Strait with a width of about 14 miles at its narrowest point.The combined length of the two islands is just over 1,000 miles and the greatest breadth does not exceed 280 miles. The area of the North Island is 44,281 square miles and that of the South Island 58,093 square miles. Much of the country is mountainous and less than one quarter of the land surface lies below the 650 ft contour. The highest mountains of the North Island are volcanoes some of which are still active; in the South Island the main range the Southern Alps runs nearly the whole length of the country and reaches a maximum height of over 12,000 ft. There are no great extremes of heat and cold and mean tem-peratures range from 59°F in the far north to 49°F in the south.A large part of the country enjoys at least 2,000 hours of sunshine a year and a fairly evenly distributed rainfall varying from 25 to 60 in although there are local extremes where the annual rainfall may be as low as 13 in or where it may even reach as much as 300 in. Early hopes of rich mineral resources have not been realised, although there are substantial deposits of coal and one day it may be found economically possible to develop the extensive deposits o 266 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL titaniferous iron sands which occur along the western shores of both islands. Very recently occurrences of uranium-bearing minerals have been found but whether they are in useful amounts can only be decided by the results of the exploration now in progress.As a consequence of its favourable climatic conditions the prosperity of New Zealand is based on its agricultural and pastoral industries and its export of the products of the soil. Although one or two secondary industries have long been in operation it is only within the last 20 years or so that there has been a notable develop-ment of manufacturing industry. The population is now over 2,000,000 and it has been forecast that with natural increase and a reasonable amount of immigration another million will be added in the course of the next 15-20 years. Such an increase will no doubt add to the general productivity of the basic primary industries of the country and will also inevitably mean a considerable expan-sion of manufacturing industry.It is just over 100 years since the first British settlements were established in New Zealand and it can well be imagined that the strenuous work of developing a new land left the early settlers little time to think of things other than the necessities of life. Nevertheless, men like Hooker Hochstetter and Dieffenbach who visited these shores and stayed awhile stimulated the interest of scientific amateurs in the flora fauna and mineral resources of their new homeland. I t is indeed remarkable and says much for the ability enthusiasm and energy of some of our early settlers that the first 35 years of settlement saw the establishment of the Geological Survey the Colonial Museum the Colonial Laboratory the Royal Society of New Zealand the University of’New Zealand and museums in the four main centres.For more than 50 years the pattern of scientific institutions was to remain with little change but during the first World War and the early 1920s the inadequacy of facilities for research to deal with the growing number of problems in agriculture and to guide the beginnings of manufacturing industry became apparent. Through the efforts of the more far-sighted of our scientific leaders pressure was brought to bear on the Government and in 1926 the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (D.S.I.R.) and its Advisory Council were established very much along the lines recommended by Sir Frank Heath then Secretary of the D.S.I.R. in the United Kingdom who had been invited by the Government to visit New Zealand and advise on the kind of organisation needed.At this time there were in existence a number of government laboratories and scientific institutions-the Dominion Laboratory (Chemistry) the Geological Survey the Dominion Observatory (Seismology) the Magnetic Observatory and the Meteorologica Department of Agriculture New Zealand Animal Research Station Wallaceville Masse D.S.I.R. Crop Research Division. Pulling single plnnts for genetic siudies D.S.I.R. Field Laboratory \Vairakei Geothermal Area Studies on corrosion and steam separatio 1957 J THE ORGANISATION OF SCIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND 267 Office (now with the Air Department)-which were taken over by the new Department. In addition to these there were the Chemical Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture which was the fore-runner of the present laboratories of that Department and the Cawthron Institute which had been established in 1920 by private bequest as a research centre for investigating general problems in agriculture but in particular those of the Nelson Province.This Institute has done notable work in the fields of soil chemistry, deficiency diseases of plants mycology and entomology and con-tinues to do so today with State assistance although the scope of its work has been somewhat reduced. The D.S.I.R. continued to grow steadily during the 1930s and this period saw the beginnings of its research branches for soil, grasslands plant diseases fruit entomology and botany the establishment of the Dominion Physical Laboratory and the develop-ment of co-operative industrial research associations along the lines of those in the United Kingdom.Three of these the Dairy Research Institute the Wheat Research Institute and the Leather Research Association had been organised within a year or two of the formation of the Department. During the war there was a rapid growth of a number of the Department’s laboratories to meet war-time needs and expenditure nearly doubled between the years 1939 and 1945, while staff numbers greatly increased. In the 7 years following the war further general expansion took place concurrently with the formation of a number of new research associations but the last few years have been a period of consolidation with some re-organisation of activities. Today the D.S.I.R. has fifteen branches including those laboratories mentioned earlier and in addition supports jointly with industry research stations for tobacco hops and wheat the last of which is concerned mainly with milling and baking and seven incorporated industrial research associations for the dairy, meat fertiliser pottery and ceramics woollen manufacturing, leather and shoe and laundry and dry-cleaning industries.The Department also makes grants to other scientific institutions both here and in the United Kingdom and to the University Colleges for special research projects. In other Commonwealth countries it is usual for the main research organisations to operate more or less independently outside the Civil Service but it is perhaps to be expected in view of its origins, that the New Zealand D.S.I.R.should have evolved much along the lines of its counterpart in Great Britain. In New Zealand the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is a purely advisory body responsible to the Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research and its Secretary is the head of the Department. The Council ha 268 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL the statutory function of approving and recommending the annual estimates of the D.S.I.R. and advising the Minister or the Govern-ment on all proposals made to the Department for the promotion of scientific research and on the scientific aspects of any proposals which may be referred to it by other Departments of State. I t has a number of committees dealing with various aspects of research and a special one the Manufacturers’ Research Com-mittee to which it looks for advice on all matters relating to the promotion of the application of science in manufacturing industries, which during and after the war have continued to expand.In dealing with departmental estimates the Council is particularly concerned with the recommendation of grants to other scientific bodies and to the universities. I t also has the responsibility of recommending annually the award of National Research Fellow-ships to young New Zealand scientists to enable them to further their studies overseas. One of these Fellowships may be awarded to a United Kingdom research worker who wishes to come to New Zealand. New Zealand is greatly dependent on its production of animals and animal products.The main responsibility for animal research rests with the Department of Agriculture. In 1939 the Department established its Animal Research Division to co-ordinate and expand its work in animal research some of which has been in progress for years. The Department has two main animal research stations, one of which is concerned chiefly with animal diseases and conducts research in pathology bacteriology parasitology and biochemistry. The chief interests of the other station are studies in problems of animal husbandry breeding and nutrition and in particular rela-tions between pasture and the grazing animal. The Department of Agriculture also maintains a number of stations for research and scientific services concerned for the most part with the application of research results with field experiments on a practical scale and with assistance to farmers.The work of these includes investigations into soil fertility crop and pasture production farm management horticulture and seed testing. The work of the earlier chemical laboratory established in the Department in 1899 was much concerned with soil fertility problems and these continue to form the main theme of the present-day Soil Research Station. The scientific services and research directly supported by the Government are in the main the responsibility of the D.S.I.R. and the Department of Agriculture but in addition the New Zealand Forest Service the Ministry of Works the Air Department (Meteoro-logical services) and the Navy Department spend considerable sums on scientific work for their own special needs and there are smal 19571 THE ORCANISATION OF SCIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND 269 groups engaged on applied research in the Marine Department and in the Department of Internal Affairs.Medical research comes within the jurisdiction of the Medical Research Council and is supported by funds provided by special Government grant. The work of the Council is carried out partly by its own staff and partly in those university schools of medicine which receive grants for specific research projects. Auckland University College Victoria University College, Wellington Canterbury University College Christchurch and the University of Otago Dunedin together with the two university agricultural colleges Massey and Canterbury form the constituent colleges of the University of New Zealand.There are full faculties of science at each of the four university colleges but at the agricultural colleges the teaching of science is restricted to those branches immediately concerned with agriculture. At the colleges in Christchurch and Auckland there are special schools for the main branches of engineering; there is a school of medicine in Dunedin, and another in Auckland for postgraduate study in some special branches of medicine. Research and teaching go hand in hand in all the university colleges and for special projects the funds available for research from university sources are supplemented mainly through the D.S.I.R. by grants the larger share of which goes to the agricultural colleges.In this brief account it has been possible to do no more than sketch very broadly the present-day organisation of science in New Zealand against a rather simplified background but the picture may be made more complete by giving some indication of the scale of operations. I t has been estimated that the total direct government expenditure on scientific services and research is not far short of two and a half million pounds annually of which about half is spent by the D.S.I.R. and about one quarter by the Department of Agriculture. Together the annual expenditure of the two Depart-ments on agricultural research and services amounts to considerably more than one million pounds. Although New Zealand is yet a young country with a small population it has many of the needs for scientific services of an older more highly populous country and its industries both primary and manufacturing present all the usual variety of problems for the research scientist.Nevertheless at the present time it is spending considerably less proportionately than some of the other countries of the Commonwealth. If with an expanding population and with its exports facing increasing competition it is to maintain the general prosperity of its people greater efforts must be made in the applica-tion of science in all branches of industry. Whether the presen 270 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL organisational pattern of science will remain is perhaps not important. After all it is merely the framework within which the work of science proceeds.What is important is that it must at all times be flexible enough to allow this work to grow. THE CHEMISTRY AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF POLONIUM* By K. W. BAGNALL B.SC. PH.D. and R. W. M. D’EYE M.SC. PH.D. A.R.I.C. Atomic EnerLgy Research Establishment Harwell CHEMISTRY? (DR BAGNALL) Polonium is the heaviest element in Group VI B of the Periodic Table; unlike the other elements in the group no inactive or long-lived isotopes of the element occur naturally. The commonly available isotope is 210Po (half-life 138.4 days ; Ix-emitter) the penultimate member of the radium decay series. Although the element was discovered in 1898 little definite information on its chemistry had been recorded up to 1946. This was due to the scarcity of the element and practically all the chemical work reported in this period was carried out on the tracer scale to g); most of the results could be interpreted ambiguously.210Po can be prepared in relatively large (mg) quantities by the neutron irradiation of bismuth B a 5 days 138.4 days 2:iBi(n y)*A:Bi _ ~ _ t 2;iPo ___j 2:$Pb Chemical work with milligrams of 21OPo is somewhat hazardous, since the specific activity is 4.5 c/mg ( 1013 disintegrations/min mg), and the maximum permissible body burden for ingested polonium is only 0.02 pc (4.5 x Consequently all chemical work is carried out in glove-boxes but no shielding is required for these since ZlOPo is virtually a pure a-emitter. Polonium rapidly pene-trates the rubber gloves fitted to these boxes and consequently a pair of surgical gloves must always be worn in order to avoid skin contamination; this tends to increase the handling difficulties.’ The radiation effects associated with high levels of a-activity complicate the chemical work on the element.The radiation * Newcastle upon Tyne and North-East Coast Section 14 November 1956. t For a full account of “The Chemistry of Polonium,” see Dr Bagnall’s g). article in Quart. Rev. chem. Soc. 1957 11 30 19571 THE CHEMISTRY AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF POLONIUM 27 I attack on the glass of the containing vessel soon causes breakage, and the internal temperature of 100 pg specimens of polonium is of the order of 60"C as shown by crystallographic studies of the allo-tropes of elementary polonium.2 The light emission from high-level sources leads to difficulties in assigning the correct colour to new polonium compounds and the intense radiation causes the fixation of nitrogen in the air; consequently most polonium com-pounds become converted to a white solid which appears to be a basic nitrate on exposure to dry air.l The radiation effects in solution are very pronounced at the curie level; a millimolar solution of a polonium compound contains 1 c of 210Po/ml and the radiolysis of the solvent is visible as a con-tinuous evolution of gas.113 The oxidising effects of the a-bombard-ment are well marked and bivalent polonium in solution is oxidised to the quadrivalent state in about 8 min.4 These effects make electrochemical work on the element extremely difficult.6 The physical properties of elementary polonium are similar to those of the neighbouring heavy metals lead thallium and bismuth, and the low melting and boiling' points of polonium metal 254°C and 98 1 "C respectively are noteworthy since extrapolation from the known properties of the Group VI B elements would indicate much higher values.The chemistry of the metal however follows that of tellurium very closely the most striking resemblance being shown in the formation of the bright red unstable compounds, PoSO and PoSeO,; both decompose to a black solid which seems to be POO.~ The first line of attack selected for the polonium work consisted of an investigation into the solid-state chemistry of the element, using X-ray powder photography in support of the analytical work.For this purpose the compounds were prepared in situ in an X-ray capillary using pure polonium metal as the starting material. This reacts with a large number of gaseous reagents and the procedure has been used to prepare and identify the halides (Table I). TABLE I POCl44*9 PoCl ,B r 210 PoBr,fO J1 PoI4l2 yellow salmon pink carmine red black P O C ~ ~ ~ ~ ruby red PoBr,l* purple brown A micro-filter stick made from an X-ray capillary has been used for insoluble polonium compounds (caesium hexa-halogeno-p o l o n i t e ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ PoI,,12 P0S13 and others) and can be applied to solubility studies (e.g. the POI,-HI system in which POI,- and POI,-ions are formed) 272 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITU~ OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL The tetrachloride and tetrabromide appear to form unstable ammines with dry ammonia ga~,~,lO but these are rapidly decom-posed by the radiation and their composition is unknown; neither of these quadrivalent halides is stable to heat and in the solid state both are readily reduced (e.g.by hydrogen sulphide4r10) to the bivalent state. In solution quadrivalent polonium is readily reduced to the purple bivalent state by hydrazine or sulphur d i ~ x i d e . ~ ~ ~ ~ Migration experiments indicate that complex ions are present in these solution^.^ All the tetrahalides and caesium complex salts are readily hydrolysed by water. The composition of the white hydrolysis products is uncert a i ~ t . ~ $ Chemically stable organic derivatives can be prepared from the polonium tetrahalides and a number of mono- and di-ketones.10 The acetylacetone derivative may be analogous to the corresponding cyclic tellurium compound.Unfortunately these compounds char rapidly and become useless for analytical purposes soon after their preparation. Some solvent-extraction work has also been carried out but this has not been very fruitful. It is probable that from tributyl phosphate (TBP) and polonium tetrachloride a complex PoC1,.2TBP is formed and work with dithizone indicates the presence of the PoO++ ion in hydrochloric acid solutions of polonium tetrachlorid e.14 We have also confirmed the dioxide1 (first prepared by Martin15), and prepared the mon~sulphide,~~ two sulphates and a selenate of polonium.8 The main interest in the first two compounds is that both decompose under vacuum to give the metal the dioxide at 500°C and the sulphide at about 275°C.The latter is obtained as a black precipitate by passing hydrogen sulphide into an acid solution of quadrivalent or bivalent polonium ; the solubility productl3 is about 5.5 x Polonium forms both a basic sulphate 2P002.S03 and a normal disulphate Po(SO,),.xH,O (white; the anhydrous salt is purple). Both are stable to about 550°C. The former has been shown, from solubility studies to be metastable. The disulphate is of particular interest since no tellurium analogue is known. Only one selenate 2PoO,.SeO, is known at present. From the work carried out at Harwell in the course of which 18 of the 27 known compounds of polonium were prepared and identified for the first time and the remainder confirmed it has become clear that the chemistry of polonium follows that of tellurium very closely and has little resemblance to that of bismuth, despite suggestions to the contrary in many papers that appeared before the last war.l 19571 THE CHEMISTRY AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF POLONIUM 2 73 CRYSTALLOGRAPHY (DR D’EYE) The method of applying X-ray powder diffraction studies to inorganic chemical problems is probably of more interest to the chemist than a detailed survey of the structural work carried out on polonium and its compounds. The first step is to obtain an X-ray powder diagram of the substance under investigation. To obtain a diffraction pattern with sharp reflections the crystallite size of the material should be approximately 10-4 cm; samples with a larger particle size than this give broken or ‘spotty’ lines whereas samples of smaller size give diffuse and broad reflections.Broadened reflections are also caused by thermal motion of the atoms by lattice distortion and by ‘mistakes’ or imperfections in the order of assembly of layers of atoms in a crystal. With inorganic salts the thermal motion effect is usually small at room temperature. It is essential that the background on the photographs should be low so that the reflections will show up clearly. High backgrounds are caused either by extraneous scatter e.g. from white radiation, or by significant scatter e.g. from fluorescent radiation from the sample. However background scattering can usually be over-come by careful experimental technique.Polonium presents further difficulties as the lattice is under continual strain both from recoil and from the intense cc-bombard-ment. Also the y-radiation from the samples tends to produce high backgrounds on the photographs. We have found that in general polonium compounds give poor X-ray diffraction photographs. From the diffraction pattern the positions of the reflections are measured and the Bragg angle 8 and hence sin28 are calculated. Using the mathematical methods for indexing powder photographs, described by Hesse and Lipson the symmetry and unit cell dimen-sions can be obtained. This is usually only possible where the symmetry is orthorhombic or higher. Knowing the volume of the unit cell the number of molecules and hence the number of atoms in the unit cell can be found, provided that the density and composition of the substance have been determined.An attempt is now made to arrange the atoms in the unit cell so that the interatomic distances and the atomic configuration are reasonable. The intensity of the reflections that this arrangement of the atoms would give on exposure to X-rays is calculated. If the calculated and observed intensities are in agree-ment then the proposed structure is probably correct. From the knowledge of the interatomic distances and the radii of the atoms the type of bonding present in the structure can be discussed. In practice it was not possible to measure the density of th 274 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL polonium compounds.We were therefore never able to deduce from experiment the number of molecules per unit cell. COMPLEX COMPOUNDS OF POLONIUM (hfzPOX*) Our first example of applying X-ray powder photography to a chemical problem was the reaction of polonium tetrachloride with ammonia4 at 100°C. The diffraction pattern of the end-product of this reaction showed no reflections which could be attributed to the tetrachloride dichloride metal or oxide or to ammonium chloride. This showed that some reaction had taken place. The majority of the reflections were indexed on the basis of a face-centred cubic cell with a cell edge of 10.33 A. If the cell contained four polonium atoms and 24 chlorine atoms with the chlorine atoms arranged in octahedral array around the polonium atoms there would be just enough room left to fit in eight ammonium ions.This structure can be considered to be a large cell of fluorite-type with the [Pocl,]- ions replacing the Ca++ ions and the (NH,)+ ions replacing the fluoride ions. The composition of the unit cell indicated a compound of formula (NHq) ,PoCl,. The calculated intensities that this arrangement of atoms would give were shown to be in good agreement with the observed intensities of the reflec-tions. It appeared therefore that the major phase formed in the reaction of PoCl with NH was ammonium hexachloro-polonite. This was confirmed by preparing the compound by the reaction of polonium tetrachloride with ammonium chloride. A series of compounds of the type M,PoX, where M is caesium or ammonium and X is chlorine, brominelO or iodine,12 were then prepared and the X-ray diffraction work showed that all these compounds were isostructural.The compounds M,TeX were found to be isostructuroal with their polonium analogues. A value of 1-52 A was obtained for the octahedral covalent radius of PoIV from the poloniurnJhalogen interatomic distances in the octahedral groups [Pox6]-. From bond-distance considera-tions Pauling suggested that the orbitals used in bond formation in the ion [SeBr,]-- were 4p34d25s. As the outer electron configura-tion of tellurium and polonium is similar to that of selenium we suggest that the orbitals 5p35d26s and 6p36d27s are used in bond formation in the ions [TeX,]- and [Pox,]- respective1y.l2 POLONIUM TETRA BROMIDE^^ The chemical evidence strongly supported the composition PoBr, for the compound formed by the reaction of polonium metal with bromine at 200°C.The initial X-ray study gave added support to this view as no dibrornide metal or oxide was found. Th 19573 THE CHEMISTRY AND CRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF POLONIUM 275 diffraction pattern was indexed on the basis of a face-centred cubic cell with a cell edge of 5.60 A. On spatial considerations the cell could only contain one molecule of PoBr and hence one atom of polonium. However symmetry conditions required four polonium atoms and hence four molecules of PoBr per unit cell which was thought unlikely on spatial considerations. Thus the chemical evidence appeared to be at variance with the crystallographic data. In order to correlate the X-ray data with the chemical two postulates may be made.The first is that the face-centred cubic cell is a pseudo-cell the true cell being of lower symmetry and that the lines due to this true cell are very weak and not observed on our necessarily inadequate photographs. The second is that the face-centred cubic cell is the true cell and does contain only one molecule of PoBrp but that the one polonium atom is randomly distributed over the sites normally occupied h.y four cations. On the basis of the second postulate the intensity of the reflections was calculated and found to agree with the observed intensities. The polonium atom is surrounded octahedrally by six bromine atoms in this structure; the Po/Br distance was calculated as 2.8 8 which is intermediate between the Po/Br covalent octahedral distance of 2-6 A and the theoretical ionic Po/Br distance of 2.97 A.Thus the idea of random distribution cannot be ruled out from intensity calculations and interatomic distance considerations. I t would seem that a more detailed study of PoBr is needed to substantiate our ideas on its structure. A structural study of TeBr would be interesting and might throw light on this problem. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. REFERENCES Bagnall and D’Eye J. chem. SOC. 1954 4295. Beamer and Maxwell J. chem. Phys. 1949 17 1293. Curie and Debierne C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 1910 150 386. Bagnall D’Eye and Freeman J. chern. SOC. 1955 2320. Bagnall and Freeman ibid. 1956 2770. Maxwell J.chem. Phys. 1949 17 1288. Brooks J. Amer. chern. SOC. 1955 77 3211. Bagnall and Freeman J. chem. SOL 1956 4579. Joy “The preparation and properties of the chlorides of polonium,” Bagnall D’Eye and Freeman J. chem. SOC. 1955 3959. Joy Chem. Engng News 1954 32 3848. Bagnall D’Eye and Freeman J. chem. SOC. 1956 3385. Bagnall and Robertson ibid. 1957 1044. Bagnall and Robertson ibid. 1957 509. Martin J. phys. Chern. 1954 58 91 1. U.S.A.E.C. Tech. Rep. M-4123 1947 SELECTED READING LIST ON LABORATORY DESIGN By SARAH B. KYDD B.A. and JOHN K. PAGE B.A. Nufild Foundation Division for Architectural Studies Laboratory Study Team This selected reading list is not claimed to cover the existing literature on laboratory design in any comprehensive way. I t has been prepared for use primarily by members of the scientific professions rather than by professional architects.Attempts have been made to include the most important books pamphlets reports and shorter general articles appear-ing in the literature dealing specifically with laboratory design. In addition a number of publications giving a reasonably elementary account of various technical problems encountered in building laboratories have been included. For example the Building Research Station Digests, which are prepared for use in the building industry will help a reader with a reasonable scientific background to assess the main issues involved, so that he in turn can state his requirements more specifically to his archi-tect or engineer. I t should be noted that the library of the Royal Insti-tute of British Architects has prepared a selected list of references on laboratories covering the years 1949 to 1956.This reading list contains mainly references to articles appearing in the architectural literature, describing the different laboratories erected in recent years. I t is sug-gested that anybody commissioning new scientific laboratories should, in consultation with their architect refer to this bibliography for examples of contemporary laboratories of the same general type as the new laboratory proposed. I. BOOKS PAMPHLETS AND REPORTS 1. Laboratory Design. Edited by H. S. Coleman. National Research Council (U.S.A.) report on design construction and equipment of laboratories. (New York Reinhold Publishing Corporation 195 1 .) Illustrated report of a Committee set up by the National Research Council.In four parts general discussion of materials facilities services and equipment, teaching laboratories industrial laboratories and descriptions of some recent laboratories. 2. Discussion on the Design of Physics Laboratories. (Institute of Physics London.) J. xi. Instrum. 1948 25 157. Description by Sir Clifford Patterson (Research Laboratories of G.E.C., Wembley) M.r W. F. Higgins (N.P.L. Teddington) and Mr T. C. Keeley (Clarendon Oxford) of their respective laboratory buildings and the problems encountered. 3. The Planning of Science Laboratories in Schools. Messrs R. Sheppard and Partners Chartered Architects. (London Industrial Fund for the Advancement of Scientific Education in Schools 1956.) Architectural brochure on the planning and physical requirements services, fittings and materials of school laboratories with a short appendix on space and cost standards.4. Report of a Symposium on Laboratory Lay-out and Construction. (London Royal Institute of Chemistry 1949.) Six papers delivered at the Symposium four by scientists about their particular type of laboratory one by an architect and one on planning and furnishing by a representative of a laboratory equipment firm. 2 76 Followed by a general discussion SELECTED READING LIST ON LABORATORY DESIGN 11. SHORTER GENERAL ARTICLES 1. Laboratories for Industry. (Building types study No 2. Le Laboratoire de Recherches Industrielles R Rec. 1955 118 (3) 201. 277 226.) Archit.A. Coulon. Archit. Aujour d’hui 1949 20 (26) 1. Special issue with articles analysing particular problems of laboratory design and construction and descriptions plans details and illustration of eighteen recently built or projected laboratories and research buildings in Europe and America. 3. Planning the Scientific Laboratory C. Haines. Archit. Rec. 1950, 108 (I) 106. Discussion of the design of research facilities and description of two U.S. industrial laboratories. 4. Buildings. What is Required? Symposium on the Direction of Research Establishments National Physical Laboratory Teddington. Paper 8. F. M. Lea. J. R. Inst. Brit. Archit. 1956 63 498 (Abridged). Builder Lond., 1956 191,589. 5. Building for Research Design Construction and Layout of Laboratories Symposium on the Direction of Research Establishments, National Physical Laboratory Teddington.Paper 9. €3. A. Snow. J. R. Inst. Brit. Archit. 1956 63 500 (Abridged). Builder Lond. 1956 191 591. Reproduced in J. 1957 81 175. 6. Some Aspects of Modern Laboratory Design. J. Yule Bogue. Endeavour 1949 8 38. Discussion of provision of space and facilities for scientists and the importance of various speeialised requirements. 111. RADIOACTIVE TRACER LABORATORIES I. Radio-Isotopes as Tracers. J. R. Catch. Research Lond. 1956, 2. Precautions in the Use of Ionising Radiation in Industry Ministry (London H.M.S.O., An account of some common industrial applications of radioactive isotopes, 3. Radioactive Tracing. F. P. W. Winteringham. Lab.Pract. 1955, 9 482. of Labour and National Service Factory Department. 1954.) the attendant health hazards dosage tolerances and necessary safeguards. 4 449. IV. ARTICLES GIVING DETAILED BREAKDOWNS OF COSTS 1. Colour Television Laboratories Enfield,. Middlesex. Architects, 2. Laboratories Egham Surrey. Architect P. A. Cranswick. Archit. OF CONSTRUCTION Jellicoe and Partners. J. 1957 125 251. Archit. J. 1956 124 701. V. SPACE REQUIREMENTS IN LABORATORIES 1. Laboratory Design. R. Llewelyn Davies J. W. Nightingale and N. T. J. Bailey. A survey of space and service requirements in two agricultural research laboratories. 2. Report on Space Requirements for Scientific Research Labora-tories. J. Lorne Gray. (Ottawa 1949.) National Research Council of Canada.Technical report No. 3. General area analysis of N.R.C. (Canada) research laboratories that are fully occupied and recommendations on space requirements. Nature Lond. 1955 176 999 (see also J. 5) 278 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL VI. LABORATORY FURNITURE AND FITTINGS 1. A General Technical Committee of the British Standards Institution has at present under consideration the production of a British Standard on Laboratory Furniture and Fittings and has already brought out a Draft [CV (LBC) 5742.1. This publication refers the reader to a number of British Standards on labora-tory materials and equipment. Details of them can be obtained from the Institution. VII. CONSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND FINISHES SUIT-ABLE FOR LABORATORIES 1.Uses of the Less Common Metals as Materials of Construction. Industr. Engng Chem. (Industr.) 1953 45 2261. 2. Emulsion Paints. Building Research Station Digest No. 50. (Lon-3. Painting Metals in Buildings. Building Research Station Digest, 4. Corrosion Resistant Floors. Building Research Station Digests, 5. Chlorinated Rubber Paints. Building Research Station Digest, 6. Corrosion Resistant Cements. V. Evans. Chem. €9 Ind. (Reu.), 7. Methods of Jointing Plastic Pipes. W. E. Jacobsen. Air Conditioning, 8. Floor Finishes for Industrial Buildings. H. N. Llewelyn and National Building Studies Special Report No. 11. (London: 9. Materials of Construction in the Chemical Industry. (London: Thirty papers read at Birmingham University and discussions following them.10. Corrosion Charts. Chem. Processing 1955 1 (12) 12. 1956 2, 11. Timber for Laboratory Bench Tops. W. K. Bekebrede. don H.M.S.O. 1953.) No. 64. (London H.M.S.O. 1954.) Nos. 73 and 74. No. 84. (London H.M.S.O. 1956.) 1948 307. Heating and Ventilating (U.S.A.) 1955 52 (I) 87. S. C. Harper. H.M.S.O. 1951.) Society of Chemical Industry 1950.) (London H.M.S.O. 1955.) (23) 14. Lab. Pract. 1954 3 464. VIII. SERVICES INCLUDING DRAINAGE 1. Corrosion Resisting Materials in Plumbing and Drainage for 2. Engineering Services in Laboratories. J. C. Knight. J. Instn 3. Ventilation and Heating Problems in Atomic Energy Establish-Chemical Wastes. R. T. Gillet. Heat. Vent. Engrs 1955 23 33. ments. W. L. Wilson. J . Instn publ. Hlth Engrs 1955 54 202.J . Imtn Heat. Vent. Engrs 1952 20 215. IX. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Heating and Ventilation Research Station Digest No. 34. J . Instn Heat. Vent. Engrs 1955 23 88. of different types of heating systems in schools. 1. The Principles of Natural Ventilation of Buildings. Building 2. Experimental and Field Studies of School Heating. J. B. Dick. Describes work carried out by Building Research Station in performance (London H.M.S.O. 1954. 19571 SELECTED READING LIST ON LABORATORY DESIGN 279 3. Some Solutions to Headng and Ventilation Problems in Atomic Energy Research Establishments G. M. Harbert. J. Instn Heat. Vent. EngrsTi956 24 237. Efficiencv and cost of various heating systems used at Harwell including BEPO reactbr waste heat utilisation scheme: Vent.Engrs 1955 23 33. ments. W. L. Wilson. H. F. Broughton. (London H.M.S.O. 1955.) of Building Research Station staff includes data about costs of insulation. Vibration (London H.M.S.O. 1955.) R. J. Steffens. Acoustics and Noise Control No. 36. (London H.M.S.O. 1951.) No. 88. (London H.M.S.O. 1956.) Digest No. 89. Noise Control 1955 1 (6) 26. Daylighting and Art$cial Lighting Research Station Digest No. 70. Research Station Digest No. 80. Building Research Station Digest No. 81. J. B. Collins and R. G. Hopkinson. 4. Engineering Services in Laboratories. J. C. Knight. J. Imtn Heat. 5. Ventilation and Heating Problems in Atomic Energy Establish-5(a). Thermal Insulation of Buildings. G. D. Nash J. Comrie and Detailed account of the thermal insulation of buildings by three members J.lnstn Heat. Vent. Engrs 1952 20,213. 6. Vibrations in Buildings. Building Research Station Digest No. 78. 7. The Protection of Apparatus and Instruments Against Vibration. Building Research Station Note No. E 690. 1956. 8. Sound Absorbent Treatments. Building Research Station Digest 9. Sound Insulation of Dwellings I. Building Research Station Digest 10. Sound Insulation of Dwellings. I]. Building Research Station 3 I. Noise from Cerntrifugal Fans. R. B. Goldman and G. S. Maling. (London H.M.S.O. 1956.) 12. Some General Principles of the Lighting of Buildings. Building 13. The Prediction of Levels of Daylighting in Buildings. Building 14. Artificial Lighting of Building Interiors Lamps and Fittings, 15. Flicker Discomfort in Relation to the Lighting of Buildings.(London H.M.S.O. 1954.) (London H.M.S.O. 1955.) (London H.M.S.O. 1955.) Trans. Illurn. Engng SOC. 1954 9 135. X. SAFETY AND FIRE I. Safety Measures in Chemical Laboratories. Second Edition. 2. Manual of Laboratory Safety. Fisher Scientific Co. U.S.A. 1952. This publication includes a bibliography. 3. Fire Hazards of Internal Linings. D. Hird and C. F. Fischl. Nat-ional Building Studies Special Report No. 22. 4. Fires in Laboratories 1947. E. M. Maycock. D.S.I.R. and Fire Offices’ Committee Joint Fire Research Organisation F.S. Note No. 73/1948. (London 1948.) An analysis of the reports of fires in laboratories attended by the N.F.S. in 1947. 5. Safety Precautions in Schools. Ministry of Education Pamphlet No.13. Sections on precautions in use of electricity and precautions in Science Labs. 6. Model Byelaws Series IV Buildings. Ministry of Housing and (For Fire resistance refer to Sections 32 33 40 43 44, (London H.M.S.O. 1952.) D.S.I.R. (London H.M.S.O. 1955.) (London H.M.S.O. 1954.) Cause method of extinction and damage are recorded. (London H.M.S.O. 1948.) Local Government. 46 47 48 49 50. 280 try of Transport. relevant to laboratory practice. Creyghton. of British Paint Colour and Varnish Manufacturers 1951.) fire (including room layout) extinguishers and fire drill. Royal Institute of Chemistry 1949.) 601 655. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY 7. The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Explosives in Ships. Minis-Recommendations on the storage of dangerous materials some of which are 8.Safety in the Chemical Laboratory. H. A. J. Pieters and J. W. 9. Fire in Laboratories. (Confidential) (London Research Association A discussion of the causes of fires in paint chemistry labs precautions against 10. The Origin and Prevention of Laboratory Accidents. (London : 11. Safety in the Laboratory. A. Webster. Lab. Pract. 1953 2 552, 12. Radioactive Tracing. F. P. W. Winteringham. Lab. Pract. 1955, Examples of risks in radioactive tracer laboratories. 13. Guide for Safety in the Chemical Laboratory. (London H.M.S.O. 1952.) (London Butterworths Scientific Publications 195 I .) 4 493. (New York D. Van Nostrand Go. Inc. for the Manufacturing Chemists’ Association Inc. 1954.) ADA AERE A1 AIL AKC ALM BFI BIC BOG BT BTFL cc CFL CL CTS cws DRC DSIR EB EBFD EFVA FMC FWB GB GC GT H ICI ICIA IF IHC MB MPM MV MWB NFB NFL P PFB PI SA SCFL ss TL USIS WFU WMD A-IOC E D c Key to FiXm Sources (see p.281) Aluminium Development Association 35 Grosvenor Street London W. 1. Photographic Section Building 34712 Ministry of Supply A.E.R.E. Hanvell Didcot Berks. Allied Ironfounders Ltd. 28 Brook Street London W. 1. Aims of Industry Ltd. Public Relations Division 79-80 Petty France London S.W.I. Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. Ltd. Britannic House Finsbury Circus London E.C.2. Ary Kinema Corporation 36 Dover Street London W. 1. Associated Lead Manufacturers Ltd. Ibex House Minories London E.C.3.British Film Institute 164 Shaftesbury Avenue London W.C.2. British Insulated Callender’s Construction Co. Ltd. Film Library 21 Bloombury Street, British Oxygen Co. Ltd. Photographic Section S.T.S. Dept. North Circular Road Crickle-Baird and Tatlock (London) Ltd. Public Relations Dept. Freshwater Road Chadwell Heath, British Transport Film Library 25 Savile Row London W.1. Cabot Carbon Co Ltd Central Film Libr&y zovernment Buildin$ dromyard Avenue kcton London W.3. Crookes Laboratories,’ Ltd. Gorst Road Paik Royal London N.W. 10.’ Cooke Troughton & Simms Ltd. Film Librarian Haxby Road York. C.W.S Ltd Film Dept 99 Leman Street London E.I. Dunlog Rubber Co. Ltdl S; James’s Housd St Jam& Street London S.W.I. D.S.I.R. Film Library Charles House Lower Regent Street London S.W.I.Encyclopaedia Britannka (Lexicon Fifms) 23 Pall Mall Ldndon S.W. 1. Encyclopaedia Britannica Films Division britAnnica Ho&e 102 Dean Street London W. 1. Educational Foundation for Visual Aids Brooklands House Weybridge Surrey. Ford Motor Co. Ltd. Advertising Dept. Da enham Essex. F. W. Berk & Go Ltd Stratford London 8.15 Gaumont British Educakonal Film Library’ Aintiee Road Perivale Greenford Middx. Gas Council 1 Grosvenor Place London s.W.1. Griffin and Tatlock Ltd. Kemble Street Kingsway London W.C.2. Hadfields Ltd Publicity Dept East Hecla Works SheEeld 9. 1.C.I. Filk Ligrary Bolton Holse 61 Curzon Strget London W.l. Research Manager I.C.I. Ltd. Alkali Division Northwich Cheshire. Institut Francais Queensberry Place London S.W.7.International Harvester Co. of Gt. Britain 259 City Road London E.C.l. J. A. Jobling & Co. Ltd. Wear Glass Works Sunderland. Lead Industries Development Council Eagle House Jermyn Street London S.W. 1. May and Baker Ltd Dagenham Essex Ministry of Poder S&ety in Minds Research Establishment Portobello Street ShefField 1. Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd Publicity Dept. Trafford Park Manchester. Metropolitan Water Board New S v e r Head Rosebery Avenue London E.C.I. National Film Board of Canada Colquhoun House Broadwick Street London W. I. National Film Library 164 Shaftesbury Avenue London W.C.2. Protolite Ltd. Central House Upper Woburn Place London W.C.1. Petroleum Films Bureau 29 New Bond Street London W.l. Plastics Institute Ltd South African Film Library South Africa House Trafalgar Square London W.C.2.Scottish Central Film Library 16 Woodside Terrace Glasgow C.3. Sound Service Ltd. 269 Kingston Road Merton Park London S.W.19. Tate and Lyle Ltd. Public Relations Dept. 52 Cadogan Square London S.W.I. United States Information Service 1 Grosvenor Square London W.I. Wellcome Film Unit Wellcome Research Institute Euston Road London N.W. 1. Engineer-in-Charge West Middlesex Drainage Works Mogden Isleworth Middlx. London W.C. 1. wood London N.W.2. Essex. Dashhood House 69 ’Old Brogd Street London E.C.2. Adelphi Buildings Adam Street London W.C.2 FILM NOTES Continued from J. 1955,632. For Key to Abbreviations see previous Page* 70. The Titanium Pigment Story (1956). SS or British Titan Properties of Comprehensive Products York.Circumstances of the discovery of titanium oxide. this oxide as anastase or rutile as a pigment. survey of tests and applications. Free. Colour. 23 mins. 16 or 35 mm. 71. The Rival World (1955). PFB. The menace of insects to man. disturbing the balance of nature. A brilliant and dramatic film. Free. Colour. 25 mins. 16 or 35 mm. Attempts for control without W.H.O. locust campaign. 72. Welcome to Sulphur Land. FWB. Extraction of sulphur by the Frasch method from the Louisiana deposits. Transportation of large quantities of the molten material. Free. Colour. 17 mins. 16 mm. Development and exploitation of new beds. 73. Foam Plug (1956). MPM. The difficulty of extinguishing fires in mines by conventional methods has led to research into foam production to fill the inflamed galleries and reduce the temperature of the conflagration.Hire (10s.). Colour. 17 mins. 16 mm. 74. Automatic Laboratory ( 1956). BT. How an c'Analmaticyy laboratory can take and analyse samples automatically thus reducing the monotony of repetitive control tests. Free. Black and white. 9 mins. 16 mm. 75. The Man with a Thousand Hands. IHC. Development of the Kitimat project. engineering feat that it is well worth screening. Free. Colour. 60 mins. 16 mm. This is such a vast civil 76. Coral Wonderland. CFL. The coral reefs of Australia their formation and the tropical fish that abound amongst them portrayed by underwater photo-Hire (30s.). Colour. 27 mins. 16 mm.graphy. 77. Panorama No. 11. (1956). ICI. A magazine embracing the uses of Alkathene a Terylene fashion parade and salt production ancient and modern the latter by multi-effect evaporators. Free. Black and white. 17 mins. 16 mm. 28 BOOK REVIEWS Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry. Volume 5. Part I, Nitrogen Phosphorus Arsenic Antimony and Bismuth. H. H. Sisler. Part 11 Nonaqueous Chemistry. A. A. Pray. Edited by M. C. Sneed and R. C. Brasted. Pp. x + 214. (New York: D. Van Nostrand Go. Inc.; London distributors Macmillan and Co. Ltd. 1956.) The first 153 pages of this volume of the series are devoted to the chemistry of the nitrogen group of elements and of these about 100 deal exclusively with nitrogen. Part I1 is concerned with the chemistry of non-aqueous soh tions.Clearly both authors have definite views on the way a subject should be treated in a work of this nature. In marked contrast to some of the earlier volumes, industrial processes have been relegated to a relatively minor position in Dr Sisler’s section as is proper in a work which purports to deal with theoretical inorganic chemistry. They are dealt with primarily on the merits of their fundamental chemical interest and not from the viewpoint of the chemical engineer. There is a proper emphasis throughout on the theoretical background to systematic knowledge and as a consequence a reading of the section leaves a more favourable impression than did some of the earlier volumes, The principal criticism of Dr Pray’s contribution is on the score of its brevity.The only solvents dealt with in detail are ammonia (extensively), acetic acid hydrogen cyanide sulphur dioxide phosgene and selenium oxychloride but the section is stimulating since it emphasises the gaps in our knowledge in this field. The section is perhaps unduly conserva-tive in its assessment of existing knowledge and current theories but it is an excellent summary of the material and contains useful tables in which the known reactions in the chosen non-aqueous solvents are collected together. I t is probably the restricted space allotted to this section which prevented any treatment of the rapidly developing study of analytical processes in non-aqueous media. These two authors have undoubtedly contributed in no small measure to the reputation of the series as a whole.37s. 6d. net. The volume as a whole makes a favourable impression. CECIL L. WILSON Molecules and Crystals in Inorganic Chemistry. Second Edition. (London Butterworths Scientific 30s. This second edition of a well-known book (first English edition 1949) aims to have the same general scope. The chapter on the stability of ionic compounds has been enlarged a new chapter on compounds of variable composition has been added and there is new material on complexes with non-isolated groups non-ionic compound formation non-ionic complexes and interstitial compounds. The book is intended for students in their first year of science or medicine but some of the subjects treated would probably be more suitable for second-year students following British university curricula.On the whole the development of heteropolar inorganic chemistry in this edition pursues the possibilities of the electrostatic interpretation of A. E. Van Arkel. Publications; New York Interscience Publishers Inc. 1956.) net. Pp. ix + 270. za BOOK REVIEWS 283 chemistry too far to give good perspective for an elementary survey. Berzelius is the remote ancestor of this kind of chemistry which may fairly be described as neo-Berzelian. Discussion of covalent bonding is postponed till quite late in the text and is only introduced after repeated attention has been drawn to the limitations of a quantitative electrostatic interpretation of chemical bonding. Even when covalent bonding is examined its discussion is much more schematic and superficial than the treatment of various interesting electrostatic refinements.Whilst the present development of inorganic chemistry contains many unsolved problems of chemical bonding covalent bonding can surely be introduced naturally at least on a descriptive basis quite early in an elementary text. Other portions of the book that do not give very adequate scope to the physico-chemical foundations of inorganic chemistry even for an elementary text are the sections on the influence of temperature the stability of compounds colloids and absorption. The book remains one of the best elementary introductions to quantitative chemical electro-statics but students of chemistry will require to supplement it with other texts to obtain a balanced approach to contemporary valency theory, even in inorganic chemistry.A. R. UBBELOHDE Alchemy. E. J. Holmyard. Pp. 281. (London Penguin Books Ltd., In recent years great advances have been made in the study of the history of alchemy. Many contributions to the subject have been available only to specialists but now Dr Holmyard gives a lucid and comprehensive account including work published as recently as 1954, which is sure to be widely read. The author who is chairman of the Society for the Study of Alchemy and Early Chemistry is himself a distinguished scholar in this field. He names all his authorities; full references to their publications are not given but there is a list of books and journals which will help those readers who may wish to delve more deeply into this fascinating subject.Dr Holmyard shows how alchemy originated in China and Egypt, perhaps independently over 2,000 years ago. Many Chinese alchemists sought an elixir of life but in Egypt the search was mainly for a means of converting base metals into gold. Until two or three hundred years ago western science was dominated by Aristotle’s philosophy and, as the author clearly shows his theory of the elements allowed for the transmutation of one form of matter into another. During the early centuries of the Christian era alchemical works became increasingly symbolic and allegorical but this development was arrested after the seventh century when the Muslim alchemists began to be active. Dr Holmyard’s chapter on Islamic alchemy is particularly interesting for he has specialised in the study of this important period.The authorship of Arabic alchemical works is often doubtful and has occasioned considerable scepticism on the part of some recent scholars. Dr Holmyard considers that progress can best be made in this subject by cautiously respecting accepted beliefs until they are proved untenable. This approach has resulted in a very full and well-balanced account of Islamic alchemy. 1957.) 3s. 6d. net 284 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL In the twelfth century or thereabouts alchemy reached Europe through Spain; it flourished until the seventeenth century though there are still a few alchemists at work in various countries and the author has himself visited an alchemical laboratory in Fez.He gives interesting accounts of many European alchemists who generally led unconventional lives. Modern science has proved that the alchemists’ endeavours were bound to fail but they developed much chemical apparatus and dis-covered many new substances. All chemists who read Dr Holmyard’s admirable book will be reminded of the great debt they owe their chemical ancestors. The publishers are to be congratulated on producing this book with its many photogravure plates at such a remarkably low price. W. A. SMEATON Oxydation von Metallen und Metallegierungen. K. Hauffe. Passivierende Filme rind Deckschichten. H. Fischer K. Hauffe Pp. vii + 389. and W. Wiederholt. Pp. xi + 400. DM. 43.50. (Berlin Springer-Verlag 1956.) DM. 48. The remarkable advance in understanding of metallic oxidation during the past twenty-five years has been largely due to two German research groups led by Wagner and Hauffe.Both groups combine experimental ability with theoretical insight ; both rely mainly on defect structure in interpreting experimental results. The papers are however, scattered among German American French British and Norwegian journals. The urgent need to have this knowledge brought together in book form makes Hauffe’s new work particularly welcome. After a brief introduction the book opens with a discussion of defect structure and the mechanism of diffusion in metals and oxides. The next section presents the general theory of the oxidation mechanism, with sharp distinction between high-temperature scaling and the formation of thin films at low temperatures; these obey different laws.A long section somewhat more factual is devoted to scaling changes on individual metals and alloys. Two shorter sections dealing with attack by sulphur and the oxidation of alloys containing carbon are followed by the application of the principles to film-formation under wet conditions and particularly to passivity. The volume ends with a short section on methods of measurement. As is frankly acknowledged in the preface concentration on defect structure theory has left little space for discussion of the oxidation of several technically interesting alloys. Certain factors of practical moment-such as the part played by liquid film constituents in catastro-phic oxidation and by accumulated film stresses in the sudden failure of films on titanium and zirconium-are only briefly mentioned.However all phenomena connected with defect structure are admirably discussed, and the masterly theoretical sections could have been written by no one except Professor Hauffe. They do not provide light reading but trouble has been taken-by author and publisher alike-to make them relatively easy. The fatigue of reading defect-structure mathematics is not con-nected with the concepts but the notation; the eye tires before the brain. Some feel that the original Wagner-Schottky symbolism will have to be replaced by something more like that adopted by A. L. G. Rees in T 19571 BOOK REvmws 285 Chemistry of the Defect Solid State. In the present book however by the use of smooth paper and admirable type Professor Hauffe and Messrs Springer have succeeded in retaining what is essentially the classical notation without imposing undue strain on eyesight-or on temper.The presentation of facts is not confined to discoveries by the German schools; the experiments of the Binard and Gulbransen groups for instance rightly receive attention. The theory is essentially that of Wagner and Hauffe. The views of Mott are held in respect but not entirely accepted ; indeed Hauffe questions the validity of the assumptions implicit in the Cabrera-Mott proof of the inverse logarithmic law. On the whole however the book contains little controversial matter except where two of Hauffe’s former collaborators who have used a marker technique in studying the oxidation of nickel become faced with the suggestion of a Markenverschiebung-a possibility which ‘ ‘sollte durch geeignete Experimente gepriift werden.” Professor Hauffe is also one of the three editors of the second book under review and his name appears in the contents list as author of three of twenty-two sections.Some of the other contributors are members of the Hauffe School. The book contains fifteen Vortrage delivered at a two-day meeting at Frankfurt a.M. together with seven Diskussions-beitrzge and numerous Diskussionsbemerl;ungen. In all there are thirty-five contributors many of international reputation. It is impossible to mention them all but Engell’s treatment of non-parabolic growth-laws will be welcome to the theorist whilst Schikorr’s common-sense discussion of films formed during atmospheric oxidation should appeal to the practical man.In his section on corrosion of iron by steam Ulrich applies theory to practical problems. Fellows’s measurements of hydro-gen in steam published in 1929 are replotted to show reasonable accord with Wagner’s theories put forward a few years later. Other important contributions come from Vetter Fischer Block Jaenicke Raub and Keller. Passiuierende Filme differs for Hauffe’s Oxydation in giving far more space to wet processes at room temperatures; scaling at the highest temperatures is excluded. Thus the books are largely complementary. Together they provide an authoritative-and mainly acceptable-account of a region of chemistry possessing great potential interest to the pure scientist.Can a more fundamental approach to chemical change be suggested than through the combination of metallic and non-metallic elements-respectively donors and acceptors of electrons ? It is also a subject of considerable technical importance ; those responsible for modern schemes of power-generation whether in Benson boilers or atomic piles are confronted with serious oxidation problems. Yet it is doubtful whether the chemical student leaving a British university today possesses an adequate understanding of the principles involved. For those wishing to rectify the situation the books under review should prove most valuable. U. R. EVANS Organic Chemistry. Electron Theory and Reaction Mechanism. (London Mac-15s. net. The most unsatisfactory thing about this book is its title which left The greatest difficulty R.I. Reed and S. H. Tucker. millan 8z Co. Ltd. 1956.) Pp. viii + 108. unqualified is ludicrous for such a small volume 286 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INST- OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL for the reviewer is to ‘place’ the book the authors give no indication of the audience they had in mind. The eleven chapters deal respectively with the atom the origin of valence acids and bases atomic and molecular orbitals intramolecular influence of atoms and groups on valence electrons physical methods of measurement physical evidence for conjugative electron shifts inter-atomic (internuclear) distances the hydrogen bond reaction mechanism and substitution reactions. Each is clearly and carefully composed and the impression is given that the book has arisen from an introductory course of lectures.The standard maintained recalls the early articles in Quarter& Review. The point of view is very much that of the ‘English School.’ Very few references to primary sources are given but a short list of well-known textbooks recommended for further reading is included, Chapter 4 “Atomic and Molecular Orbitals,” provides a brief but clear qualitative account of the modern conception of the covalent bond but impinges hardly at all on the subsequent chapters. The book cannot be regarded as replacing any of the standard works, but might well be useful as an introduction to the subject for first-year honours students or as a very interesting stimulus to the curiosity of a sixth-form scholarship pupil.Polyesters and their Applications. J. Bjorksten H. Tovey B. Harker and J. Henning. (New York Reinhold Publishing Corporation; London Chapman & Hall Ltd. 1956.) 80s. net. The authors of this book are members of the staff of Bjorksten Research Laboratories Inc. of Madison Wisconsin. I t is claimed on the jacket that this publication is the first comprehensive survey of the entire polyester field from raw materials to fabricated product. As they state in the preface the authors have for many years been assembling data on polyesters and after several abortive starts they decided to print those available on 1 June 1954. Some subsequent pertinent information is added as a supplement at the end of the book with dates up to the time of publication.It is the intention of the authors to publish further supplements from time to time. The first 18 pages are devoted to a short discussion of theoretical considerations and the next 230 pages to an uncritical summary of the voluminous literature. From p. 253 to the supplement the book consists of an annotated bibliography. This contains more than 3,000 references all abstracted and all referred to in the text. Up to p. 379 this section is a classified list of patents. From p. 381 to p. 565 a list of articles books and manufacturers’ literature is given. Pages 576 to 618 contain indexes of authors companies and organisers and subjects. In my opinion the 18 pages of theoretical discussion though adequate, could have been expanded with benefit to the balance of the book.The succeeding 230 pages of summary of the literature are very practical in their outlook and though there is an understandable bias towards United States sources the researches of Whinfield and Dickson and British workers generally are not belittled. Similarly the classified list of patents gives sufficient information for the British worker to identify the British equivalents in a search. Again in the list of articles books and manu-facturers’ literature there is a natural bias to United States sources with the corresponding British sources reasonably covered. I(. SCHOFIELD Pp. viii + 618. The compilation of this book is an heroic achievement 19571 BOOK REVIEWS 287 The potential weakness of such a book as this lies in the classification of the literature.The full cross-referencing of all the abstracts would make it unjustifiably unwieldy and the compromise effected is no doubt acceptable. The book is made in the adequate manner which one expects of Reinhold. The use of footnotes should have been avoided. These have reference numbers almost identical with arithmetic indices which is annoying rather than confusing. The book is of interest to the worker in the field of commercial poly-esters and to him it is highly recommended. I t will interest also chemists concerned in the wider fields of commercial plastics. It is for chemists in these two fields that the book has been written and it is they, rather than chemists in general who will find it of value. R. H. K. THOMSON Aspects of River Pollution.Louis Klein. Pp. xii + 621. (London : Butterworths Scientific Publications; New York Academic Press Inc. 1957.) 84s. net. Unusual circumstances have combined to make the subject of pollu-tion one of great topical and national interest. During the war and the years that followed the construction of new or enlarged sewage puri-fication works almost came to a halt and even now many local authorities are still unable to turn out effluents of high purity from their works. In the same period industries consuming large quantities of water grew at a phenomenal rate and in some districts they are already taxing water supplies to the utmost. Improved standards of sanitation and the official policy of encouraging the supply of piped water to rural and farming areas have added to the demand for water.Consequently, water undertakings are having to turn to the diminishing number of clean rivers for sources of water supply. Coincident with these developments three of the most important anti-pollution measures of the past century have become law within the past few years-the Public Health (Drainage of Trade Premises) Act 1937 which gives manufacturers the right to discharge their effluents to public sewers; the River Boards Act 1948, which places responsibility for controlling pollution in the hands of a few large boards with adequate financial and technical resources instead of numerous small authorities; and finally the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Act 195 1 which gives river boards the power to fix standards of purity for all sewage and trade wastes discharged to inland waters.The problem of arresting pollution has not been lightened by increases in the volume of trade effluents of an intractable nature or by the growing use of synthetic detergents resistant to oxidation by biological agencies. Dr Klein’s book therefore appears at an opportune moment for it covers almost the whole field of river pollution. After a brief chapter on the legal aspects of pollution (which might well have been illustrated by referring to the successful common law action for pollution at Luton and its effect in bringing about alleviation of the nuisance mentioned in the closing chapters) the causes of pollution by dissolved and suspended impurities are described by reference to the effects of specific wastes.These effects are classified according to biochemical and physico-chemical changes. Enzyme activity plays so important a part in the biological effects of pollution which are described in two chapters on fish and o 288 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL the biological detection of pollution written by Dr J. R. E. Jones and Mr H. A. Hawkes respectively that it would have been worth dealing at some length in the appropriate section with modern views on aerobic and anaerobic oxidation and on the chemical activities of micro-organisms. These two chapters bring-home to the chemist the extreme caution which must be exercised in assigning toxic properties to the constituents of trade effluents since toxicity to fish is a property that varies with experimental conditions the hardness of the water its dissolved oxygen content and temperature the duration of the test and the age and species of the fish used for test purposes.Concentrations of substances harmless to fish may be lethal to fish food as for example in the case of the Churnet a tributary of the River Trent. Here the presence of one or two parts of copper per million has prevented the development of small plants and animals for a length of 20 miles and so denuded the river of fish life, In the chapter on biological detection sufficient detail is given to enable the non-biologist to distinguish between those plants and animals in-dicating the absence of pollution and those pointing to either sporadic or serious pollution.The detection and measurement of pollution by chemical methods and the interpretation of the results are dealt with authoritatively in two chapters of particular interest to all concerned with trade waste discharges to sewers or rivers. The problem presented by the discharge of synthetic detergents is a matter of concern to local authorities and river boards because small concentrations of these substances seriously reduce the rate at which oxygen is dissolved from the atmosphere and thus the capacity to deal with pollution by natural means is reduced. The abatement of pollution by the purification of domestic sewage and trade waste is discussed in two chapters of 120 pages or one-fifth of the book. This section is obviously the most important part since it is concerned with known methods of reducing the polluting content of liquids and it pays special attention to such causes of pollution as dis-charges of matter from storm-water overflows on sewers.Nevertheless, these two chapters might well be condensed in a future edition in order to expand the section dealing with methods for calculating the capacity of rivers to deal with polluting matter entering at different points on their courses. Dissemination of information on this subject would be useful in encouraging river boards to apply the results of surveys in the way that has already been done successfully by a few river authorities in the U.S.A. In writing this book Dr Klein has undertaken a task of immense magnitude one calling for the ability to relate scientific knowledge on pollution to the social needs and economic possibilities of an industrial community.He has achieved a rare sense of balance in his treatment of the various factors which have to be weighed in the control or prevention of pollution and his book deserves wide success. S. H. JENKINS Spot Tests in Organic Chemistry. Fifth Edition. F. Feigl. Pp. (Amsterdam Elsevier Publishing Co; London distri-The previous edition of this book appeared as Volume I1 of Professor Feigl’s Spot Tests published in 1954. In the short time that has elapsed great advances have been made in the field of organic spot-testing. xx + 616. butors Cleaver-Hume Press Ltd. 1956.) 55s 19571 BOOK REVIEWS 289 Much of the new work arises from the author’s own experiments and this new authoritative treatise is backed up by his own expert assessment of many of the tests devised by others.The technique of spot-testing is well established in inorganic analysis but is more of an innovation in the sphere of organic chemistry. The applications of these spot tests as an adjunct to the control or checking of organic reactions will be obvious to the organic synthesist and the work should also prove useful to the many chemists who daily use paper chromatography as an analytical tool for testing products reactions and so on. One of the aspects of organic spot-testing which has previously raised doubts in the mind of the reviewer is the ability of the technique as previously described to separate the great multitude of substances that one may justifiably expect to be present in an ‘unknown.’ In this new edition a most welcome expansion (ca 30 per cent) has been made of the chapter on preliminary tests.These tests may yield decisive clues as to the nature of the sample. Tests for all the common and many of the less common ‘organic’ elements are included in addition to tests for metals various physico-chemical tests and characteristic or grouping tests. A new section has been added on the testing of medicinals. General stress has been laid on the interference with selectivity or sensitivity of certain tests which is brought about by the presence of other organic substances. This is of course an immense field but nevertheless a most important one, and the author is to be commended for his attempts to bring it to the fore.The size of the book has increased by nearly 200 pages and over eighty new tests are described. This edition should prove particularly valuable to those concerned with the testing of foodstuffs pharmaceutical products and biological materials and to the many chemists who habitually use micro or semi-micro organic procedures. The presentation of the subject matter and layout of the text and formulae are excellent. The same limp binding as in the 4th edition has been employed. The book can be recommended thoroughly and is excellent value. T s. WEST Principles of Physical Metallurgy. Alloy Series in Physical Metallurgy. M. C. Smith. Pp. xii + 417, Pp. ix + 338. (New York Harper & Brothers; London distributors Constable & Co.Ltd. 1956.) 50s. net each. The development of metallurgy as a science has been very rapid in the last few decades. A vast body of scientific knowledge about metals has been accumulated but it hardly as yet impinges upon metallurgical practice which remains based partly upon tradition and partly upon a collection of technical data obtained by ad hoc tests. The metallurgist’s real business is the design of new alloys and new ways of treating them to achieve desired properties. Many alloys have been developed but few designed. Metals and alloys are exceedingly complex materials. There are two levels of profundity in interpreting their properties. The more fundamental approach is in terms of the individual and co-operative properties of atoms-let us term this the ‘atomic approach’-while less fundamentally an alloy can be interpreted in terms of deriuatiue concepts such as surface tension grain size, heats of solution and diffusion kinetics.It is the job of the atomic approach to break down these concepts into even more fundamental M. C. Smith. There is of course a good reason for this situation 290 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL processes-i.e. movements of atoms-but in the ‘semi-technical approach’ they are accepted as brute facts. Curiously enough there has been more progress in the supposedly more difficult atomic approach than in the semi-technical and the difficulty of designing new metallic materials is in part traceable to this lag. The composite almost schizoid nature of metallurgical science therefore makes the writing of textbooks a very difficult problem.A purely fundamental text has few points of contact with practice while a book adopting the semi-technical approach cannot help being fragmentary and unsystematic. Most writers simply by-pass the problem by writing engineering texts about present-day works practice and omit interpreta-tion. Dr Smith however has faced the problem squarely and has made a valiant attempt at a text on the intermediate level. His two books, which are in effect two volumes of a single work aim at explaining in terms of structure the behaviour of alloys and the reasons for treating them in particular ways during manufacture and at doing this without going right back to the first principles of quantum theory statistical mechanics and crystallography.This at least is the impression conveyed by the book as it is executed. Brief sections are indeed devoted to the electronic structure of the atom, to crystallography to dislocations and the like but these sections are not properly built into the scheme of the book and are unsatisfactory because of their brevity and inaccuracy and because the subject-matter once presented is not again referred to. Where the author keeps to the semi-technical approach he is genuinely educating the reader whereas he commits error after error as soon as he goes deeper. Another criticism needs to be made which can all too often be levelled at metallurgical texts. Dr Smith appears to dislike mathematics to such a degree that only three or four equations appear in the entire text.Precision in quantitative matters is woefully lacking. True the absence of the usual endless tables of yield strengths ductilities and casting temperatures is a positive advantage but this does not excuse for instance, the remark that “a metal crystal of ordinary size contains something like l0l6 atoms.” A related criticism is that references to original papers are almost completely lacking so that there is no appeal from the author’s assertions and there is no bibliography for further reading. In the first volume which deals with such topics as crystal structures, plasticity recrystallisation creep and fracture the errors are serious. The section on the structure of the atom is likely to leave the student more confused than when he started.The author’s attitude is symbolised by his remark that “the major limitation upon wave mechanics results not from inaccuracy but from lack of understandability and credibility.” Elsewhere he states that the limit of solid solubility of one metal in another is reached when the first Brillouin zone is filled. The brief account of crystal structure analysis is wildly misleading. Mechanical twins are said to be present in polished copper and annealing twins to derive from them. Grain growth and recrystallisation are imperfectly distinguished. In discussing creep Dr Smith ignores recent advances in understanding; thus he claims that grains can slide over each other without themselves undergoing deformation. Only on the topics of fatigue and fracture does a clear and reasonably accurate, though purely qualitative picture emerge.The section on fatigue is, incidentally almost the only place where reference is made to experi-mental techniques of investigation 19571 BOOK REVIEWS 291 The first volume cannot be recommended; the author’s wholly praiseworthy intention has not been successfully carried out. The second volume which deals with equilibrium diagrams and heat treatment is much better. The meaning of equilibrium diagrams in terms of the actual constitution of alloys of different compositions is well presented and the variety and purpose of heat treatment of steels clearly explained. There is little reference to alloy steels and experimental methods are almost completely ignored. Micrographs are variable in quality; there is no picture showing the structure of pearlite.Neverthe-less this volume has distinct value as a clearly written descriptive account of the elements of alloy behaviour. Printing and production of both books are excellent and there are very few misprints. To complain of the price is merely to complain of the economic conditions under which we are living. R. W. CAHN Glass. G. 0. Jones. Pp. vi + 119. (London Methuen & Go. In this small book one of Methuen’s “Monographs on Physical Subjects,’’ Professor Jones has presented glass as a material worthy of study by the physicist and chemist as well as by the glass technologist. After defining the term ‘glass’ he considers the structural chemistry of glasses ; crystallisation and stability in relation to structure ; properties of glasses near the transformation temperature ; behaviour of glass under stress and properties of metallic ions in glass.The ground covered and the number of references to practical data are surprising in such a small compass-a tribute to the incisive way in which the argument is presented. A small but well chosen bibliography completes the book. The young graduate in pure science whose research problem involves glass behaviour might well begin his study by a careful reading of this work. The humdrum glass technologist may feel some pride that his material has at length attracted so much attention from the pure scientists. Ltd. 1956.) 8s. 6d. net. M. PARKIN BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED Chemical Service in Defence of the Realm.One Hundred Years The Story of the Chemical Inspectorate. (London Ministry of Supply 1957.) of Chemical Inspection. W. G. Norris. Pp. 91. British Standards.-1121 1956. Methods for the Analysis of Iron and Steel. Pp. 8. 2s. net. Part 14 Copper in iron and steel. Part 25 Vanadium in iron steel and ferro-vanadium. Pp. 10. Part 36 Copper in iron and steel (Absorptiometric method). 2s. 6d. net. Pp. 6. 2s. net. 903 1957. Methods of Testing Vulcanized Rubber. Parts D1 and D2 Determination of Plastic Yield of Ebonite. Parts El to E6 Methods of Testing Cellular Ebonite. Pp. 24. Pp. 8. 2s. 6d. net. 5s. net INSTITUTE AFFAIRS SEVENTY-NINTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS The report of the proceedings will be published later.The Seventy-ninth Annual General Meeting of the Royal Institute of Chemistry was held in the Senate House University of London W.C. 1, on Friday 5 April 1957 at 10.45 a.m. Dr D. W. Kent-Jones President, was in the Chair and 141 Fellows and 64 Associates were present. ORDINARY ANNUAL BUSINESS 1. Report of the Council including the Statements of Account for the year ended 30 September 1956.-After discussion of several relevant matters the Report was adopted. Election of Oficers General Members of the Council and Censors.-On the report of the Scrutineers of the ballot the following were declared elected: 2. President (1957-59) Professor William Wardlaw C.B.E. Vice-Presidents (1957-59) Professor H. V. A. Briscoe Dr J. Idris Jones, Hon. Treasurer (1957-58) Professor Harold Burton.General Members of the Council (1957-60) Dr I. J. Faulkner Mr E. Lea. Herbert Dr D. W. Hill Professor R. A. Morton F.R.s. Dr G. R. Ramage, Dr Robert Spence c.B. Dr David Traill. Censors (1957-58) Sir Harry Jephcott Dr D. W. Kent-Jones Dr G. Roche Lynch o.B.E. Mr George Taylor O.B.E. (A complete list of Officers and Members of the Council for 1957-58 is given 3. Election of Auditors.-Dr D. I. Coomber and Dr C. Simons were re-elected Professor R. C. W. Norrish F.R.S. on p. 330.) Hon. Auditors for 1956-57. SPECIAL BUSINESS Fund for the Development of Education in Chemistry.-Resolutions submitted by the Council asking for the sanction of the meeting to transfers being made to the Fund from the general funds of the Institute were dealt with as follows: Resolution 4 for regular transfers not exceeding g3,OOO per annum passed by 1,444 to 160 votes (given personally-189 for 4 against; by proxy-1,255 for, 1 56 against).Resolution 5 for transfer of certain types of legacy or bequest passed by a closely similar majority. Abolition of Directed Proxies,-Resolution 6 with this object submitted by Dr R. E. Parker (on behalf of 30 corporate members) was defeated by 1,023 to 578 votes (given personally-74 for 100 against; by proxy-504 for 923 against). Further alteration of By-law 4 (2).-Resolutions for reducing the minimum number of sponsors required for submitting a private members’ motion to an Annual General Meeting to less than ten (the number approved by the Privy Council) were dealt with as follows: Resolution 7 for reducing the number to one submitted by Mr K.D. Hunt : defeated by 1,307 to 274 votes (given personally-6 for 154 against; by proxy-268 for 1,153 against). 2 9 INSTITUTE AFFAIRS 293 Resolution 8 for reducing the number to two submitted by Mr C. W. G. Martin (on behalf of 87 corporate members) defeated by 1,065 to 540 votes (given personally-64 for 106 against; by proxy476 for 959 against). Resolution 9 for reducing the number to j u e submitted by Dr R. E. Parker (on behalf of 34 corporate members) defeated by 1,026 to 554 votes (given personally-66 for 82 against; by proxy488 for 944 against). Voting on Special Business.-Resolution 10 submitted by Mr K. D. Hunt, for making a Postal Vote obligatory on every question of special business at a General Meeting was defeated by 1,112 to 423 votes (given personally-3 for, 112 against; by proxy420 for 1,000 against).Privileges of Associates.-Resolutions submitted by Mr K. D. Hunt for making Associates eligible for election to the Council were dealt with as follows : Resolution 11 as Honorary Officers defeuted by 1,133 to 418 votes (given personally-8 for 107 against; by proxy410 for 1,026 against). Resolution 12 as Members of the Council defeuted by 1,048 to 505 votes (given personally-16 for 98 against; by proxy489 for 950 against). POSTAL VOTE ON RESOLUTION 8 Before the close of the meeting ten corporate members present exercising their rights under By-law 11 (l) presented a demand in writing for a Postal Vote to be taken on Resolution 8.Voting papers will be issued accordingly. GFUDUATE MEMBERSHIP EXAMINATIONS, SEPTEMBER 1957 Part II with Part I (b) Theoretical examinations (Part 11) and the German translation test (Part I ( b ) ) will be held in London Birmingham and Glasgow and, if required in other centres on Monday and Tuesday 2 and 3 September. Practical exercises will be carried out in London Birmingham and Glasgow on Wednesday to Saturday 4 to 7 September inclusive and in London on Tuesday to Friday 10 to 13 September inclusive. Candidates will be asked to state their preference as to the centre for their theoretical papers and the period and centre for their practical exercises; but it must be clearly understood that no guarantee can be given that their wishes will be met.Candidates who have not yet been accepted for examination and who wish to present themselves in September should obtain from the Assistant Registrar without delay the prescribed Application Form, so as to allow ample time for obtaining the necessary signatures certifying that they have complied with the Regulations concerning their courses of training. The completed Application Form must reach the Institute not later than Monday 10 June. No application will be considered if received after that date. Entry forms will be sent as soon as they are ready to all accepted candidates. The last date for the receipt of Entry Forms is Monday 24 June. No Entry will be accepted if received after that date. POSTGRADUATE EXAMINATIONS FOR INSTITUTE DIPLOMAS Examinations for Institute Diplomas in Applied Chemistry will be held in the week beginning Monday 16 September in London or elsewhere at the discretion of the Council.Last dates for applicatio 294 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL and for entry are the same as for the Graduate Membership Examinations (see above) except that candidates in Branches other than D and E must submit their Entry Forms not later than 10 June. AWARD OF THE MELDOLA MEDAL FOR 1956 The Meldola Medal which is the gift of the Society of Maccabaeans, is awarded each year to the chemist who being a British subject and under 30 years of age at 31 December in that year is considered to have shown the greatest promise as indicated by his or her published work. Awards are made by the Council of the Royal Institute of Chemistry with the concurrence of the Society of Maccabaeans on the recommendation of a specially appointed advisory committee.This year the award has been made to THOMAS SUMMERS WEST, B.SC. PH.D. (BIRM.). THOMAS WEST was educated at Tarbat Old Public School and the Royal Academy Tain Ross-shire. In 1945 he won first place in the Highlands and Islands Bursary competition and afterwards studied Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen where he graduated with first class honours in 1949. While at Aberdeen his interest in analytical chemistry was aroused by his association with Dr R. Belcher. When he moved to the University of Birmingham where he received the Ph.D. degree in Analytical Chemistry in 1952 this association was continued.The earlier phases of his research work were concerned with the development of new reagents for titrimetric analysis. In the course of this work mercurous nitrate was developed as a stable new titrant and was shown to have widespread applications to chemical analysis. An extensive study was made of the quantitative reactions of water and of factors that influence these reactions. This led directly to the formulation of a considerably more reactive alternative to the Karl Fischer reagent for moisture determination. Further work was carried out on the analytical applications of coordination compounds of the trivalent manganese ion and particularly on the chelating action of ethylene-diaminetetra-acetic acid on unusual valency states of metal ions.In 1952 Dr West was awarded a Senior D.S.I.R. Fellowship and in conjunction with Dr Belcher initiated a programme for the development of a comprehensive scheme of ultimate organic ultra-microanalysis on the 50pg sample scale. For this purpose a simple robust quartz-fibre ultra-microbalance of the torsion-restoration type was constructed. Successful methods for several analyses have subsequently been developed, e.g for nitrogen bromine iodine alkoxyl and N-alkyl which have the accuracy of the conventional micro procedures. Other methods of slightly less precise nature have been devised for sulphur carbon, hydrogen and some other elements and these are now being improved. New projects have included the study of o,o’-dihydroxyazo dyestuffs as pM (metal ion) indicators the synthesis of iminodiacetic-acid substituted dyes as reagents for inorganic analysis and the evolution of a new range of powerful chelating agents.Dr West was appointed lecturer at the University of Birmingham in 1955 and is now actively engaged in the teaching of analytical chemistry at degree and postgraduate levels in Professor M. Stacey’s rapidly expanding Department 19571 INSTITUTE &PMW 295 REGISTER OF FELLOWS AND ASSOCIATES Geographical Index.-The Register of Fellows and Associates 1956 will be issued shortly to those members who have requested copies on the buff form distributed with the February Journal and to those who have made application in other ways. A Geographical Index to the Register is being prepared and is expected to be ready for distribution in June.I t will be of use only to those who receive the Register. Forms for ordering the Index will therefore be sent out with copies of the Register and not in the Journal. NEW INSTITUTE PUBLICATION Techniques in Polymer Science.-Lectures Monographs and Reports, 1956 No. 5 comprising the seven papers delivered at a Symposium on Techniques in Polymer Science held by the Thames Valley Section in November last year is now available and it is hoped that copies will be distributed to members with this issue of the Journal. Further copies may be obtained from the Institute price 7s. 6d. After an Introduction by Dr C . H. Bamford there follow papers by Dr P. F. Onyon on Light-Scattering and Osmometry Dr S. R. Caplan on Chromatographic Fractionation of Polymers Dr A.Elliott on Infra-Red Methods Dr R. B. Beevers on Mechanical Properties of Polymers in the Glass Transition Region Dr P. F. Holt and Mr C. W. Went on Surface Films Dr J. C . Bevington on Tracer Techniques and Dr A. D. Jenkins on Kinetic Techniques. Tenth Dalton Lecture.-The Committee of the Manchester and District Section have completed arrangements for the tenth Dalton Lecture which will be given by Dr J. Bronowski at Manchester Town Hall on 25 October 1957. The Lecture will be followed by the Dalton Dinner at the Midland Hotel. Journal Binding Service.-Members are reminded of the special arrangements for the binding of Journals in green buckram at the price of lOs. including printed title page and return postage. It is recommended that Volume 80 for 1956 should contain the Annual Report of the Council for the year ended 30 September 1956, which was distributed in February.All enquiries and matter for binding should be addressed to W. Heffer & Sons Ltd. Hills Road Cambridge. Library Facilities.-All members of the Institute both corporate and non-corporate have full borrowing rights from the Library of the Chemical Society Burlington House Piccadilly London W. 1. All requests for books and periodicals or photocopies together with normal library enquiries can be forwarded direct to the Librarian at that address. Requests that involve borrowing from the Science Museum Library will also be dealt with by the Librarian of the Chemical Society. Members of the Institute who are not members of the Society should indicate their grade of membership after their signatures.Cases of special difficulty may as hitherto be referred to the Institute 296 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Boots Booklovers Library.-Members are reminded that sub-scriptions run for 12 months from date of payment and that those who have held tokens for a year should renew their subscriptions. Fresh application forms can be obtained from the office of the Institute. Members are no longer limited to two volumes. Preferential rates are as follows:-Class A books at 27s. 6d. per volume for 12 months. Class B books at 13s. Od. per volume for 12 months. PERSONAL NOTES Honours and Awards Professor Bashir Ahmad Fellow has been given the title of Fellow of University College London.(We have just learned with great regret that Professor Ahmad died of a heart attack on 14 March.) Mr W. Gordon Carey Fellow Member of the Council has been elected president of the Society for Water Treatment and Examination. Mr H. L. Howard Fellow has been awarded the Hinchley Medal for 1956 of the British Association of Chemists. He has been the Hon. Registrar of the Association since 1947 and has held office as Chairman and Hon. Treasurer of the London Section B.A.C. Professor S. M. Mehta Associate has been elected a Fellow of the National Institute of Science India. As President of the 44th Indian Science Congress Section of Chemistry at Calcutta recently he gave an interesting address on ‘ ‘India’s Contribution to Inorganic Chemistry,” which has since been published.Dr €3. W. Melville F.R.s. Fellow has been awarded the Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for the period 1952-56 for his distinguished contributions to reaction kinetics and the physics and chemistry of high polymers. The honorary degree of LL.D. is to be conferred on him by the Senatus Academicus of the University of Aberdeen in July. Dr D. H. Richards Associate previously of the British Thomson-Houston Co. Ltd. has taken up a postdoctorate fellowship at the State University of New York Syracuse N.Y. Mr F. Scholefield Fellow has been honoured with the Insignia Award of Technology by the City and Guilds of London Institute. Four such Special Annual Awards have been made. Chemical Society.-The Corday-Morgan Medal and Prize for 1955 has been awarded to Professor G.Porter Fellow of the University of Sheffield for his contributions to the study of the unstable intermediates of chemical change by means of the technique of flash photolysis. Royal Society.-The following Members have been admitted to the Fellowship of the Royal Society Professor F. S. Dainton University of Leeds; Professor J. F. Danielli King’s College London ; Dr F. L. Rose, o.B.E. Director of Research Imperial Chemical (Pharmaceuticals) Ltd. ; Dr E. lLester Smith Research Biochemist Glaxo Laboratories Ltd. ; Professor J. K. N. Jones Chown Research Professor Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario 19571 INSTITUTE AFFAIRS 297 Royal Society of Edinburgh.-The following Fellows of the Institute have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh : Dr G.0. Aspinall lecturer in the Department of Chemistry University of Edinburgh ; Dr W. Bolton principal scientific officer Poultry Research Centre Edinburgh ; Dr E. M. Patterson Research Department Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. Nobel Division. Educational Dr F. Aylward Fellow Head of the Department of Chemistry and Food Technology Borough Polytechnic recently visited Germany at the invitation of the Forschungskreis der Ernahrungsindustrie to give a paper on “Food Research in the United Kingdom” at a Conference in Bad Neuenahr. Dr J. F. Duncan Associate Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Melbourne will be leaving Australia on 20April to lecture at a number of Universities and Government Establishments in the U.S.A.and the U.K. He will be in the United Kingdom from 17 May until 4 June. Correspondence should be addressed to Jesus College Oxford. Dr L. J. Haynes Fellow Member of Council of the Institute and lecturer in chemistry University of Edinburgh has been appointed to the Chair of Chemistry University College of the West Indies Jamaica, with effect from 1 August. Dr M. Peisach Associate has arrived in this country from Pretoria for the purpose of a general study tour. He is expected to return in November. Dr J. H. Pryor Fellow has been appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Naval College Greenwich. Dr J. C. Robb Associate has been appointed Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Birmingham.Professor H. N. Rydon Fellow Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Applied Chemistry Laboratories Manchester College of Science and Technology has been appointed to the Chair of Chemistry Uni-versity of Exeter. Public and Industrial Mr R. S. Aston Fellow of Courtaulds Limited has been seconded to Courtaulds (Canada) Limited of Cornwall Ontario initially for a period of two years. Dr R. J. Boscott Associate has been appointed head of chemical research Pfizer Ltd. Folkestone. Mr. George Brearley Fellow has now taken up his appointment as director and secretary of the Association of British Chemical Manu-facturers (J. 1956 734). In consequence the remaining partners of the consulting practice Cremer and Brearley will continue as Cremer and Warner.Dr W. A. Caldwell FeEEow formerly development manager of Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. Nobel Division has been appointed technical and development director of that Division 298 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY Mr S. N. Gundu Rao Fellow has relinquished his post at Ravalgaon Sugar Farm Ltd. to become Director of the Indian Institute of Sugar Technology Kanpur India. Mr F. A. Jackman Associate of Carless Capel & Leonard Ltd., has been appointed assistant managing director. Mr N. Kirby Fellow Government Chemist Jamaica has been trans-ferred to Nairobi as Government Chemist Kenya. Dr D. W. McKee Associate has recently been appointed to the staff of the Tonawanda New York Laboratories of Linde Air Products Company a Division of the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation.Mr A. E. Olszyna-Marzys Fellow has resigned from the position of chief chemist Uganda Development Corporation Ltd. Technical Development Division Entebbe and is returning to this country. Mr A. Poole Associate formerly section head of Howards of Ilford Ltd. has been appointed development manager. Mr H. V. Potter Fellow has been elected president of the British Plastics Federation. Dr G. D. Rosen Fellow has been appointed nutritional adviser to Pfizer Ltd. Mr D. W. H. Waite Associate formerly general manager of Ivers-Lee (G.B.) Ltd. has been appointed a director of that company and also manager of A. & G. Nicholas Ltd. an associate company. Mr W. A. Wansbrough-Jones Associate is about to form a consulting practice in partnership with his father operating from the White House, Bridle Road Stafford.Mr H. Warne Fellow has been appointed a managing director of William Blythe & Co. Ltd. Mr N. A. Whiffen Fellow formerly of Associated Pulp & Paper Mills Ltd. has been appointed general manager of Lewis Berger & Sons (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. Mr Geoffrey Whitehead Associate has temporarily left his post with the Atomic Energy Authority to carry out special chemical engineering research in Victoria with Imperial Chemical Industries (Australia) Pty. Mr P. Whiteley Associate formerly research chemist at Cellon Ltd., is now a research fellow with the Colonial Office dealing with paint problems in the tropics at the Building Research Station. Dr R. J. Wicker Fellow has been appointed research manager, Howards of Ilford Limited.Mr R. S. Wright Associate previously production director Imperial Chemical (Pharmaceuticals) Ltd. has been appointed to the Board of I.C.I. Ltd. Dyestuffs Division as production director. Retirements Ltd. Professor F. S. Fowweather FelZow has retired from the chair of chemical pathology at the University of Leeds. Mr F. Courtney Harwood Fellow has retired as Director of the British Launderers’ Research Association after occupying that post for 21 years. He is now in practice as a consultant specialising in detergents and textiles SECTION ACTIVITIES ABERDEEN AND NORTH OF SCOTLAND Mr D. M. G. Lloyd lecturer in chemistry Uni-versity of St Andrews gave a talk on “Sherry” to the local members of the Institute on 1 February.After describing the best methods of growing the proper type of grapes of harvesting and of treating them for extraction of the juice Mr Lloyd told how the wine was stored and mixed with other wines to give the final product. He described some typical dry medium and sweet sherries. The talk was well illustrated by lantern slides and a sound film showing the various stages in the making of sherry from fruit growing to final blending. After the lecture the audience was invited to sample several different types of sherry. The annual dinner of the Section then took place. Professor W. 0. Kermack F.R.s. presided and the guests included Mr and Mrs Lloyd and Dr T. J. Morrison Chairman of the Dundee and District Section and District Member of Council.The toast of the Institute was proposed by Dr W. T. H. Williamson Chairman of the local section of the Society of Chemical Industry and responded to by Professor Kermack. Dr A. J. G. Burnett proposed the toast of the “Guests,” to which Dr T. J. Morrison replied. A joint meeting of the Aberdeen and North of Scotland members of the Chemical Society the Institute and the Society of Chemical Industry was held on 21 February in the Anatomy Department Marischal College when a lecture was given by Dr J. F. Padday Kodak Research Laboratory on “The Use of Photography in Scientific Investigations.” Dr Padday mentioned the advantages of photography for recording invisible radiations and particles and for providing records of transient events which allow the details to be examined at leisure.He then showed lantern slides demonstrating its use in astronomy nuclear research electron micrography dyestuffs, industrial and medical X-radiography and infra-red photography. The value of still and multiple flash pictures was also indicated. The principles of the high-speed cine-camera were explained and the lecture ended with a film demonstrating its applications to analysis of mechanical operations. The lecture was a useful summary of the many fields in which photo-graphy is indispensable. Lecture on Sherry. Annual Dinner. Photography and Science. BELFAST AND DISTRICT A joint meeting was held with the Chemical Societv and the Societv of Chemical Industrv on Study ofRapid Reactions by Flash PhotoZysis. 2 1 February in the Agrichture Lecture Theatre Queen’s Univekity, Belfast.Dr T. Caughey Chairman of the Section welcomed visitors and introduced the lecturer Professor R. G. W. Norrish F.R.s. Director of the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, who spoke on “The Study of Very Rapid Reactions by the Method of Flash Photolysis.” The lecturer began by outlining the basis of the method a development at Cambridge since the war with which Dr G. Porter now a Professor at Sheffield had been closely associated. High-intensity flash-discharge lamps now available were capable of dissi-pating 10,000 joules per flash each flash lasting about two milliseconds. 29 300 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL These high light intensities made it possible to obtain appreciable photo-chemical changes in times which were comparable with the lives of the radical or excited molecules formed.A second flash-lamp operating at a precise moment after the first flash enabled it to be used as a source for photographing the absorption spectrum of the system. Professor Norrish next illustrated applications of this technique by considering a number of examples. He showed how the re-combination of chlorine atoms could be demonstrated and how in the photolysis of carbon disulphide it was possible to observe the CS radical which had quite a long life. In systems involving Hz and O, however the radical HO has not yet been detected. In the study of the re-combination of iodine atoms it was shown how inert gases may be used in ternary collision to effect the re-combination to give molecular iodine.Later studies of this phenomenon also showed that molecular iodine itself in comparatively very small quantity can also act powerfully in the capacity of a third body. The importance of the latter was attributed to the incidence of ‘sticky collisions’ in which I, was transitionally formed reacting ultimately with an iodine atom to give two molecules of iodine. Other examples of this phenomenon of ‘sticky collision’ were also illustrated. In experiments with chlorine dioxide the absorption spectra of oxygen molecules in the electronic ground state with up to eight quanta of vibrational energy were observed immediately after flashing. Oxygen molecules with a similar energy distribution were also formed in nitrogen dioxide experiments and recently with ozone sixteen quanta of vibrational energy were observed.The focus of the lecture now shifted from isothermal systems to discussion of adiabatic systems and the creation of explosions. The lecturer pointed out that a great advantage of flash photolysis here wads that it made possible for the first time the production of a homo-geneous explosion. As examples the characteristics of the explosion of hydrogen and oxygen and of acetylene and oxygen were discussed. An interesting investigation which developed from these explosion studies, was the role of lead tetraethyl in its action as an antiknock. It was shown that this additive increased the induction period of the explosion by some 200-300 per cent.I t was also confirmed that the appearance of hydroxyl and other radicals characteristic of ignition was delayed by the presence of lead tetraethyl the dominant intermediate species during the apparent induction period being PbO which was rapidly reduced to atomic lead at the onset of the explosion. Professor Norrish concluded his lecture by illustrating the formation of a triplet state which decayed according to the first order in acetylene irradiated at low temperatures. Other hydrocarbons also exhibited this property. A lively discussion followed and the appreciation of the audience for an excellent lecture was voiced by Professor C. Kemball who proposed the vote of thanks. BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLANDS On 5 March at a joint meeting with the Midlands section of the Society for Analytical Chemistry at the Uni-versity of Birmingham a paper was read by Professor Clement Duval on ‘ ‘Thermogravimetric Analysis.” Thermogravirnetric Analysis 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 30 1 Introducing his subject Professor Duval commented on the meticulous care with which the classical analyst detailed his gravimetric methods ending with the instruction "Heat to constant weight." Spacu proposed that all precipitates should be washed with alcohol and ether, and dried in a desiccator while Winkler preferred to dry at 132°C.Treadwell Carnot and others suggested drying in a blowpipe for 2 hours. Each of these methods can be carried out in certain cases but by no means in all since it is necessary to know of any gain or loss in weight during heating.To achieve this control the first thermo-balance was constructed by Honda in 1915; it consisted of a balanced steel spring which was kept at constant temperature in a Dewar flask. In 1934 Dubois produced an improved balance which incorporated a recording device and between 1936 and 1943 Chevenard constructed a large number of instruments the basis of which was a balance arm of steel supported by a fine tungsten wire. The recording device was optical and varia-tions in weight were registered on a photographic plate. In 1947 the modern balance was produced in which the optical system can be replaced by an electrical device whereby a record of weight changes is made by a moving pan. In discussing the uses of the thermo-balance Professor Duval gave many examples of the instability of common gravimetric precipitates.He mentioned the loss of oxygen from silver chromate at 812"C with the formation of the chromite. On heating ammonium phosphomolybdate first loses water up to 180°C. At 410-540°C ammonia is lost and this is accompanied by a partial reduction resulting in a blue colour. An increase in weight occurs at 600-850°C and the product at 850°C is P,05.24M00 ; above this temperature MOO sublimes. The combination of thermogravimetric methods with infra-red analysis made possible the investigation of many thermal reactions in the solid state. Professor Duval gave as examples the oxidation of platinum the formation and breakdown of oxides of uranium on heating uranium oxalate and the decomposition of caesium cobaltinitrite to a compound Co0.3CsN03 from which it was possible to recover caesium nitrate.A considerable study had been made of hydroxide precipitates and the behaviour on heating of hydrated alumina depended to a very great extent on the precipitating agent. The minimum temperature required to obtain anhydrous Al,03 varied from 102 1 "C when precipitated with ammonia to 280°C when bromine water was used. The thermo-balance could be used as an analytical tool for example in the analysis of a copperlsilver alloy. The nitrates of these two metals behaved differently on heating and by observing the weight loss on heating the mixed nitrates the two metals could be estimated. Simi-larly when a mixture of calcium and magnesium carbonates was heated to 500"C calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide were present.At 1000°C both metals were present as oxides. By simple algebraic methods the quantities of each in a mixture could be calculated. Investigations had shown that an asbestos pad could be unsatisfactory as a filtering medium owing to the loss of interstitial water above 283°C. A gloss silk pad had proved to be more satisfactory. An asbestos pad weighing about 1/2 g could lose 5-10 mg of water on heating. Professor Duval's paper provoked a great deal of interest and after discussion the vote of thanks was proposed by Dr W. I. Stephen wh 302 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL congratulated the lecturer on his command of English and said that he looked forward to seeing Professor Duval again in 1958 at the Symposium on Analytical Chemistry.BRISTOL AND DISTRICT On 14 March at Gloucester Technical College Dr G. B. Cook of the Isotope Division A.E.R.E., Harwell delivered a lecture on “The Use of Radio-Isotopes in Industry and Medicine,” with Dr P. F. Tiley in the Chair. After reviewing the main fields of application of radioactive sources, ranging in activity from 1 pc upwards Dr Cook proceeded to give a fascinating account of the uses of radio-isotopes in medicine for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In particular he mentioned the use of 1311 for investigating the function of the thyroid gland and of radioactive iron chromate ions with 51Cr and Vitamin B, containing 6oCo in studies of blood diseases. In a few cases it has also been possible to locate brain tumours by use of radio-active phosphorus which showed some tendency to accumulate in the tumour.For treatment of tumours in other parts of the body in addition to the use of sources of high activity for radiation radioactive tantalum wire could be inserted surgically and gold pellets could be implanted in the tumour with the aid of a hypodermic gm. In conclusion Dr Cook surveyed some of the more interesting industrial applications including their use in thickness gauges in detecting faults in welding in problems of intimate mixing and the assessment of wear and tear of machinery. A comprehensive account of their industrial applications was published recently (J. 1956 706). In answer to a question the lecturer explained how it was possible to eliminate the background activity due to cosmic radiation and thereby measure very small amounts of activity.A vote of thanks was prqposed by Mr S. J. Gardiner and endorsed by the audience. Terylene. The lecturer on 21 March was Dr P. T. Barrett of I.C.I. (Fibres Division) who with Dr P. F. Tiley in the Chair gave a detailed account of the processing of polyethylene terephthalate to Terylene polyester fibre. Polyethylene terephthalate is made by a chemical reaction between dimethylterephthalate and ethylene glycol and the polymer formed is the raw material used in melt-spinning Terylene polyester fibre. For spinning purposes the chains contain about 60-80 ethylene terephthalate units. In melt spinning the polymer in the form of white chips is rigorously dried and melted to a viscous liquid which is then pushed through a number of tiny holes in a spinneret.These extruded filaments are then cooled stretched and collected on a bobbin at a very high speed. The physics of the melt-spinning process was discussed in some detail. Although one cannot make theoretical predictions experimental techniques have been devehped which enable us to study the physical changes taking place in the filament during its journey from spinneret to wind-up bobbin. Filaments spun in this way contain the polyester as an amorphous substance without any crystalline structure and with no attractive fibre properties. By stretching or drawing these filaments some 4 to 5 times, orientated crystals are formed which turn the material into an attractive Radio-Isotopes in Industry and Medicine 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 303 textile fibre.This is usually done on continuous machines which create the orientated crystals from amorphous polymer by the process of strain-induced crystallisation. The detailed physics of this process was examined and it was shown how by various techniques it is possible to draw the filaments to different extents; this gives fibres and yarns with a whole range of physical properties. By drawing changes occur in the amount and in the orientation of crystalline material in the filaments; correla-tions between these and other physical properties are discussed. By various heat treatments after manufacture the properties of the fibres can be further improved. Following an interesting discussion reluctantly brought to a close by the Chairman Mr H.L. Williams proposed a vote of thanks to Dr Barrett for a most interesting and instructive lecture. CUMBERLAND AND DISTRICT FiZm Show. A programme of films was shown to a large audience at Greengarth Hostel Holmrook on 8 February. All the films had a scientific basis although some had more popular appeal than others. “The Titanium Pigment Story,” a British Titan Products film and the I.C.I. production “Point of New Departure,” are particularly worthy of mention. The latter film dealing with synthetic fibres was considered to be one of the best on the subject. At Seascale on 22 February the Section held its first joint meeting with the Windscale Branch of the Nuclear Engineering Society.The meeting took the form of a debate on the motion put forward by the Section that “The Chemist sets the Pace the Engineer sets the Limit.” Mr L. Grainger of the U.K.A.E.A. Research and Development Branch, a metallurgist by profession took the Chair. Speaking for the chemists in proposing the motion Dr H. M. Irving of Oxford quickly had the audience in excellent humour with a lively and witty attack on the con-servatism of the engineer and indeed of the chemical engineer. Mr I(. Stretch Works Manager of the Calder nuclear power station defended the engineering profession capably his main criticism of the chemist being the reluctance of the latter to take those final decisions which were, of necessity limiting. Dr J. M. Fletcher of A.E.R.E. Harwell seconded the motion with a delightful contribution which ranged from thephilo-sophical to the factual and drew applause from both factions in the audience by his capable suppression of ‘hecklers’.Mr W. B. Hall a research engineer from the Research and Development Branch at Windscale added his weight to the engineers’ case basing his criticisms on the lack of reality in the chemist’s approach (and that of the physicist) which left the engineer with no option but to set the limit. Many members of the audience supported or opposed the motion in vigorous but good-humoured vein. Mr Grainger who throughout the evening had spurred the speakers to greater efforts then summed up the debate in a masterly and unbiased fashion despite the scarcely concealed efforts of the main speakers to flatter metallurgy.The motion, on being put to the vote was carried by a substantial majority. This result of course was of no importance in an evening which, marked more by wit than by science served to bring together the two societies for the beginning of what is hoped will be a long and mutually profitable association. Debate 304 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Mr K. Saddington the Section Chairman introduced the speakers at the beginning of the debate and Mr W. Robertson Chairman of the Engineering Society obtained a whole-hearted response to his vote of thanks to the main speakers proposed at the end of the debate. On 15 March Mr E. A. Brandes of the Fulmer Research Institute delivered a lecture on “High Temperature Ceramics.” Among the most important requirements in these materials are very high melting points high thermal stability good thermal shock resistance and good resistance to chemical attack.The lecturer indicated how a primary selection could be made on a thermodynamic basis by the use of an ‘Ellingham’ chart. Methods of chemical analysis were then described together with processes for moulding drying firing and even spraying. Of particular interest was the possibility of machining the ‘biscuit’ into simple shapes before firing. Some of the more important ceramic materials were then described individually ranging from those in common use such as alumina silica silicon carbide and zirconia, to comparatively recent compounds such as cerium sulphide boron nitride and silcon carbide bonded with silicon nitride.(Si,N was stated to be a good electrical insulator.) Thoria and beryllia were also valuable as ceramics although the former was not yet plentiful and there were some serious health hazards associated with the manufacture of the latter. The properties of these ceramics were compared and the problems associated with their use outlined (e.g. for some it is necessary to work in an inert atmosphere or in uacuo). Mr IS. F. Coles of Marchon Products introduced the speaker. Mr Saddington took the Chair and proposed the vote of thanks after the lecturer had answered his many questioners. High Temperature Ceramics. DUBLIN AND DISTRICT The Annual General Meeting was held in the Chemistry Department University College Dublin on 20 March.The Officers and Committee for the year 1957-58 were elected as follows : Chairman Mr H. D. Thornton; Hon. Treasurer Mr E. R. Stuart; Hon. Secretary Mr J. T. O’Herlihy; Members of Committee Dr Eva Philbin Messrs V. H. Bowers M. F. Carey R. B. Gilliland W. V. Griffiths and J. J. O’Leary. Dr V. C. Barry District Member of Coun-cil is a Member of the Committee ex oficio. Hon. Auditors Messrs B. G. Fagan and G. A. F. Harrison. Mr H. D. Thornton expressed the thanks of the Section to the outgoing Chairman Dr V. C. Barry for his services and noted with satisfaction that he had been elected District Member of Council for the ensuing year. Ionic Beams. After the Annual General Meeting Mr C . O’Briain gave a most interesting and instructive lecture on ‘‘Chemical Reactions of Ionic Beams.” The lecture was a review of the effects observed when ions of moderate energy ( 10- 10,000 eV) impinge on solid surfaces.The lecturer outlined the techniques used to obtain ion-beams of known charge and homo-geneous energy and described with the aid of slides a typical source of mass-spectrometer type and also a source used for producing intense proton beams in linear accelerators. Annual General Meeting 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 305 The lecture concluded with a discussion of the principal effects of ion-bombardment of metals uic. reflection of positively charged ion, reflection of neutral ion reflection of negatively charged ion penetration of the ion into the lattice secondary electron emission and emission of particles of solid.Mr H. D. Thornton who presided expressed to the lecturer the thanks of the Section. DUNDEE AND DISTRICT On 22 February a party of members and their wives and friends visited the Dundee Repertory Theatre for a performance of the play “Separate Tables.” The evening was con-cluded enjoyably with a good ‘blether’ over coffee and biscuits. Dr D. M. Shepherd gave a very lucid and fascinating account of some of the chemical aspects of drug action when he delivered his lecture at the meeting held on 22 March at Queen’s College Dundee. He opened his lecture by pointing out that the use of chemicals in medical treatment is very old but it is only within the last fifty years that some idea of the mechanism of the action of drugs has been evolved.At the end of the nineteenth century when the structure of a number of alkaloids had been elucidated there arose the principle of simplifica-tion of structure. This is simply a breaking down of the original molecule and the testing of the resulting molecules to see which groups can be dispensed with without reducing the original activity. This method was replaced by the synthesis of many organic molecules and the testing of their pharmacological activity a wasteful method since very few of the compounds prepared were of any real value. The rational approach to the design of a new drug is now to identify the chemical compounds which take part in the process pick out the most essential and make a similar molecule. Progress has been made, and it is hoped that eventually mental diseases may be more readily cured.Dr Shepherd’s lecture was well illustrated with many colour slides. The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr H. A. Perkin. Informal Visit to the Theatre. Chemical Aspects o f Drug Action. EAST MIDLANDS A lecture on the Actinide Elements was given by Mr H. A. C. McKay of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell at Loughborough College of Technology on 14 February. Mr McKay referred to the various elements and isotopes which are obtained from the elements 232Th 235U and z3*U indicating the quanti-ties in which they are available. He noted that 23lprotactinium is very scarce. It is pentavalent and also tetravalent and the question arises as to whether its properties are similar to thorium’s; it seemed to show colloidal properties which made separation of the minute quantities at first available extremely difficult.Its half-life is 3,400 years and its rate of production is therefore 0.001 parts per million per annum. In uranium, however it occurs to the extent of 0.34 p.p.m. and one would expect to find appreciable quantities of it in residues accumulated at the Springfield Factory. Here it was discovered that after extraction of the uranium nitrate with ether the remaining sludge contained 3-4 p.p.m. of prot-actinium and there were 50 tons of this sludge; 100 mg of this element have now been isolated through developing an ion-exchange process in The Actinide Elements 306 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL collaboration with Dr A.Maddocks at Cambridge. Ionium (230Th) had also been found in another concentrated Springfield residue. On the other hand 234Th or U-X with a 24-day half-life could not be obtained from the ore residues but by evolving quick manipulative techniques the element had been isolated from uranium samples as a non-volatile residue in the uranium fluoride diffusion process as 234Th does not form a volatile fluoride. Mr McKay then described the methods used for separating neptunium, which is formed with plutonium when uranium slugs are irradiated, and showed slides in colour of solutions of neptunium salts in which the colour ranges are at least as striking as those of solutions of chromium salts. He added that gram quantities of neptunium have now been obtained. After describing some of the manipulative techniques used in handling these highly radioactive substances Mr McKay summarised the position as regards the availability of the actinides at the present time.At Harwell they had hopes of producing element 102 in the very near future and for once of beating the Americans to the post. He thought, however that it was highly improbable that it would be possible to get beyond element 103 though it would be both hazardous and rash to make any firm predictions in this field. Mr R. Betteridge Chairman of the Section who had presided then called on Mr G. Oldham to propose the vote of thanks to Mr McKay for his fascinating lecture. EDINBURGH AND EAST OF SCOTLAND Nucleotides. The Annual Joint Meeting with the Chemical Society of the University of Edinburgh was held on 5 February.The President of the University Chemical Society Mr R. S. Williams was in the Chair, and many students and members of the three Chartered Societies were present to hear Professor J. Baddiley lecture on “Nucleotides Structure and Function. ” Professor Baddiley reviewed the general structure of some well-known nucleotide coenzymes and pointed out that its function is generally associated with transfer reactions involving the terminal part of the molecule. Professor Baddiley went on to discuss work currently in progress at King’s College Newcastle upon Tyne where two new cystosine nucleotides have recently been isolated from bacteria. Evidence for the structure and stereochemistry of these new nucleotides was presented and their possible functions discussed.After an interesting discussion dealing mainly with the formation of the nucleotide coenzymes and related compounds the vote of thanks, proposed by Dr G. 0. Aspinall was warmly accorded. At the Annual General Meeting on 28 February the following Officers and members of Committee were elected : Chairman Mr Louis Fletcher; Vice Chairman Professor E. L. Hirst, F.R.S. ; Hon. Secretary Dr E. S. Stern; Hon. Recorder Mr T. G. Rowe; Members Professor F. Bell; Drs J.. B. Bookey W. W. Easton and J. K. Grant. At this meeting Dr H. J. T. Ellingham delivered an address on the functions of the Institute as a professional organisation for chemists. The address was extremely well received by the fifty or so members present and a lively and prolonged discussion followed which had to be concluded forcibly by the Chairman when the time limit expired.Dr Ellingham Annual General Meeting 19571 SECTION ACTMTIES 307 was warmly thanked for his splendid address and the Section was parti-cularly pleased to see him in Edinburgh fully recovered after his recent illness. The final meeting of the session on 7 March took the form of a visit to the laboratories and the pilot plant of Scottish Agricultural Industries Ltd. at Leith. Members of the Institute, the Chemical Society and Society of Chemical Industry and their guests were welcomed by the Director of Research Dr B. Raistrick, who gave an outline of the Company’s activities which cover the produc-tion of fertilisers animal feeding-stuffs and agricultural chemicals.The visitors then dispersed to the various laboratories where the staff of the Research and Development Department explained details of the work in progress. The many demonstrations and the visit to the pilot-plant building where processes for the manufacture of mixed granular fertilisers were under investigation were most interesting. The vote of thanks to the hosts proposed at the end of the visit by Dr A. M. Smith was warmly accorded. Visit to Leith Laboratories. LIVERPOOL AND NORTH-WESTERN Radioactiue Tracers. A meeting of the Section was held at the University of Liverpool on 7 February with Mr C. K. Boundy in the Chair. The speaker was Mr G. R. Martin of the University of Durham who from 1942-46 was connected with the Atomic Energy Project and spent some time in the United States.The title of Mr Martin’s address was “Some Applications of Radioactive Tracers.” The lecturer dealt briefly with the methods used for radioactive labelling and mentioned some of the pitfalls. He described work in which organic groups labelled with 14C or 1291 were gasified by pyrolysis, for internal counting in Geiger-Muller tube and lead ‘castle.’ He referred to some ‘heroic chemistry’ that began with 1 kg of pitch-blende from which was prepared 0.01 pg of radioactive iodine. This 1291 with a half-life of 10’ years was used for research at Durham. Mr Martin mentioned lesI and the impossibility of getting it from Harwell to Durham within its half-life of 25 minutes. The lecture and subsequent discussion showed Mr Martin to be an enthusiast on his subject.Mr T. L. Bowyer proposed the vote of thanks. Colour Photography. On 27 February a joint meeting of the Section with the Institute of Petroleum was held at the Grosvenor Hotel Chester. A record attendance for Chester (about 140) packed the room when Mr Boundy opened the proceedings. He introduced Dr Harry Baines, a director of Kodak Ltd. who spoke on “Colour Photography.” He traced the history of colour photography from Clerk Maxwell in 1861 to the present day. In the first section of his talk Dr Baines dealt with the ‘additive’ processes of trichromatic colour photography and later went on to describe the more modern ‘subtractive’ processes which obviated some of the defects of the former. Marked improvements in colour reproduction were obtained by the use of various layers of emulsion inside which the colours were produced by oxidation of paraphenylene diamine after coupling with certain compounds to give dyes the colour depending on the constitution of the coupler.Finally Dr Baines mentioned colour printing and masking. He forecast that within the next 25 years the bulk of amateur photographers would produce coloured paper prints, which would require no more skill than present-day black and whites 308 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL This most interesting lecture was illustrated throughout with a wide variety of slides and colour pictures some produced by recent American methods. Mr V. Biske Chairman of the Institute of Petroleum opened a lively discussion and later proposed the vote of thanks to the speaker.LONDON Notice of the Summer Visits arranged for members was circulated with the March issue of the Journal and in this connection we wish to repeat some observations which appeared under this heading last year. The Works Visits arranged each year for members are ever popular, and are frequently so over-subscribed that a ballot is necessary. The detailed arrangements for them are a major headache for the Honorary Assistant Secretary who however rarely fails to enable a member to make at least one of the visits he has chosen; but of course little can be done for those who select only one visit giving no second choice to fall back on should they be unlucky in a ballot. The Committee hopes that members will bear these considerations in mind when applying for visits and also once again would take some errant ones strongly to task for failing to advise us that they are unable to attend a visit for which they have been allocated a place.There is always a short list of unlucky members waiting to step into these vacant places and anyone who just does not turn up has deprived some colleague of an opportunity to take his place. Furthermore such action is most discourteous to our hosts, who having made elaborate arrangements and provided guides for a party of a certain size suddenly find its number depleted by perhaps six or even ten. They have every reason to be annoyed in such circum-stances and are naturally not keen to repeat the experience.The Committee is seriously considering what measures it can adopt against the individuals who mar its reputation for while it is realised that sudden events can prevent attendance at the last minute a telephone call or letter of apology even then would avoid any suggestion of discourtesy. The Honorary Assistant Secretary is Mr H. Holness (Larkswood 2272); if he cannot be reached a message received at the Institute (Museum 1761) would promptly be forwarded to him. lmmunisation with Toxoids and Vaccines. A Joint Meeting of the Kent Sub-section with the Dartford and District branch of the Pharmaceutical Society was held on 18 February at the N.W. Kent College of Technology, Dartford. Mr J. R. Barr Chairman of the Sub-section called upon Mr G. H. Sheard President of the Dartford Branch of the Society to introduce the speaker Dr H.J. Parish and to comment on the subject of the lecture. Dr Parish emphasised that his lecture was confined to the problem of prevention rather than cure and went on to describe the desirable treatment from birth to adult life using lantern slides to illustrate his points. He first discussed briefly the various methods of immunisation against diphtheria tetanus pertussis (whooping cough) and vaccination against smallpox. Careful timing of the treatment is necessary to avoid inter-ference either from antitoxins passed on to the infant by the mother or from different vaccines. Dr Parish then devoted the rest of his lecture to a discussion of the poliomyelitis vaccine. The polio virus is one of the smallest known, Summer Visits 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 309 being only 28-30 mp in diameter.What was once considered an infantile disease has in recent years attacked more adults so that vaccination of adults may become more desirable. The original Salk Vaccine contained the virulent Mahoney strain of virus but the British vaccine is prepared from three strains Brunhilde (Enders) MEF-1 and Saukett. The separate strains are grown on Rhesus monkey kidney tissue suspended in a nutrient medium. Incuba-tion is then carried out over 7 days in glass bottles the viruses killed with formaldehyde and then mixed to give a trivalent vaccine. Preservative is added before bottling; streptomycin and 'penicillin are added during manufacture to maintain sterility. The prepared vaccines are thoroughly tested before issue for freedom from live virus potency sterility and purity.These tests are done in duplicate by different laboratories on samples from various stages of manu-facture. The test for live virus is carried out on Rhesus monkeys sensi-tised by cortisone and potency tests by immunising monkeys and determining the serum antibodies. In the U.S.A. 32 million vac-cinations have been carried out without side-effects. Vaccination reduces the risk of paralytic poliomyelitis to a fourth but with the present inci-dence 2,5000 vaccinations are given for every case prevented. Attempts to use live attenuated virus have so far had limited success. Following the lecture numerous questions were asked and discussion continued for about an hour.Mr G. S. Sheard proposed a vote of thanks to the lecturer for dealing so clearly with a subject of interest to all. Dr Parish had spent most of his career on this type of work and his knowledge and guidance were much appreciated especially by the pharmacists present. The length of the discussion clearly indicated the interest he had aroused. The vote of thanks was seconded by Mr Alwyn Jones on behalf of the Institute members and passed by acclamation. Organic Chemistry in the Photographic Industry. On 25 February Mr D. J. Fry deputised for Dr J. D. Kendall and addressed a joint meeting with the Woolwich Polytechnic Scientific Society under the Chairmanship of Mr F. C. Hymas. Mr Fry opened his lecture by discussing the instability to light of silver halides which enabled a latent image to be formed developed and fixed together with factors determining the fog level of any particular emulsion.It had been found that certain dyestuffs could improve the spectral sensitivity of emulsions and the preparation of typical examples was discussed. The benzthiazole series of dyes are of particular interest in modern emulsions for sensitising to all regions of the spectrum and the effects of dye structure on photographic sensitivity were described by means of slides together with the use of trace additives defined as csuper-sensitisers.' On the other hand materials such as pinakryptol green and pinakryptol yellow could be used as desensitisers. The in-fluence of gelatine composition on emulsion sensitivity was discussed, it being now thought that the increased speed obtained with certain gelatines was due to the presence of traces of polythionate ions and thiosulphates.This part of the lecture concluded with some interesting practical experiments with suspensions of silver halides to illustrate the effects of sensitisers and stabilisers. The present vaccine is safe to use 310 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Some aspects of organic chemistry in present-day colour photography were then discussed. The development of modern colour emulsions could be ascribed to Fischer who discovered the principles of chromo-genic development. Slides were shown describing the reactions between the dye intermediates that together give the necessary colour images, i.e.magenta cyan and yellow. It was important that the dye couplers should be confined to their appropriate emulsions layer and a slide was shown giving the formulation of some substantive colour formers, each of which incorporated a long aliphatic chain to anchor it in its particular emulsion layer. Theoretically perfect dyes had still not yet been produced and Mr Fry concluded by pointing out that further endeavours by the organic chemist in this direction were still necessary. In reply to many questions Mr Fry said that only a restricted number of dyes could be of value in photography since many classes of dyes either desensitised the silver halide emulsion or gave fog. He did not disapprove of the use of wetting agents in development procedures but warned that some agents were unsuitable for addition to developer solutions.Mr Fry did not agree with one speaker who alleged that the gradual fading of colour transparencies was a serious drawback. It was impossible to guarantee that no fading at all would occur under every condition of storage but with all reasonable precautions little trouble was encountered. Mr C. M. Ellis in proposing a vote of thanks to the lecturer referred to the fact that this lecture was to have been given by Dr J. D. Kendall and wished him complete recovery from the illness which had prevented his attendance. Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition. Dr C. Simons presided at a meeting in Hatfield Technical College on 12 March when the lecturer was Mr K. Shaw of the Rothamsted Experimental Station.Mr Shaw illustrated his subject with histograms and photographs of field experiments carried out at Rothamsted over the last 100 years. The original classical field experiments were laid down in non-replicated plots and those which were conducted on wheat barley mangolds and grass were described in detail. They were largely concerned with the major elements-nitrogen phosphorus and potassium. These experi-ments did not give a true comparison of the effects of farm-yard manure and mineral fertilisers. In most cases applications of complete mineral nutrients produced as good a yield and in some instances a better yield, than farm-yard manure. Plots which have received no manures or fertilisers since 1900 still showed responses to the potassium and phos-phorus applied before that date and the amounts of these elements which are ‘available’ in the soil were shown by soil analyses.During the last 100 years the soil nitrogen has increased only in the plots which have received farm-yard manure annually. The loss of nutrients from soil was illustrated by analyses of drainage waters from plots receiving different fertiliser treatments. Nitrate nitrogen calcium sulphur and chlorine were readily leached from soil whereas ammonia nitrogen potassium and phosphorus were retained. Modern field experiments based on more sound scientific principles than the classical experiments are carried out by using the randomised block or latin square techniques. Mr Shaw also discussed the essential nature of the trace elements and illustrated the effects of boron and molybdenum deficiency on different plants 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 311 There was a vigorous discussion at the end of the meeting in which members students of the College and visitors from the Hertfordshire College of Agriculture and Horticulture near St Albans took part.Some of the features of the discussion were enlargements upon the farm-yard manure/fertiliser controversy and upon modern trends in studies of plant nutrition. The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr G. W. Wood lecturer at the College. Special Meeting. A Special Meeting of the London Section was held at the Iron and Steel Institute on 20 February when Dr C. C. Hall, the Section Chairman pFesided. Dr Hall explained that the Section Committee had called this meeting in view of the request expressed at the Annual General Meeting of the Section for an opportunity for extended discussion on various points of general Institute procedure, in particular those arising out of the Special General Meeting of the Institute held on 19 October 1956.This Special General Meeting of the Section had no binding power on the Institute as a whole nor indeed on the London Section itself because only the members present at the meeting had the opportunity of seeing the precise formulation of the proposed resolutions. Mr K. D. Hunt proposed a resolution concerning By-law 4 (2) which would have the effect of reversing the decision taken at the October meeting whereby the support of twenty members was required before a motion can be brought before the Annual General Meeting of the Institute.Mr K. D. Hunt explained that he wanted the position to revert to what it had been for over 70 years under which it had operated satisfactorily with Privy Council approval. Mr R. Terry seconded the proposal saying that Council appeared to be legislating in a manner contrary to members’ interests. Mr H. Warson supported the motion on the grounds of the difficulty proposers would have in getting twenty members to support the resolution unless the proposer worked in a big organisation. He suggested there was no evidence of a waste of Council’s time by frivolous motions. Dr M. A. Phillips thought that one member was too few and twenty members too many; he suggested a compromise of four or five. Mr L. M. Miall speaking against the resolution wished to correct any impression that the change in the rule was to stifle discussion.He cited numerous instances to show that other societies had similar restric-tions in proposing subjects for discussion at the Annual General Meeting. There was no evidence for the alleged difficulties in obtaining support for serious resolutions and he quoted figures to prove that there did not seem to be any insuperable difficulty in getting twenty members’ support. Dr H. J. Barber said that in By-law 4-1 (a) there would appear to be powers which prevented any limitation of discussion. Mr A. F. Webb pointed out that although Mr Miall had glibly stated that it was easy to obtain supporters for a serious resolution as one who had done this he would like to stress the numerous difficulties and the the expense involved in such a course.Mr J. A. Pickard said that in 40 years only three motions had been raised at the Annual General Meeting. Dr J. H. Skellon speaking as a Member of the Council said that their only wish was to ensure that any motion put forward had been fully discussed and considered; Dr A. M. Maiden suggested that ther 312 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL was no necessity for the Council to gag members’ discussions as in the existing rules even stronger courses were available to them if they so desired. Finally Mr Hymas drew attention to the changes which often became necessary in any organisation as its size increased. After Mr Hunt had summed up the case the resolution was defeated by 28 vote to 13.Mr Webb then (on behalf of Mr C. W. G. Martin) proposed a resolution which would have the effect of altering By-law 4 (2) so that a motion must be supported by two members before it should come before the meeting. He said that a resolution in these terms had been tabled for the coming Annual General Meeting of the Institute with eighty-seven signatories. There was no difference in principle between this motion and that of Mr Hunt and the object of finding a seconder was as usual good manners. Any further extension of this even to finding three supporters was an invasion of the principle they were seeking to maintain. Dr J. H. Oliver in seconding the resolution said that Council could not have realised what emotion their action would stir up.The Chairman accepted a motion that the vote should be taken without further discussion since the substance of the resolution had already been discussed on Mr Hunt’s motion and the resolution was carried by 30 votes to 12. Mr H. Murray then proposed the following resolution: “That this special meeting of the London Section recommend to Council that the following procedure for resolutions at general meetings of the Institute be adopted. (a) Preliminary notice of each meeting at which a motion or motions is to be put forward shall be circulated to all members and such notice shall ask for amendment(s) to the motion(s) which must be submitted within 14 days from the date of the notice of the meeting. (b) A final notice of the meeting shall be circulated to all members giving details of all amendments received and the proxy forms shall be sent with such final notice asking members to state how they wish to vote on the amendments as well as on the original motions.’’ Mr Murray said that the main argument against the motion would be that it was impracticable but he could not agree especially if proxy voting was done by intelligent persons.The motion was seconded by Mr Warson and supported by Mr R. J. Callow Mr Webb and Mr D. M. Freeland. All supporters emphasised that the proxy vote system as now being operated was weak and needed to be changed. The motion was opposed by Mr Hunt Mr Miall hlr G. Murfitt, Dr Maiden and Mr Pickard on the grounds that the scheme was not practicable as formulated in this resolution.Professor H. V. A. Briscoe said that in all its actions the Council had one object to ascertain the opinions of the members as to what is best for the Institute. Mr Murray’s idea was good but unworkable; it might work if the term of notice could be increased to say fifty days. In his reply Mr Murray stated that the 14-day period which he had proposed was by no means sacrosanct but the motion was lost on the narrow majority of 16 to 15 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 313 Dr H. J. Barber then proposed the following resolution: “That Council be invited to consider and report on the merits of limiting the total number of discretionary proxy votes which may be exercised by any one member.” He said that proxy votes should only be consequent on prior dis-cussions at local section meetings should be discretionary only and should be well and truly distributed amongst people actually attending the General Meeting.The resolution was supported by Mr Oliver Dr J. H. Pryor and Mr Terry the latter however asking how many proxies were to be the limit. Since directed proxies prevented the consideration of amendments there was a wish to eliminate them completely. Mr A. J. Mills seconded the resolution. This motion was carried by 28 votes to 5. Mr Hunt then proposed the following resolution: provisions shall apply : “That the By-Laws of the Institute be altered so that the following “Any question relating to Special Business to be decided by a General Meeting shall be decided finally by a Postal Vote, and such a Postal Vote shall be taken on each and every such question.The Council shall send to each corporate member the postal voting papers and at the same time the Council1 shall send to each corporate member a verbatim report of the pro-ceedings at the said General Meeting. The Postal Vote shall be taken by means of a completely secret ballot and the envelopes containing the completed voting papers shall be opened by Scrutineers who are not Members of the Council. The com-pleted voting papers shall be received at the Office of the Institute not later than fifty-six days after the said General Meeting. The results of the said Postal Vote shall be determined by the said Scrutineers.” Mr Hunt insisted contrary to a suggestion from the Chairman, that this resolution be considered only as a whole.He said that the directed proxy vote must go; that secret voting was essential; and that voting must come after a General Meeting and not before it. Dr Pryor asked what the present position was and Professor Briscoe explained that any ten members at a General Meeting can before the meeting is concluded demand that a Postal Vote be taken on any matter coming up at the Meeting. The position had been explained by the Treasurer of the Institute at the Special Meeting in October. Mr Webb considered that instead of having directed proxies members should be informed who is for or against a particular motion so that they could give them discretionary proxies. The resolution was lost by 25 votes to 2. The meeting concluded after Dr Oliver had moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman for the excellent manner in which the meeting had been conducted.The Annual Function held jointly with the London Section of the Society of Chemical Industry took place at the Caxton Hall on Thursday 28 February. Despite the change from a Saturday evening and the troubles of petrol rationing there was an excellent attendance and the evening was as successful as ever. We are grateful to Mr A. P. Buchanan for directing affairs in his usual efficient manner and in due course we expect to see a useful This was carried with acclamation. Bufeet Dance [APRIL 3 14 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY contribution to the Benevolent Fund from this effort of the Social Sub-Committee. The Spring Tournament will be held at Wimbledon Park Golf Club Home Park Road London S.W.19, on Wednesday I May. The programme is as follows. 9.30 a.m., Medal Round for the Government Laboratory Cup open to all Institute members. 12.30 p.m. Lunch. 2 p.m. Four-Ball or Bogey Competition. The cost of Green Fee Lunch and Tea will be 17s. 6d. Please apply before Friday 26 April to Mr J. M. J. Wadia Monsanto Chemicals Limited 10-18 Victoria Street London S.W.I. Special Reminder Golf Tournament. MID-SOUTHERN COUNTIES On 1 February a joint meeting with the University of Southampton Chemical Society and the Chemical Society was held in the Chemistry Department at the University. The speaker was Dr R. Richards of the University of Oxford. Nuclear magnetic resonance has over the last twelve years come to be an important tool in the elucidation of structures of organic and inorganic molecules.The speaker outlined the theoretical background of nuclear magnetic resonance dealing particularly with the hydrogen nucleus. The nucleus may be regarded as an object with circulating electrical charges which give rise to a magnetic moment directed along the axis of the spin of the nucleus. Consequently nuclei may be regarded as small bar magnets, which when subjected to an external magnetic field will orientate them-selves in accordance with physical theory. To do this energy is necessary, thus enabling important relations to be developed between orientation of nuclei and magnetic moment. Then followed an account of studies of energy relationships of mole-cules in a magnetic field including a consideration of local magnetic fields developed by the molecules themselves.This local magnetic field enables one to calculate interatomic distances. So far nuclear magnetic resonance has been applied to the study of triangular and tetrahedral molecules. Studies are carried out in fields of up to 10,000 G and the speaker indicated the practical difficulties involved in determining nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Illustrations of the applications of the method were discussed with the use of slides. After a vigorous discussion the meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the speaker by Dr R. E. Parker. On 12 February a meeting was held at the Cathe-dral Hotel Salisbury when the speaker was Miss Mamie Olliver.Miss Olliver stressed the need for technologists in the immediate future, as outlined in current Government publications and pointed out that chemists still headed the list of scientists over 4,500 being required in the next three years. In order to assess the part that women could play in meeting this demand she examined the output of the universities for the year 1954-55 showing that only about 3 per cent of women honours graduates took chemistry. This figure had remained constant for the last twenty years. The lecturer considered that this reflected a basic need to improve the teaching of chemistry in girls’ schools stating most emphatically that “given adequate training and equipment women can do as well as men in science.” Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Women in Science 1957) SECTION ACTIVITIES 315 Miss Olliver then outlined the opportunities available for women in science pointing out that industry employs about two-thirds of all qualified chemists but that careers also existed in the Scientific Civil Service Local Government and the research associations.Although there was still some prejudice against the employment of women-mainly on the grounds of the likelihood of resignation on marriage-this was rapidly being overcome and women were steadily approaching parity with men in pay and status. As a means of alleviating the present shortage of technologists Miss Olliver suggested that steps be taken to encourage the re-employment of qualified married women instancing the U.S.S.R. as an example of what could be done in this respect.The lecturer concluded with a description illustrated with slides of the types of work carried out in her own laboratories and an appreciation of the advantages of the team work of men and women scientists. As was to be expected this provoked a lively discussion led by the Chairman Dr R. E. Parker in which the male members of the over-whelmingly female audience defended their position while agreeing wholeheartedly with the need to foster the teaching of chemistry in girls’ schools. The Hon. Secretary Mr L. C. Thomas proposed a vote of thanks to Miss Olliver for an instructive and entertaining lecture which was carried with acclamation. On 13 March a party was privileged to visit Messrs Brickwoods Brewery Portsmouth by kind permission of the owners.A complete tour of the brewery was made and a detailed explanation of each stage in the process was given. The nature and economic basis of each step in production were discussed. At the end of the tour the party assembled in the Conference Room for a discussion with senior members of Brickwoods staff during which some of the products of the brewery were freely available. A vote of thanks was proposed by the Chairman of the Section Dr R. E. Parker. Works Visit. NORTH LANCASHIRE The second meeting of the winter to be held at Blackburn took place on 14 March when Dr H. Coates of Messrs Albright & Wilson Ltd. was the speaker. His subject was “Organic Phosphorus Compoundsy’ and the lecture was mainly devoted to their method of preparation. The reactions between alcohols ethers and Grignard reagents with the oxides chlorides and sulphides of phosphorus as well as phosphine illustrated the wide variety of products that could be obtained.Dr Coates also referred briefly to the practical uses of some of the products such as for the flame-proofing textiles and as stabilisers for plastics plasticisers and extracting agents for heavy metals. Mr S. Hargreaves ended the meeting with a warm vote of thanks to Dr Coates. Organic Phosphorus Compounds. THAMES VALLEY At a combined meeting of the Alembic Club, Oxford and the Section on 25 February at the University of Oxford, Professor W. C. Fernelius Pennsylvania State University described the results of 13 years’ work on Polonium. The difficulties to be faced at the outset seemed almost insuperable since no one had ever isolated sufficient to see or to weigh.Polonium is one member of the disintegration series Research on Polonium 316 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL of 238U and has a comparatively short half-life of 138 days. The magni-tude of the problem can be seen from the fact that to produce 1 mg of polonium amounts of uranium of the order of several cwt are required. However its extreme a-activity allows detection and manipulation of minute amounts. The lecturer described the occurrence of polonium and its production by high energy bombardment of 20gBi and dealt in some detail with the chemical methods of processing the irradiated bismuth to recover the polonium formed. This was followed by a description of its recovery from 237U by chemical methods.In the latter process the final solution contains a quantity of radium as 210Pb which decays to 210Po. About once every 3 months sufficient polonium is formed and is recovered by precipitation the recovered 210Pb solution being allowed to stand for a further 3 months when a further quantity of polonium can be obtained. Since this process can be carried out at regular intervals Professor Fernelius referred to it with characteristic American aptness of expression as ‘milking.’ The physical properties of the metal were described and it was interesting to note that the preferred method for determining the amount present is to measure the heat evolved with a calorimeter from which the weight of polonium present can be accurately calculated.The high a-activity of polonium makes it difficult to store sealed in glass since an internal pressure is built up and the glass rapidly crazes under the intense a-particle bombardment. The constant change in composition of the material brings about difficulties in obtaining a clear X-ray spectra of the lattice of polonium salts. A number of salts and the halides have been prepared and their properties were briefly described. After the lecture a lively discussion followed in which a number of speakers notably the ‘Harwell Contingent,’ made valuable contributions. The vote of thanks was carried with acclamation from the packed lecture theatre. Enzymes in Medicine. At a meeting of the Section at the University of Reading on 7 March Professor E.J. King spoke to a large audience on the use of enzymes in medical biochemistry. He recalled that fermenta-tion led to the first recognition of enzymes and the controversy between Pasteur and Liebig. Sir Arthur Harden showed that living organisms need not be present but that substances which they produce act on the substrate. In this work he used extracts from yeast and showed that sugar phosphate and not the sugar itself is transformed into alcohol. Robison 20 years later discovered phosphatase. This led to the study of bone formation and to the suggestion that phosphatase is the enzyme present in bone which hydrolyses carbohydrate phosphates in the blood, precipitating calcium phosphate. This theory has since been modified. The presence of Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium thus allowing good bone formation and a high concentration of this vitamin is found in the bones and some in the blood stream.Most enzymes can only be estimated by the catalytic effect they produce and the concentration of an enzyme in tissue is generally referred to in arbitrary units. Professor King then described various methods for the determination of phosphatase in tissue. In normal people this amounts to about 17 units but in those suffering from rickets it rises to 25 to 40 units. Success-ful therapy reduces the phosphatase from 40 units to below 20 in th 19571 SECTION ACTIVITIES 317 first fortnight allowing the progress of recovery to be determined. In pregnant women there is an increase of phosphatase in the plasma and therefore they require additional amounts of vitamin D of phosphate and of calcium to overcome calcium withdrawal brought about by the enhanced phosphatase level.In patients with cancer of the parathyroid gland calcium withdrawal also occurs owing to hormone release causing an increase of phosphatase in the blood. The determination of calcium phosphorus and the phosphatase content of blood allows a number of conditions to be diagnosed since each gives rise to a specific combination of high normal and low values for the three substances determined. Professor King spoke of the change in the blood that follows obstruc-tion of the bile duct and allows a doctor to differentiate between obstruc-tive and ordinary jaundice. The phosphatase reaction is a general reaction but there is a phosphatase in the liver which is selective for glucose-6-phosphate and its determination is of limited diagnostic use.A phosphatase occurs in the urine but it remained unsuspected for some years since it has its optimum at pH = 5 whereas the blood phos-phatase is estimated under standard conditions at its optimum pH of 9-10. This ‘acid’ phosphatase can be detected in the tissue by staining methods involving the formation of lead phosphate and its subsequent conversion to lead sulphide. Its site of formation appears to be the prostate gland and if this is in a cancerous condition the enzyme is found in the blood in considerable amount and in large quantities in the gland itself. There are apparently several other acid phosphatases produced by the body.If cancer of the prostate is treated with oestrogens a great clinical improvement is observed and the acid phosphatase level falls to normal. The concentration of alkaline phosphatases shows a characteris-tic ‘up-kick’ and then falls to normal so that valuable diagnostic informa-tion can be obtained by their determination. Professor King then discussed the role of phospho-gluco-mucase which changes the phosphate from the 1- to the 6- position in the meta-bolism of muscles. Phosphohexisomerase also increases in cancer of the prostate and is useful in diagnosis being measured by determining the amount of fructose-6-phosphate formed in a glucose-6-phosphate sub-strate. Cancerous conditions also liberate aldelase in the serum and it can be estimated by following the hydrolysis of the diphenylhydrazide of glyceraldehyde.A determination of digestive enzymes is often of value in diagnosis since if the pancreas is damaged a large amount of amylase is liberated and appears in the urine and further information can be obtained by a determination of a lipase also. Acetylcholine-esterase determination is helpful in the study of jaun-dice use being made of the fact that phosphorus insecticides are poisons for this enzyme in the diagnosis of poisoning by this class of materials. The lecture concluded with some description of the transaminases, which have the power of transferring amino groups from one amino acid to another. A brisk discussion followed and Professor King answered a number of questions 318 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL MALAYA At the Annual General Meeting on 16 March the following Officers akrd Members of Committee were elected Chair-man Dr D.A. Frye; Secretary-Treasurer Mr Chia Chwee Leong; Members Professor R. A. Robinson Dr Bryce Douglas and Messrs A. I. Biggs A. F. Caldwell and Lin Chin Kuan. Mr E. Pereira was re-elected Hon. Auditor. The retiring Chairman Professor Robinson said that as a result of the Committee’s request the Library Committee of the University of Malaya had agreed to grant members of the Institute the use of the University Library and had also agreed to help members with reasonable requests for photostats and microfilms. Dr Frye proposed the vote of thanks to Professor Robinson to which the Professor replied by thanking the outgoing Secretary and Committee members for their co-operation during his term of office.Annual GeneraE Meeting. NEWS AND NOTES MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES European Federation of Chemical Engineering.--The Second Congress of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering will be held in Brussels from 28 to 29 May and concurrently with the Achema Congress in Frankfurt from 31 May to 8 June 1958. The main theme will be “Corrosion and Chemistry’’ and application to read papers should be made to Dechema Frankfurt a.M.7 by 1 May 1957 from whom full details are available. Faraday Society.-The Bourke Lectures will be given by Professor A. J. Rutgers (University of Ghent) on “Electrokinetic Researches.” He will speak at 5.30 p.m.on 8 May in the University of Bristol at 4.30 p.m. on 9 May in the University of Reading and at 5 p.m. on 10 May in King’s College Newcastle upon Tyne. Non-members will be welcome. Iron and Steel Institute.-Two meetings are being arranged by the Iron and Steel Engineers Group. They will take place at Church House, Westminster London S.W.1 under the Chairmanship of Mr W. M. Larke. On 25 and 26 September “Air Pollution in the Iron and Steel Industry” will be the subject and on 11 and 12 December “Water Pollution in the Iron and Steel Industry” will be discussed. A buffet luncheon will be available each day. I t is hoped that wide interest will be aroused by these meetings and that as many as possible will attend and take part in the discussions, whether or not they are members of the Institute or the Iron and Steel Engineers Group.A preliminary reply form may be obtained from the Secretary, Iron and Steel Institute 4 Grosvenor Gardens London S.W.1 and should be returned as soon as possible. Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene.-Professor Philip Drinker Professor of Industrial Hygiene Harvard University will giv 19573 NEWS AND NOTES 319 the 1956 Harben Lectures of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene under the general title of “Air Pollution and the Public Health.” The lectures will take place in the Lecture Hall of the Institute 28 Port-land Place London W.l at 5 p.m. on 13 14 and 15 May. The first lecture will deal with problems of great cities the second with the problems of industry and the last with prevention and control.Society of Chemical Industry.-The Food Group of S.C.I. will hold its Annual General Meeting on 8 May at 6.45 p.m. at the Society’s Headquarters 14 Belgrave Square London S.W.l. This will be followed by an address on “Food Food Science and the Food Group-A Twenty-five Year Review” by Dr A. J. Amos retiring Chairman. Society of Instrument Technology Ltd.-The Council of the Society has approved the holding of a Conference on “Automatic Measurement of Quality in Process Plants’’ at the University College of Swansea from 23 to 26 September. It is hoped that the range of topics will include : Chemical quality Physical quality Chromatography Density Mass-spectography Moisture content pH measurement Refractive index Spectroscopy Viscosity and ‘consistency’ Ti tra tion Offers of contributions on these and similar topics will be welcomed.It will be necessary to restrict the number of people attending and non-members of the S.I.T. wishing to receive application forms should write to the Secretary of the Society 20 Queen Anne Street London W.l. Society for Analytical Chemistry.-The eighty-third Annual General Meeting of the Society was held on 1 March at Burlington House. The following Officers and Members of Council were elected for the forthcoming- year President J. H. Hamence; Past Presidents serving on the Council D. W Kent-Jones J. R. Nicholls G. Taylor and K. A. Williams; Vice-Presidents N. L. Allport J. Haslam and A. A. Smales; Honorary Treasurer A.J. Amos; Honorary Secretary R. E. Stuckey; Hon-orary Assistant Secretary S. A. Price. Other Members of Council D. C. M. *Adamson S. G. Burgess R. C. Chirnside W. Cule Davies D. C. Garratt, H. M. N. €3. Irving E. Q. Laws D. D. Moir F. C. J. Poulton J G. Sherratt and A. F. Williams. Ex-ojicio Members A. N. Leather (Chair-man of the North of England Section) Magnus A. Pyke (Chairman of the Scottish Section) P. J. C. Haywood (Chairman of the Western Section) R. Belcher (Chairman of the Midlands Section) D. F. Phillips (Chairman of the Microchemistry Group) J. E. Page (Chairman of the Physical Methods Group) and S. K. Kon (Chairman of the Biological Methods Group). Delhi Standards Conference.-The 1957 Commonwealth Stand-ards Conference in Delhi from 21 January to 3 February was even more successful than the two previous gatherings of this kind according to the February issue of B.S.1.News. The value of these Conferences lies in the frank exchange of views between the standards-making organisa-tions of the Commonwealth and the industrialists and other users o 320 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL the standards. The British Standards Institution has welcomed the emergence of sister organisations in countries of the Commonwealth. Mr H. A. R. Binney the Director of B.S.I. has recommended the establishment of an independent Standards Council to act for the whole of the Central African Federation and to take over the work begun by the B.S.I. Committee in S. Rhodesia. A similar committee to the latter might now with advantage be set up in Kenya.SCHOLARSHIPS AND COURSES Huddersfield Technical College.-Several Open Research Scholar-ships valued between E60 and E300 per annum are available for suitably qualified students who may wish to undertake research in the College. Further particulars and application forms may be obtained from the Principal Huddersfield Technical College Queen Street South Hudders-field. Perkin Centenary Trust.-The following awards for educational purposes relating to the manufacture or the application of colouring matters have been announced. (1) T h Perkin Centenary Fellowship is to be offered for one or two years to a graduate for the purpose of higher study. I t will have a value of E600 per annum and will be tenable at any university or technical college approved by the Trustees.Two such awards will be offered, each for two years renewable at the discretion of the Trustees for one further year to enable candidates employed in the appropriate industries to receive an education at a university or technical college. Each award will have a value of E300 per annum. There will be no means test for the award and a successful candidate shall not be debarred from receiving the whole or a part of his normal salary from his employers during his tenure of the Scholarship. ( 2 ) The Perkin Centenary Scholarship. (3) Perkin Exchange Lectureships. Short Term An appointment will be made by the Trustees to enable a senior teacher at any appropriate university technical college or other institution to visit some similar establishment overseas in order to deliver a short course of lectures.In return a similar visit to a British institution by some oversea scientist will be arranged. Longer Term A second appointment contemplated will permit the exchange of lecturers for a period of up to one year between some British university technical college or other institution and a similar institution overseas. The Perkin Centenary Trust was established in January 1956 to administer the funds subscribed to commemorate the discovery of the first synthetic dyestuff by Sir William Perkin in 1856. The Trustees are Mr H. Jackson (Chairman) Dr D. W. Hill Dr L. H. Lampitt Mr W. Mathers Mr M. W. Perrin and Sir Robert Robinson. The Secretary to the Trustees is Mr J. R.Ruck Keene to whom enquiries relating to the above awards should be addressed c/o The Chemical Society, Burlington House London W.l. The closing date for the receipt of application forms is 1 May 19571 NEWS AND NOTES 32 1 Technical State Scholarships-It has been decided to make certain changes in the conditions for entry to the competition for Technical State Scholarships in 1958. Arrangements will be continued on the same general lines in 1957 as before for the award of Technical State Scholarships to students from Technical Colleges and other places of further education. The number of scholarships will however be increased from 150 to 225 and will be offered mainly to students who have obtained an Ordinary National Certificate or other equivalent qualification.They will be awarded for the pursuit of full-time Honours degree courses at universities and university colleges and of courses leading to the Diploma in Technology at establishments for further education. The following changes will take place in the arrangements for 1958. Applications will only be considered from candidates who for two previous years have been engaged in part-time study at establishments for further education and from students following National Diploma courses. Students who have proceeded beyond Ordinary National Certificate level or A.l level in Higher National Certificate courses or corresponding levels in other types of courses will not be considered eligible. Two categories of students will therefore be excluded from competing. Those who have followed full-time courses leading to Advanced level G.C.E.will be expected to apply for ordinary State Scholarships and those who are taking National Certificate courses will have to decideat the Ordinary stage whether to proceed to the Higher or to enter for the Technical State Scholarship before reaching that stage. National Council for Technological Awards.-The following courses now in progress have been recognised as leading to the Diploma in Technology Full-time courses in Applied Chemistry Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy at Battersea Polytechnic ; Sandwich courses in Applied Chemistry at Acton Technical College in Applied Chemistry and Chemical Technology at Birmingham College of Technology and in Applied Chemistry Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy at Battersea Polytechnic.Vacation Courses in London.-Two courses have been arranged for the summer by the University of London Institute of Education. The first on “Modern Trends in Chemistry in Relation to the Work of the Sixth Form,” will be held from 2 to 6 July in association with, and at the Chemistry Department University College. The second, from 26 July to 2 August will take place at the Institute of Education and will be on “Vocational and Technical Aspects of Education to the Age of Eighteen.” Accommodation will be available for both courses. Fees for the first are E l 1 for residents and &5 10s. for non-residents and for the second E9 and &4 respectively. Further information and application forms may be obtained from the Adviser to Teachers University of London Institute of Education, Malet Street London W.C.1. NEW AND RECENT PUBLICATIONS Associated Examining Board.-This the ninth Board for the General Certificate of Education came into being to cater especially for candidates not attending grammar or public schools. I t was sponsored by the fou 322 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Regional Examining Unions the City and Guilds of London Institute, the London Chamber of Commerce and the Royal Society of Arts and administrative and financial responsibility for the Board rests with the City and Guilds of London Institute. Its examinations are especially suited to the needs of older candidates and also of older pupils attending secondary modern and secondary technical schools.In 1955 the first year in which examinations were held there were already 5,000 subject entries; in 1956 there were 12,000 entries and in the summer of 1957 there will be more than 19,000. Among institutions that have sought the Board’s approval for examination purposes are 147 modern schools 72 technical schools 8 multilateral etc. schools and 148 technical colleges and other centres of further education. Most of the professional organisations including the Royal Institute of Chemistry accept these examinations for exemption from entrance or preliminary examination and they are recognised also by the Universities of Bristol Cambridge London Oxford Reading and Southampton. The Board’s Report for 1953-56 has now been published and can be obtained from 3 1 Brechin Place South Kensington London S.W. 7. Index of Technical Articles.-The first number of this new monthly index is dated February 1957 and covers magazines received in January by the publishers Iota Services Ltd. 38 Farringdon Street London, E.C.4. They say “IOTA is the first project in our plans to give a complete technical information service to industry.” I t contains extracts from about 600 British periodical publications covering much of the technical press including the journals of several professional qualifying bodies. I t also contains subject and author indexes. Sub-scriptions to the index 3 guineas for 6 months 6 guineas for 1 year, should be sent to the publishers at the above address. London Regional Advisory Council.-The Eighth Annual Report (for 1955-56) of the Regional Advisory Council for Higher Technological Education London and Home Counties referring to the remarkable recent increase of interest in various sandwich courses recalls that it is a duty of the Council to ensure that the provision of part-time and sandwich courses keeps in step with the ability of industry government departments and research organisations to supply a regular flow of students that such courses meet genuine industrial needs and that new courses do not prejudice the fortunes of established ones.I t is noted that since 1950 when the Council recommended to local education authorities the appointment of research assistants eighty-five such posts have been approved in the region and that the L.C.C. had made about seventy appointments.They recommend that authorities should make payments for research work at the rate of E300 per annum it being understood that any limited part-time teaching undertaken should be rewarded separately on the scale approved by the authority. A new survey of research undertaken in the technical colleges will supplement the previous survey ( 1954). Copies of the report can be obtained from the Secretary to the Council Tavistock House Tavistock Square London W.C. 1. Parliamentary and Scientific Committee.-The Annual Report of this unofficial group of Members of both Houses of Parliament and representatives of scientific and technical institutions is obtainable from the Secretary 31 Palace Street London S.W.l price 4s. 6d 19571 NEWS AND NOTES 323 About 100 scientific bodies are represented on the Committee and more than 20 Fellows of the Institute representing various scientific interests are members of it.The Committee received a number of addresses on various matters during the year leading to useful dis-cussions e.g. on Post Office enquiry developments technical education, the development of Britain’s physical and geographical advantages, atomic energy productivity and avoidance of waste in British agriculture, the rating of scientific organisations discharging and loading of ships, and the training and utilisation of scientists and technologists in the Soviet Union. In addition members visited various works and research establishments. On two occasions progress films were shown by arrange-ment with the U.K.Atomic Energy Authority. The Committee was instrumental in drawing attention to various matters requiring attention in the Agricultural Research Bill the Copy-right Act and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Act and had taken an active interest in a number of questions connected with higher technological education and scientific manpower. Science and Industry Committee.-At the British Association Meeting at Belfast in 1952 a committee was appointed “to study the problems of speeding up in industry the application of the results of scientific research.” It was joined in 1954 by the Royal Society of Arts and the Nuffield Foundation. The first results of their enquiry will be published next month by the Oxford University Press (C.F. Carter and B. R. Williams Industry and Technicul Progress.) Southern Regional Council.-The Ninth Annual Report (October, 1956) of the Southern Regional Council for Further Education refers to industrial expansion in the region particularly in aircraft manufacture, oil refining engineering motor vehicles and electronics and to the increase in number and size of industrial research establishments-developments in the Southampton area being perhaps the most signifi-cant. Linked to this is the need for closer relations between secondary schools and further education in the Region. The special report on ‘ ‘Libraries in Colleges of Further Education” has received wide notice. A list of sandwich courses in England and Wales (1956/57) was prepared with the help of the Secretaries of other Regional Advisory Councils.Copies of these publications can be obtained from the Secretary to the Council 22 The Forbury Reading Berks. West Midlands Advisory Council.-In the Annual Report for 1956 it is mentioned that one meeting of the advisory committee for applied chemistry was held at which information was exchanged on the programmes of short advanced lecture courses being planned at colleges and universities in the region. The committee is also reviewing the provision in the region of courses leading to Graduate Membership of the R.I.C. Among publications issued in the year were a “Directory of Institut-ions and Courses in Technology Commerce Art and Agriculture . . . 1956-57” ; a ‘‘Bulletin of Short Advanced Courses in Higher Technology in the West Midlands Region 1956-57”; and a ‘‘Survey of Full-Time Degree Courses in the West Midlands Region-Science and Technology.” Copies can be obtained on request from the Secretary to the Council, 161 Corporation Street Birmingham 4 324 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Royal Australian Chemical Institute.-The 1956 Award of the Rennie Memorial Medal has been made to Dr P.R. Jefferies formerly with Professor R. D. Haworth F.R.s. at the University of Sheffield and now Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Western Australia. LABORATORY RISKS AND SAFEGUARDS EXPLOSION WITH LITHIUM ALUMINIUM HYDRIDE An explosion recently occurred in the laboratories of the Distillers Company Ltd. Research and Development Department Great Burgh, Epsom during an experiment in which lithium aluminium hydride was being used.The circumstances were as follows: A mixture of chlorinated organic compounds of undetermined composition was being examined. The major component was probably a chlorine-substituted tetrahydrofuran. In the course of the work about 10 g of this material was submitted to reductive dechlorination with 3 g of lithium aluminium hydride. The reactants were dissolved/ dispersed in dry ether 75 ml in a round bottom pyrex flask provided with a reflux condenser tap funnel nitrogen inlet and magnetic stirrer. The apparatus was purged by a stream of dry oxygen-free nitrogen throughout the experiment. Reaction appeared to proceed smoothly; a good deal of solid material formed and precipitated.When the reaction was judged to be complete the flask was cooled in a water bath and ethyl acetate was added to the reaction product in small increments from the tap funnel to decompose residual lithium aluminium hydride. Nitrogen purging continued during this operation. After a few drops of ethyl acetate had been added a violent explosion occurred, The reaction flask and cooling bath were shattered and the chemist carrying out the experiment received severe eye injuries from flying glass. Ethyl acetate has been used on many occasions in these laboratories to effect smooth decomposition of residual lithium aluminium hydride and no explanation can be offered for the explosion at this stage. Sub-sequent analysis of material from the bottle of lithium aluminium hydride used indicated a lithium and aluminium content close to that required by theory.The ethyl acetate used had a low water content 0.1 1 per cent. I t is quite possible that ethyl acetate came into contact with a local excess of lithium aluminium hydride during the decomposition as the lumpy nature of the reaction product made efficient agitation and dispersion difficult. This occurrence underlines the need for very careful precautions at all stages of experiments where lithium aluminium hydride is being used. In the present case a safety screen or a face mask would almost certainly have prevented injury to the chemist. It is suggested that in order to avoid violent local reactions when lithium aluminium hydride and reaction complexes are decomposed steps should be taken to ensure good dispersion and that if ethyl acetate is used to decompose the lithium aluminium hydride it should be added as a solution in an inert solvent.Acknowledgment is made to the Directors of The Distillers Co. Ltd. for permission to publish this note. The Distillers Company Limited, Research and Development Department. K. H. C. BESSAN 19571 CORRESPONDENCE 325 Experiments carried out recently in these laboratories have shown that fire and explosion can be caused by allowing ethyl acetate to come into contact with a local excess of solid aluminium lithium hydride in the presence of air. If for example ethyl acetate is added drop-wise down the neck of a vessel to which particles of solid hydride are adhering the vigour of the local reaction often causes the solvent to inflame at the point of contact.A similar operation is not uncommonly performed when destroying the unreacted excess of aluminium lithium hydride after using this substance for reduction purposes. It is therefore suggested that great care is necessary to ensure that the hydride is properly dispersed or dissolved during all stages of such pro-cesses. Any fragment of solid hydride remaining in the neck or on the side of the reaction vessel constitutes a definite fire hazard. Literature and textbook references to aluminium lithium hydride do not emphasise the risks attending its use and our experiments have demonstrated that these hazards are not necessarily reduced to a safe level by decomposing the excess reagent with a compound (such as an ester) that has been chosen because it is not supposed to generate hydrogen gas in reaction with the hydride.Analytical Dept., Hopkin and Williams Ltd., Chadwell Heath Essex. J. T. YARDLEY STRONG ACIDS AND EYE TREATMENT The following letter has been received from Mr J. Wilson Associate : I am prompted to write after reading Mr Francis’s plea for the pro-vision in laboratories of polythene wash bottles containing antidotes for use in the treatment of chemical eye injuries (J. 1957 241). It is regrettable that it is still very common to find the mistaken idea that antidotes are necessary. Medical tests have shown (see Industr. Med., 1947 16 188 and L. M. &? R. 1949 No. 4 p. 64) that the best first-aid treatment for eye injuries by chemicals is to wash the eye with copious amounts of water for several minutes before seeking expert medical advice.Dilute acids or alkalis if used serve to irritate further the already damaged tissues. I would respectfully suggest to Mr Francis and all laboratory workers that the most readily available treatment is water from the common wash bottle held in the inverted position (no jets please!) or better still a length of rubber tubing attached to the water tap. CORRESPONDENCE NATIONAL SERVICE AND THE CHEMIST SIR,-Although Dr A. J. G. Barnett does partially answer Mr J. Buckett there are other statements in the latter’s letter which cannot be allowed to pass. Two statements are immediately disputable-in the first paragraph “the majority of R.I.C.Graduate members will spend two years as other ranks in the army” and in the third paragraph “The qualitie 326 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL required for industrial leadership have little in common with those required for military leadership.” I would suggest Sir that the true leader of men will lead them in or into anything whether filling sacks of chemicals attempting an organic synthesis or to complete Mr Buckett’s quotation ‘ ‘into the valley of death.” Mr Buckett obviously failed to get a commission during his National Service-I suggest that he will also fail to be a success in industry as a leader. Mr Buckett indicates that original thought is stifled in the services-but this is only done as in industry by bad leaders or if the ‘thoughts’ are non-constructive.If Mr Buckett felt himself repressed the remedy was in his own hands-to become an officer himself and do as he would be done by. Mr Buckett chafed under military discipline and yet as a chemist he must have undergone considerable mental discipline at one time. How is it that what was good for his mind was not suitable for his body? Next “so little work that requires any mental effort or technical knowledge”-the mark of an intellectual snob with the statement “the result is boredom”--showing that the snobbery is with the least possible qualifications. In the last paragraph Mr Buckett indicates that school knowledge in his opinion is only surface adsorbed and can be easily removed by time and that the ex-N.S. man frequently has a dislike for mental effort.I suggest that it is to the benefit of all that superficial knowledge and a predisposition to mental laziness are discovered before further training is wasted. Dr Barnett’s letter was a much more balanced account and only with the last paragraph can I disagree “there is no reason . . . why his opposite number in medicine should not [spend his time as Private Smith]”. 6 Belhaven Terrace, Glasgow W.2. Mr Buckett is bored alone with his thoughts. I suggest that there is the Army needs doctors qua doctors. R. M. WARD For other letters see p. 324. THE REGISTER [Bracketed letters indicate Local Sections. For key see page 2501 NEW FELLOWS (H) DATYNER Arved B.SC. PH.D. (LOND.) (FF) WALSH Arthur Donald M.A. PH.D. (0) GARNER Eileen Valerie B.A.( CANTAB.) ( CANTAB.) (P) WARBOYS Walter John B.SC. (w. AUST.) D.PHIL. (OXON). ASSOCIATES ELECTED (P) ADCOCK Leonard Harold B.SC. (Y) BIRKS Frank Thomas B.SC. (LOND.) (J) BOLTON William D.SC. (DUNELM.) (P) BRIDGWATER Roden John B.SC., (C) DICK Terence Anthony B.SC. (LOND.) (R) DREW Norman Vincent B.SC. (P) EMERY Douglas John B.SC. (LOND.), ( LOND.) PH.D. (LOND.) (BRIST.) A.F.INST.PET. TO THE FELLOWSHIP (D) GRIFFIN John William B.SC. (GLAS.), PH.D. (LOND.) F.INST.PET. (P) HARVEY John B.SC. (LOND.) ( C ) HUNTER Robert Theodore B.SC. ( DUNELM.) (P) LESTER Fred BX. PH.D. (LOND.), DIP.ED. (EXETER). (S) MILES Frederick Ronald B.SC. (WALES). (P) OWEN Bernard David B.SC.TECH. (MANC.) A.M.C.T THE REGISTER 327 PITT Gordon Arthur Cracherode, PORTER Ronald Francis B.SC.ROBINSON John B.SC. PH.D. (LOND.) RUTHERFORD William Alexander SERGEANT Stanley Victor B.SC. SIMMONITE Donald PH.C. F.P.S. THOMPSON Raymond M.SC. PH.D. MAC. (LOND.) A.M.I.I.A. (LOND.) (LOND.) (NOTT.) D.I.C. (K) TODRICK Archibald B.A. B.SC. (OXON.) PH.D. (BIRM.) (P) TRAIN David B.PHARM. B.SC.(ENG.), PH.D. (LOND.) A.c.G.I. D.I.c. F.P.S. (P) WALKER Alan David B.SC. (LOND.), (P) WALKER James Fairweather B.SC. (W) WARNER Lionel William Jeffrey (C) WILD Alwyn Mark B.SC. (LOND.), (D) WILLMOTT Kenneth Eardley A.R.C.S. (ST. AND.) A.R.C.S. NEW ASSOCIATES BARNARD Alan Keith B.SC. (LEEDS) BELLAMY Frank B.SC. (BIRM.) BENFIELD Desmond Arthur B.SC. BEYNON Kenneth Ivor B.SC. PH.D. FEELEY Thomas Michael M.SC.GREEN Rosemary M.SC. (LOND.) GRZESKOWIAK Roman B.SC. (LOND.) HALL Dennis Ernest B.SC. (LIV.) HENNESSY Joseph Patrick B.SC. HILTON Marjorie Lowe BSC. PH.D. HUGHES Geoffery Howard B.A. (RAND) (WALES) ( N.u.I.) (LOND.) (BIRM.) (CANTAB.) (P) KEMBER Norman Frank A.R.P.S. (OB) LEWIS Barry B.SC. PH.D. CH.B. M.B. (P) MALPAS John Frederick B.SC. (LOND.) (OA) MORSINGH Francis M.SC. (MALAYA), (C) O’MANT Derrick Michael B.SC. PH.D. (M) OSBORN Peter Maurice B.A. (OXON.) (Y) RILEY Brian Francis Joseph, (EE) SAYER Gordon Campbell B.SC. (P) SCOTT Bernard Walter B.SC. (LOND.) WALKER Jack B.SC. PH.D. (BIRM.) (OJ) WIJESEKERA Asoka Ranjit Llewellyn, (CAPE T.) D.PHIL. (OXON.) (BIRM.) B.SC. (LOND.) (MANC.) B.SC. (CEYL.) NEW GRADUATE MEMBERS AHLQUIST Keith Arthur B.SC.(ST. (S) LAWS Alan AND.) (P) LELEAN Peter Michael BAYS Leonard Richard (0) LEWIS Thomas George B.SC. (LOND.) BEST Philip Anthony (Q) M~NTYRE Peter BISHOP Edward Charles (F) 0 KEEFE John Clement BLACKIE Merrick Stuart B.SC. (LOND.) (H) PLATER Dennis BLEARS Michael John A.R.T.C.S. (P) POTTER John Anthony BLOOMFIELD Frank Gilbert B.SC. (SS) RAMSEY John Alexander B.SC. (LOND.) ( DUNELM.) (D) RANDELL Michael John B.A. (CAN-CHADWICK Douglas B.SC. ( MANC.) ENTWISTLE Norman (P) RATTENBURY Evelyn Margaret BSC. GILES Alan John B.SC. (LOND.) ( LOND .) GRADY Arthur Edwin (Q) STEELE David Anthony HALLIDAY Derek B.SC. (WALES) (P) SYMONDS Donald Charles HENDEY Ronald Albert (0) TICKLE Kenneth Trevor Cyril HICKMAN Leslie Stanley (Q) TIMPERLEY James HOOKE George Frederick (C) TONGE Robert James B.SC.(BIRM.) JEFFS Peter Walter (S) TRICKETT John Charles B.SC. PH.D. JOHNSON Eric Peter B.SC. (LIV.) (LEEDS) JOHNSON Frank (D) WHITMORE David Crowe B.SC. LANE George (LOND.) TAB.) A.C.T. (BIRM.) (Q) SHARPLES William Gibbard DEATHS Fellows ABELL Robert Duncombe PH.D. (L) BREAR Arthur B.SC. (LOND.]. Died ( LEIPZIG) D.SC. (WALES). Died 6 March 1957 aged 47. A. 1937, 6 March 1957 aged 82. A. 1899 F. 1945. F. 1903. (D) WALKER William Basil B.SC. (LOND.). Died 18 March 1957 aged 58. A. 1923 F. 1945 OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL 1956-57 President WILLIAM WARDLAW c.B.E. D.K. Vice-presidents HENRY VINCENT AIRD BRISCOE D.SC. A.R.c.s. D.I.c. P.INST.F. RALPH CLARK CHIRNSIDE JOHN IDRIS JONES D.SC.DOUGLAS WILLIAM KENT-JONES BSC. PH.D. RONALD GEORGE WREYFORD NORRISH B.A. PH.D. ~c.D. P.R.S. ROY BROWN STRATHDEE o.B.E. T.D. M.A. B.SC. PH.D. F.R.S.E. SIR ALEXANDER ROBERTUS TODD M.A. D.PHIL. D.SC. HON. LL.D. P.R.S. Hon. Treasurer HAROLD BURTON PH.D. D.SC. General and District Members of the Council VALENTINE ARMSTRONG BSC. PH.D. D.I.c. F.INST.P. A.N.Z.I.C. Overseas HAROLD FIRTH BAMFORD M.A. London; East Anglia; Thames Valley (1) HAROLD HAYDEN BARBER B.SC. PH.D. East Midlandc KENNETH CHARLES BARRACLOUGH B.SC. A.MET. PAM. Shejield South Yorkshire and North Midlands; VINCENT CHRISTOPHER BARRY D.SC. M.R.I.A. P.I.C.I. Du&lin and District JAMES BELL PH.D. DSC. Glasgow and West of Scotland NORMAN BOOTH B.SC. PH.D. WILLIAM GORDON CAREY FREDERICK CHALLENGER PH.D.D.SC. P.XNST.PET. ERNEST GORDON COX T.D. D.SC. P.INST.P. P.R.S. WILLIAM MURDOCH GUMMING o.B.E. D.SC. M.I.CHEM.E. F.xNST.PET. P.R.S.E. SIR ALFRED CHARLES GLYN EGERTON M.A. D.SC. D.TECH. F.INST.P. M.I.cHEM.E. P.R.s. IRVINE JOHN FAULKNER B.SC. PH.D. ROBERT ALBERT ERNEST GALLEY B.SC. PH.D. A.R.c.s. D.I.C. CECIL CHARLES HALL M.SC. PH.D. London; East Anglia; Thames Valley (2) THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF HALSBURY BSC. F.INST.P. WILLIAM EDWARD HAMER MSC. North Wales FRANK HARTLEY B.SC. PH.D. P.P.S. Hull and Distrtct LEONARD JOHN HAYNES B.SC. PH.D. A.R.c.s. D.I.C. Edinburgh and East of Scotland; Stirlingshire and District ERNEST LE QUEsNE HERBERT B.SC. M.I.CHEM.E. M.INST.P. P.INST.PET. CLIFFORD WALTER HERD B.SC. PH.D. DOUGLAS WILLIAM HILL PH.D.D.SC. RONALD HENRY JONES South Wales; Cardif and Dkirict CHARLES KEMBALL M.A. PH.D. BeIfast and District ERIC WILLIAM MILLS BSC. PH.D. Newcastle upon Tyne and North-East Coast; Tees-side BERNARD WHITLEY ELLIOTT MINIFIE Bristol and District; Mid-Southern Counties; South- Western THOMAS JOHN MORRISON BSC. PH.D. Aberdeen and North of Scotland; Dunake and District RICHARD ALAN MORTON PH.D. D.SC. P.R.S. GEOFFREY OSGOOD M.A. C.I.MECH.E. ManChester and District GEORGE ROWNTREE RAMAGE PH.D. D.SC. F.S.D.C. STANLEY ARTHUR RAY B.SC. Birmingham and Midlands FRED ROBINSON MSC. Lee& Area; Huddersjeld FRANK ROFFEY B-SC. PH.D. HENRY NORMAN RYDON PH.D. D.PHIL. DSC. A.R.c.s. ROBERT SPENCE c.B. PH.D. D.SC. MAURICE STAGEY PH.D. D.SC. F.R.S.DAVID TRAILL B.SC. PH.D. P.T.I. PERCY FREDERICK RONALD VENABLES B.SC. PH.D. HARRY WEATHERALL Liverpool and North Western; Cumberland and District; North Lancashire Counties (District Members of Council are indicated by references in italics to the Lacal Sectwn(s) Within thcir Districts.) 32 SEVENTY-NINTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Seventy-Ninth Annual General Meeting of the Royal Institute of Chemistry was held in the William Beveridge Hall Senate House The University of London London W.C.1 on Friday 5 April 1957 at 10.45 a.m. Dr D. W. KENT-JONES President was in the Chair and 140 Fellows and 64 Associates were present. The SECRETARY (Dr H. J. T. Ellingham) read the Notice convening the meeting. The Minutes of the Seventy-Eighth Annual General Meeting and of the Special General Meeting held on 19 October 1956 which had been circulated to all corporate members (J.1956 341-352 634-648) were taken as read. The CHAIRMAN I propose at a later stage to put to you some proposals about procedure but I do not think these apply to the ordinary annual business. There is however one matter I should like to settle now. A large number of members have completed proxy forms in favour of other members who are present today. The counting of proxy votes on this occasion is somewhat com-plicated. I have therefore asked the Scrutineers of the ballot for membership of the Council Dr H. G. Smith and RlEr W. H. Bennett to carry out a preliminary survey of the proxies and to provide records for use if and when counts are demanded.Subject to the approval of this meeting I propose to appoint Dr Smith and Mr Bennett as Tellers in respect of any motion on which a count is demanded. This was agreed. Mr W. H. BENNETT invited a number of members holding proxies to indicate their presence and where necessary to collect their voting cards. ORDINARY ANNUAL BUSINESS REPORT OF THE COUNCIL AND REPORT OF THE 30 SEPTEMBER 1956 The CHAIRMAN In presenting the Report of the Council for the year ended 30 September 1956 which has been circulated I will first call upon the Honorary Treasurer Professor Harold Burton to present the Annual Statements of Account and to refer to the section of the Annual Report relating to Finance House and Staff matters and to the Report of the Benevolent Fund. The TREASURER (Professor H.Burton) I propose to deal with the Benevolent Fund Report first. There is very little that can usefully be added to the Report issued in December which gives the customary review necessarily in rather general terms of the work of the Fund. Many members have expressed their satisfaction with the manner in which these annual reports underline the human aspects of the work of the Fund. Accounts and statistics are of little value as measurements in assessing the comfort and peace of mind afforded to those who have suffered misfortune and the Report seeks to emphasise that the Fund is something more than a mere channel for strictly regulated financial assistance. Perhaps the most encouraging feature of the Report is that the Committee was able as a result of the generosity of members to give a little more freely to those in need.The level of help could without any undue generosity be raised a great deal more and no apologies are necessary for once again asking all members to maintain and if possible to increase their support. I should like to pay special tribute to Mr D. A. Arnold for the work he does on behalf of the Benevolent Fund and for his wise understanding and treatment of the cases. (Ap&lause.) 32 9 BENEVOLENT FUND FOR THE YEAR ENDE 330 JOURNAL OF *rxE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Turning to the section of the Report of Council on Finance House and Staff matters I would point out that this is largely devoted to a survey of the financial difficulties that have beset the Institute in common with most other professional organisations since the end of the war.The circumstances that made it essential for the Council to take measures to secure increased income in 1957 are fully explained. If the Council appeared to act with haste as some members have suggested it was not due to any failure to realise the potential dangers of the situation but to a very natural desire to postpone until the last possible moment any request that members should bear a heavier burden. Few of those who have read this section of the Report and have studied the accounts can have any doubts about the need for a substantial increase in income. It is appropriate on this occasion to thank those members who when forwarding their subscriptions expressed their appreciation of the work or the Institute and their belief that the new subscription rates are still comparatively modest.It is a considerable relief to realise that attention can now be given to the adequate maintenance of the Institute’s buildings. A good deal of work which, though desirable was not immediately essential will shortly be undertaken, following a complete survey of the building by a Chartered Surveyor. Any further delay in dealing with the fabric would be a false economy. Other expenses which will increase in the present financial year are the costs of publications salaries and the contribution to the Chemical Society Library. You may think that the Accounts present a somewhat gloomy picture for 1955-56 but I am happy to say that no harm has been done to the basic financial stability of the Institute and our next accounts should reveal a greatly improved situation.L should like to end by thanking Dr Ellingham Mr Arnold and Mr Harding for their extremely valuable work and co-operation in connection with the accounts and financial matters generally. The CXAIRMAN There will be an opportunity to ask questions when the Report as a whole is presented. It is now my duty to propose that the Report of the Council f o r the year ended 30 September 1956 including the Statements of Account be adopted. I do not propose to say anything about the Report. It has been set out in considerable detail and has been in your hands since February so that everybody has had time to study it. Professor H. V. A. BRISCOE seconded the resolution.The CHAIRMAN The resolution is now open for discussion and this is the opportunity for members to raise any questions on the Report. Mr R. C. TERRY I should like to ask the Treasurer why the sum ofE905 appears as expenditure for rates. In view of the decision of the House of Lords in Institute ofFuel v. Murlty at the end of 1955 it appears to me that the Institute comes fairly and squarely within Section 1 of the Scientific Societies Act 1843, and therefore ought to be exempt from the payment of rates. We were told quite clearly that as we do things for our members and we are not a charity we had no grounds for preferential treatment . Mr TERRY I trust your information was obtained after the House of Lords decision as in the Court of Appeal the case went the other way.The question whether the Institute is a charity is irrelevant. It is purely a question whether it comes within the provisions of that Act. The CHAIRMAN This matter has been carefully looked at but we shall certainly re-examine it in the light of Mr Terry’s helpful remarks. Mr IS. D. HUNT I propose to vote against the adoption of this Report for two reasons. Referring first to the Accounts last October when proposals were put forward to increase subscriptions members may have been given the impression, as I certainly was that our current reserves had been exhausted or nearly so. The actual position is-and I take all my information from the audited accounts-(Apjhuse.) The TREASURER That is not so 19573 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 33 1 that our current reserves now stand at something like El0,OOO.Again from the Council statement accompanying the Accounts it would appear that we have had a bad year-a deficit. But in my opinion that gives a misleading impression, because according to my interpretation of the figures we had a surplus. I should like to quote the two relevant figures which members are entitled to have under our By-laws. The total money which went out the gross expenditure was E61,942. Fortunately the total money that came in the gross income was considerably more-L64,535-so that we had a surplus of E2,593 and as a result our total reserves went up by that amount to E71,554. Moreover our assets increased by some &000. Thus far from being a bad year this year was quite a good year in fact the best year we have had since 1946.Referring now to the question of the status of the Fellowship (p. 8 of the Report) as between election and examination this is a matter which has been raised before by other members (Journal 1947 105-112). I strongly object to the Council statement in the Report which implies that examination is in some way inferior to election. I would stress that the examination is a professional examination not a school examination. As a qualifying body it is the duty of the Institute to tell the public industry and the Government who are com-petent to practise chemistry-not the other way round as the Council seems to consider. I make these submissions with the greatest respect but because they are very important I propose to vote against the adoption of the Report.The TREASURER I think if Mr Hunt would read p. 636 of the Journal for 1956 reporting the Special General Meeting and would study the matter in the proper context it would be obvious that I was talking about reserves that could properly be used to meet future losses on income and expenditure account. This includes E2,214 on the Inter-mittent Publications Account which is there to pay for the Regisler now being prepared for distribution. Then on the Intermittent Repairs Account there is ,(;1,806 which will most probably be insufficient to pay for the repairs we have envisaged. There is the J. S. Kerr Bequest of EZ,OOO which I hope later in this meeting will be transferred to the Education Fund. Finally there is the General Contingencies Reserve standing at E3,635.I am sure you would regard this comparatively small reserve as a safeguard against totally unforeseeable expenditure and not as a money-box from which to pay the cost of current activities. The Income and Expenditure Account for 1955-56 showed a deficit of about E3,000 as I had forecast; without the increased revenue from subscriptions the deficit in the current financial year would have been nearer E5,000 or even &6,000. Mr R. J. CALLOW asked what the position would be if the meeting were to reject the Report of the Council. The CHAIRMAN It has been my habit throughout life not to try to jump any hurdles until I come to them. Mr C. W. G. MARTIN Perhaps I can offer you a hurdle to jump. In the Annual Report there are several references to the usefulness of the Journal.On p. 13 it is stated that the Institute’s main contact with the majority of its members is established through its publications. Moreover in the Council’s statement which is reprinted at the back of the Agenda on p. 18 the following passage occurs : “When the originator of a proposal is satisfied that it is worthy of wider consideration he may decide to write a letter to the Editor of the Journal so that all members may be made aware of the views of himself and his colleagues.” You Mr President did in fact lay considerable stress upon that in your excellent address a short time ago [J. 2511. I am sure this is all meant very well indeed but in point of fact it is utter nonsense. Please understand that I am not in any way criticising the administrative He has mentioned a figure of El0,OOO 332 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL stafF of the Institute.I should like to add my tribute to those we have heard already to Professor Briscoe Mr Arnold and the others who have all along treated us with consideration and courtesy. Nevertheless it is not quite in accordance with the facts to imply that you can just write to the Editor and have 15,000 members hungrily absorbing every word! I think in the last six months the Editor has had more letters than ever before mostly on the subject of some of today’s resolutions under Special Business. For you may remember that I was fortunate in having a letter printed last November. I took up the cause of the little man which had been so graphically drawn for us by Mr Webb and others at the October meeting.I suggested at the end of the letter that members who held similar views should write to their Local Section Secretaries to all of whom incidentally I sent a copy of my draft. What happened? He said that it was bordering on “advertising.” The result is shoun by this file. Members wrote to me instead. I have their letters here-look over 3 lb of paper! So I wrote to tell the Editor about this interesting experience and that letter-as you can imagine-was not printed. Moreover some of my corre-spondents also wrote to the Journal and if the offer of space there had been fulfilled you would not have me holding up such letters as these which have come from Australia and Tanganyika.Now while I do not question the Editor’s decisions I naturally think it unfortunate that you the members havz been deprived of important information. For example a chain of unfortunate accidents-and I do repeat that they were accidents-prevented the publication last month of a letter and of a report, either of which would have told you of a meeting of the London Section which endorsed one of the motions on this agenda by a majority of more than two to one. I suggest you have been misled as to the accessibility of the columns of the Journal which because of such limitations is no substitute for open full and unhampered discussion at this meeting. The CHAIRMAN I think you will agree with me that on this subject at least, Mr Martin has had pretty good value for his money this year.The question of publication of letters in the Journal is an important one for such publication is acknowledged as a valuable means of communication. Sometimes missing a publication date may cause delay. But apart from this we do try to publish letters which raise substantially new points of view on controversial issues and do not merely express support for opinions ventilated in earlier correspondence. I know Mr Martin himsclf has said that we have tried to give everybody a fair deal on this and other occasions. With regard to the London Section meeting I think we should not attach too much significance to the voting. There were I believe about fifty people present and-if I put it bluntly I do not think you will misunderstand-people who are ‘agin the Government’ and want to discuss things are those who will be most concerned to come to a meeting.It would be very misleading to say that the voting showed that there was a big majority of the London Section as a whole who were in Ovour of these particular resolutions. Perhaps we shall know better when the votes on the resolutions at this meeting are counted for our London Section is the biggest in the Institute. In any event it is the opinion of the general body of members that matters. But thank you very much, Mr Martin. Dr H. J. BARBER Could I have your guidance on the most helpful way of dealing with a point I wish to make-whether it should be on the Annual Report c)r when we come to the discussion on Item 4? It seems that in the section of the Council’s Report which deals with the creation of the new Education Fund there is no proper dennition of the relationship of the Institute to what I may call its ‘competitors,’ i.e.to all the other bodies in this country who are concerned with education the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Labour which is concerned of course with employment of chemists and putting over careers and so on at school level; the technical institutions; the universities; the Science Masters’ Association; independent schools and so on. The Editor cut out that part of my letter altogether! But they weren’t printed either! The point is this 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 333 It seems to me that if the Institute while admittedly not embarking on a new thing is starting at a new tempo which involves substantial expenditure of money we should have had rather more information on that in the Council’s Report.The Council will obviously have done a very great deal of thinking and talking on this matter but has referred to it only in rather general terms. In Chapter XVII of the By-laws Local Sections are dealt with and there is an Appendix on the common objects of Local Sections. In paragraph ( d ) there is a very simple statement that one of their objects is to obtain opinions on matters of Institute policy. In the Institute’s education policy as it is being reformulated to meet modern conditions has any effort been made to ensure that discussion has taken place among Local Sections ? I know it is not the duty of Council to tell Local Sections what they shall do but it seems to me that it would be a proper function to stimulate or eveh provoke or invite them to discuss these matters.The CHAIRMAN I would like to point out that in the Journal of last September, these matters were dealt with in some detail. You cannot always indicate fully all you hope to do and how you hope to do it. But I do say that this new tempo-and I think that is a good way of expressing it-means doing the jobs we have been doing but ought to have done better; now we hope to do them better. This was amply explained last year and I have no doubt it has been widely discussed in the Sections. It is on the agenda of the Conference of Hon. Secretaries of Local Sections to be held tomorrow. I also dealt with it in my address this morning.In fact I feel that this question of the Education Fund has been very well aired indeed. We shall come to it on the agenda in a few moments, when you will have a further opportunity for discussion if you wish. Dr D. H. RICHARDSON I was most stimulated by another part of the President’s address this morning. I came here feeling very jaded but hearing him has cheered me immensely. He painted a picture of the boys and girls in the schools coming forward to train as chemists and joining the Institute. But I would ask the Council not to let any of these boys and girls see the examination results for the last few examinations. I notice they have already taken that step by not publishing a pass list except under names-no percentages-for the January examination.Some of my poor students who have been sitting last week for the examination have come back in a state of despair. I would like to predict that the pass list for that recent examination will be 5 per cent or less. I do not think that is encouraging to those boys and girls who want to get into the Institute. While I think it is quite right that we should keep the high standard of the the Institute could we not offer some stepping-stone to that high standard to boys and girls whom we want to see reach the top of the tree? This is of special importance for part-time students who are having very great difficulty in passing the examination at its present level. Many have studied for five years or more. They could have had some hope of success in the examination as it was a year 01 two ago.What I am saying is would you offer some stepping-stone to this high level so that they do not see the door slammed in their faces? I should not like to be as bold as you are in predicting the percentage of passes in the recent examination. Nor do I think we should assume that the higher percentage of failures in the last few examina-tions is due only to changes in the standard of the papers set. But certainly we should look at the position very carefully. There being no further questions the motion was put to the meeting and, on the demand of Mr Hunt a count taken. The CHAIRMAN announced the result as follows: I would also like to refer to a different aspect of the subject. I should like to put this question quite bluntly.They have n m r very little-hope as it is now. The CHAIRMAN Thank you. For Against By show of hands . . * . .. 192 1 By proxy .. .. .. . . 1,384 13 the Report of the Council being adopted by 1,576 votes to 14 334 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL Mr Hunt indicated that he held discretionary proxies which had not been included in the count. The Chairman ruled that the Report of the Tellers could not be amended. ELECTION OF OFFICERS GENERAL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND CENSORS The SECRETARY read the Report of the Scrutineers as under: “We have examined the ballot papers and report as follows :-The total number of ballot papers received was 3,082 of which 3 were invalid The votes were cast as under : Censors Sir Harry Jephcott 3,069; Douglas William Kent-Jones 3,068 in some respect.Gerald Roche Lynch 3,072; George Taylor (London) 3,070. eligible Fellows 5. Votes for other President William Wardlaw 3,07 1. Vice-Presidents Henry Vincent Aird Briscoe 3,07 1 ; John Idris Jones 3,067; Ronald George Wreyford Norrish 3,064. Votes for other eligible Fellows 8. Honorary Treasurer Harold Burton 3,075. Votes for other eligible Fellows 2. General Members of Council Robert Spence 2,158; David Traill 2,038; Douglas William Hill 1,871 ; Richard Alan Morton 1,851 ; Irvine John Faulkner 1,774; Ernest Le Quesne Herbert 1,669; George Rowntree Ramage 1,598; Earl Judson King 1,485; Arthur George Catchpole 1,45 1 ; Frederick Cecil Hymas 1,316; David Woodcock 1,314; Richard Eric Parker 1,097.” Votes for other eligible Fellows 5.Signed H. G. SMITH MI. H. BENNETT 4 April 1957 Scrut ineers The CHAIRMAN then declared the following duly elected : President Professor William Wardlaw C.B.E. Vice-presidents Professor H. V. A. Briscoe Dr J. Idris Jones Professor R. G. W. Hon. Treasurer Professor Harold Burton. General Members of the Council Dr R. Spence c.B. Dr D. Traill Dr D. W. Hill Professor R. A. Morton F.R.s. Dr I. J. Faulkner Mr E. Le Q. Herbert, Dr G. R. Ramage. The CHAIRMAN At this stage from the Chair I move a hearty vote of thanks to the Scrutineers Dr H. G. Smith and Mr W. H. Cennett. I am certain you are grateful to them for the hard work they have done not only in scrutinising the ballot papers but also in making a preliminary survey of the proxy votes and agreeing to act as Tellers at this meeting.I now ask you to show your appreciation. Norrish F.R.S. The motion was carried by acclamation. VOTE OF THANKS TO THE RETIRING OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL Dr G. ROCHE LYNCH I ask you to pass a very hearty vote of thanks to those Honorary Officers and Members of the Council who retire on completion of their period of service. It is quite possible that some of them may in future years come back to their labours which I know from my somewhat lengthy experience of the Council are very extensive and take up a great deal of time. Among the retiring Officers I would mention specially on this occasion Dr Kent-Jones who is retiring as President. He will remain on Council for at I am sure the Council will miss them all 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 335 least two years as Vice-president ex o~cio but I include him particularly in this vote of thanks.Then there are Sir Ian Heilbron Mr G. H. Moore and Mr E. J. Vaughan (retiring Vice-presidents) ; Dr J. W. Barrett Dr H. Cordingley Professor C. H. Gray Professor D. H. Hey Dr H. H. Hodgson (General Members of Council); Dr M. Barak Dr W. A. Caldwell Dr W. Cule Davies Mr J. Hughes Mr L. M. Miall Dr J. H. Skellon Mr H. D. Thornton Dr C. L. Wilson and Mr V. H. Williams (District Members of Council). We have plenty to do. But I would ask you to express your appreciation of their work and to pass a hearty vote of thanks for the valuable services they have rendered. I am not going to take up the time of the meeting. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation.The CHAIRMAN It is my privilege to reply on behalf of the retiring Officers and Members of Council and to thank Dr Roche Lynch and you all for the way in which you have received this proposal. It has been a somewhat strenuous period as we all know and perhaps we are not yet coming into calmer waters. We have been a hardworking Council, and I know all the retiring members are most grateful for your expression of thanks. It is now with very great pleasure and satisfaction that I welcome most warmly on your behalf the incoming President Professor Wardlaw. (Applause.) He shares with me a great love of the Institute with which he has been associated for many years. He has great experience. He is an able chairman. He has experience of presidential duties.Under his guidance I am sure we are going to have a very successful two years. I congratulate you Mr President as you are now on your election. In accordance with our custom I shall have the privilege of investing you with the badge of office this evening. Professor W. WARDLAW You have done me today a very great honour indeed and I want to take this very early opportunity of thanking you all in the warmest and most sincere terms for the high distinction you have conferred upon me. I could enumerate a very large number of reasons why I am proud to be President of the Royal Institute of Chemistry but I know you would not thank me for it if I did that. On the other hand I should like just to mention what I think are a few of those reasons why one should be proud to be elected to the presidency of the Institute.In the first place it does indicate quite clearly that the majority of the members want to show goodwill to the man selected for this job. It is a very pleasant feeling especially when one gets as old as I am to know that you enjoy the good-will and confidence of your colleagues in the Institute. Another reason which appeals to me strongly is that I am going to be permitted to occupy a Chair which has been filled with such distinction by so many of my old and valued friends. I am sure I cannot attain it but I will try my best to approach it. I was delighted this morning when the President stressed that chemistry and all chemists have benefited from the work done over the years by the Institute and I sincerely hope that some of the people who stand outside may have second thoughts.If they do and if they apply to be admitted I am sure we shall all roll out the carpet and welcome them. May I say finally that with the extremely fine Council you have elected today I think the Institute will go forward serving the community and increasing its prestige and influence. (Apy!dause.) A lot of you know and learned with regret that Dr Ellingham has not been well and was unable for some time to attend to the normal business of the Institute in his usual way. At that critical moment Professor Briscoe came along and gave us the most incredible help in keeping the seat warm for Dr Ellingham until he was fit enough to return last month. I think you would like to express your appreciation to Dr Ellingham They have set a very high standard.Lastly it does give special opportunity of service to the Institute. The CHAIRMAN One thing I would like to add 336 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL for working himself so hard that he fell ill and to Professor Briscoe for looking after affairs so ably in the interval. The SECRETARY May I say in thanking this meeting for their warm reception on my return to full duty how greatly indebted I have been to Professor Briscoe personally for holding the fort while I was away. I should also like-and I know Professor Briscoe will endorse this-to pay a tribute to my colleagues who took over a considerable extra share of work and responsibility during my absence.As a tribute has already been paid in another connection to Mr Arnold I would like specifically to refer to Dr F. W. Gibbs as Assistant Secretary (Scientific) and as the Editor of our JournaZ and to Mr L. W. Winder the Assistant Registrar. Both have carried considerable additional burdens in the last few months and they have borne them very nobly. The CHAIRMAN Thank you. I am not going to call upon Professor Briscoe, but I know he enjoyed helping the Institute in this way. (Afifilazae.) (AfipZause.) ELECTION OF AUDITORS The CHAIRMAN We have to elect two Honorary Auditors to hold office for the financial year 1956-57. The present honorary Auditors are Dr D. I. Coomber and Dr C. Simons both of whom are willing to continue. I propose that they be re-elected.The motion was seconded by Mr W. A. WIGHTMAN and was put to the meeting and carried. The TREASURER I propose that Messrs J. Y . Finlay Robertson & Company, Chartered Accountants be re-elected as Professional Auditors for the year 1956-57 at the established fee of 165 guineas with an additional fee of 5 guineas for auditing the accounts of the Benevolent Fund. The motion was seconded and was put to the meeting and carried. Mr F. C. HYMAS I am sure we are all glad to express our thanks to Dr Coomber and Dr Simons for the work they have done as our Honorary Auditors in the past year and indeed for their willingness to continue that work in the future. It is onerous and it is responsible and it is largely done in obscurity. What is more it grows year by year as the financial responsibilities of the Institute increase.I move formally that we record our thanks to Dr Coomber and Dr Simons. The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. SPECIAL BUSINESS FUND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN CHEMISTRY The CHAIRMAN The first items of Special Business resolutions 4 and 5 on the Agenda are submitted by the Council and relate to the newly established Fund for the Development of Education in Chemistry. I think it would save time if we take these two resolutions together although we can vote on them separately. The resolutions as stated in the Agenda were as follows : 4. That this Annual General Meeting of the corporate members of the Institute in accordance with the provisions of clause 6 of the Royal Charter, hereby sanctions the transfer from time to time out of the general funds of the Institute of a sum or sums of money not exceeding in the aggregate a total of L3,OOO in any period of twelve consecutive calendar months as a contribution to The Royal Institute of Chemistry Fund for the Development of Education in Chemistry (being an educational charity constituted by a Trust Deed dated 23 February 1957) for the purpose of furthering the objects of the said Charity.5. That this Annual General Meeting of the corporate members of the Institute in accordance with the provisions of clause 6 of the Royal Charter, hereby sanctions the following transfers from time to time out of the general fund 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 337 of the Institute as contributions to The Royal Institute of Chemistry Fund for the Development of Education in Chemistry (being an educational charity constituted by a Trust Deed dated 23 February 1957) for the purpose of furthering the objects of the said charity :-(a) the transfer to the said Charity of the legacy of -&2,000 or the investments representing the same bequeathed unconditionally to the Institute under the Will of the late John Stewart Kerr and ( b ) the transfer to the said Charity of such future legacies or bequests granted or bequeathed to the Institute either unconditionally or for purposes which come within the objects of the said Charity as the Council in their sole discretion may from time to time determine.The CHAIRMAN We have gone to considerable trouble to set out the whole matter and I even asked the Treasurer to accompany the statement by a personal note explaining that the proposals were put forward essentially to regularise the legal position.We are going to step up the tempo of our educational activities. We shall be doing the kind of things we always have done but under a Trust so that we may attract some funds from outside. Mr P. F. CORBETT formally rnoued that the motion be now put. This pro-posal was seconded. After questions of voting procedure had been agreed separate votes were taken on the two resolutions and counts having been demanded on each the proxy votes were brought in. The CHAIRMAN (subsequently) The results of the voting are as follows : Resolution 4 For Against By proxy .. .. .. . . 1,255 156 Resolution 5 For Against By proxy .. .. .. . . 1,275 155 By show of hands . . .. .. 189 4 Therefore Resolution 4 is carried by 1,444 votes to 160. By show of hands . . .. .. 189 4 Therefore Resolution 5 is carried by 1,464 votes to 159. RESOLUTIONS 6 TO 12 PROCEDURE The CHAIRMAN asked the meeting for help and guidance on procedure for dealing with the remaining motions on the agenda. He pointed out that a great deal of trouble had been taken to enable everybody to get a clear under-standing of the arguments for and against each motion. He enquired if the meeting would think it fit and proper in these circumstances that the proposers of motions should restrict their speeches to four or five minutes and seconders and other speakers to two or three minutes. The CHAIRMAN If that is done and if after about twelve to fifteen minutes spent on each resolution you would like to indicate that a vote should be taken, we should get on quite quickly and effectively.Questions were then raised on the procedure for dealing with Resolutions 7, 8 and 9 all of which were proposals for reducing (to 1 2 and 5 respectively) the minimum number of sponsors of a private members’ motion to be required under By-law 4 (2). A letter from the Clerk of the Privy Council (copy issued with the Agenda) indicated that their Lordships had suggested that the number twenty as proposed by the Council and approved at the Special General Meeting last October should be reduced to ten. This had been accepted by the Council of the Institute and the revised By-law 4 (2) so modified would come into effect as from 6 April (see below).A suggestion was made that Resolutions 7,8 and 9 should be discussed together, even though they were to be voted on separately. A member asked if in view of the considered opinion of the Privy Council that ten was a reasonable number, there was much point in considering one two and five except to comply with the formalities. This was agreed. This was also agreed 338 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL The CHAIRMAN expressed his desire that members who had taken the trouble to prepare and submit resolutions should have the opportunity of discussing them and having them put to the vote. Mr A. WEBB Although it might seem on the face of it that we should discuss all these resolutions together the situation is confusing because we have three resolutions written down on the agenda but we have in fact to consider three and a half resolutions.We still have the half of the October resolution which the Privy Council left. Consequently the voting is going to be very difficult. The October resolution was passed. The Privy Council have modified it and it is accepted and comes into force tomorrow. That is my point. Those in favour of Council’s resolution now so drastically modified by the Privy Council have a clear course-they will vote against the other three-but what about the person who happens to favour one of the other three? It is very unlikely that any member would be so resolutely ‘agin the Government’ as to vote for all three.The most probable course would be to vote for one and to vote against the other two and the result may well be baffling. For the sake of argument let us assume that the Council’s modified resolution is supported by two votes and each of the others by one vote. It means that we shall appear to have endorsed the Council’s modified resolution three times over by two votes to one although it will actually have been outvoted by three votes to two! The CHAIRMAN That is one of the reasons why I say we should vote on each independently. The proxy voters have already been advised that they may vote for or against any one or more of these resolutions-and I can assure you that some have voted in favour of all three. The CHAIRMAN No you have not three and a half.Mr A. WEBB Quite so Sir but we wish to discuss it. ABOLITION OF DIRECTED PROXIES Resolution 6 Submitted by Dr R. E. Parker Fellow on behalf of 30 corporate That under the powers exercisable by the institute under or by virtue of its Royal Charter By-law 15 be amended by the deletion of the words “*for against the resolution number . . to be proposed thereat” and of the relevant footnote-“*Strike out whichever is not desired. If neither word is struck out the proxy will be at liber@ to exercise the appointor’s vote as he thinks jt.” The CHAIRMAN Before calling on Dr Parker to move this resolution I would remind you that the Council has not offered any definite opinion on this matter. But we have tried to set out the facts in a statement in the JournaZ (1956 729) and in a further note accompanying the Agenda.I may mention that on this occasion as on others I have had a large number of proxies. With directed proxies I am only a postman but I have also many open proxies. As things stand at present members may please themselves which kind of proxy they give and therefore have the benefit of both worlds. Dr PARKER I should like before I put the motion to clear up a misappre-hension. It seems to be implied in some of the remarks and submissions of Members of Council that those who are bringing up private members’ motions today are doing so in a spirit of obstruction. As far as I am concerned I should like to repudiate this. The two resolutions I am putting forward have been discussed in the Mid-Southern Counties Section of which I am Chairman, because we believed they should be discussed.We appreciate the work the Council does very much and agree with probably 95 per cent of it. But that is no reason why we should not occasionally disagree and it is very healthy that disagreement should sometimes occur in an organisation of this sort. Having said that I will very briefly make the points in favour of abolishing directed proxies. First of all we do not put this forward as a final solution to the problem. It arises as you will see from the Special General Meeting in October when a motion to increase the number of signatories from one to twenty members : 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 339 was defeated in this hall and yet carried when directed proxies were included. It is all very well to say we have the best of both worlds at present but in fact the vast majority of proxies are directed proxies.We feel it wrong that a motion should be defeated by people who have not heard the arguments. All they did hear was the case briefly put for one side of the argument and this necessarily happens whenever a resolution is put forward by Council and it may happen in other cases. It has been laid down on legal advice I understand that amendments are impossible on any motion for which directed proxies are allowed. If directed proxies were not allowed but only discretionary proxies then while amendments would not be universally possible, they might be possible in many cases. I think that this is indeed a definite advantage. According to the statement made by the Council in the Journal and reprinted in this booklet “There is little doubt that the position would be simplified if it were decided to revert to the use of discretionary proxies only.. . .” It goes on to say “but it is believed that many members would think this an undesirable restriction on existing voting rights.” We do not think it is necessarily an undesirable restriction. People still have the choice of going to a meeting or appointing someone to g o -Secretaries of all Local Sections nearly always come to these meetings-and vote after having heard the arguments for and against the motion. There is one other statement by the Council in this booklet I should like to quote. The quotation is “It seems probable that despite any shortcomings in the statement that accompanied the notice of the resolution (the second one submitted in October), the general body of proxy voters-whose intelligence and judgment were treated with scant respect by at least one of the opposition speakers-arrived at a more enlightened conclusion about the purpose and effect of the resolution than some of the members present at the discussion.” It would appear that they arrived at a more enlightened conclusion even than the Privy Council so I think this argument is partly destroyed by what has happened since.It is only to clear the ground. We do think that if this resolution is passed it will clear the way for discussion so that some constructive proposal may be put in to take its place. We do not envisage simply that the position should be left as it was before 1951 when there were no directed proxies.The CHAIRMAN thanked Dr Parker and after the resolution had been seconded threw it open for discussion. Mr A. WEBB I cannot help thinking that this motion like a certain other motion last October is a shot fired with the best intentions but aimed at the wrong target. What we object to is not the proxy vote but its use as a power of attorney to override the will of the meeting. It is conceivable that that might arise even if only undirected proxies were allowed. When this happens I think proxy voters have as much reason to complain as anyone else. It occurred to me last October that I personally had my share of responsibility for this. Perhaps when our intelligence is insulted by a statement that is mere soothing syrup a few of us ought to take not only umbrage but also the train to London.I am sure it would encourage Council’s draftsman if he could be certain that any humbug would be exposed at the meeting. The first is that under the system of directed proxies no form of amendment with or without notice is possible to any resolution. With only open proxies some methods might be found of permitting limited amendments after due notice at a General Meeting. This could help to resolve differences and save time and money on postal ballots and special meetings. Secondly I object to directed proxies because we are more and more being pushed in this Institute towards accepting what I call the press-button practice of democracy. To my mind this is not true democracy at all.A second point relates to amendments. We do not agree. It refers to Resolutions 7 8 and 9 but is relevant here. We realise that this is not a final solution I emphasise this again. Perhaps I had been an absentee voter for too long. Mr A. L. BACHARACH I support this motion on two grounds 340 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL The difference between the directed and open proxy is that the directed proxy holder is a delegate and the open proxy holder is a representative. The man whom you choose for the latter should either be so close to your own point of view that he will be influenced by the same kind of arguments or so objective that he will act according to what he believes your point of view to be even though it differs from his own.I believe that for true democracy in governing the affairs of professional institutions such as ours the healthy state is one of representation not delegation, for the rise of demagogues is always a risk best to be avoided by true representative government. For these two reasons of which I think the second much the more important, I support Dr Parker’s motion that we should return to the open proxy and once more see where we can go from there. The CHAIRMAN This is a matter on which anyone can express an opinion. But I would again remind you that as a good many proxy votes are given to the Chairman you would put great power and responsibility on him if directed proxies were abolished. Mr HUNT I have the greatest respect for Dr Parker’s motives in bringing forward this resolution as an interim measure; but I do not think it is necessary.If the Notice of a future meeting were to be framed in general terms the directed proxy vote could not operate and the meeting could then formulate the exact terms of a resolution for submission to a postal vote as Dr Parker wishes. Mr H. WARSON I should like to support this motion because of the position which might arise with directed proxies if we found that self-contradictory motions had been passed. It would theoretically be possible on this agenda for members to support the motions by Mr Hunt Mr Martin and Dr Parker and reach an impossible result. If we had undirected proxies discretionary powers would be given to members holding these proxies and they could adjust their votes so as to support suitable alternatives.As only about 2 per cent of the Fellows and Associates of this organisation can be present very few will have heard all the arguments advanced. This applies particularly to most of the younger members who find it impossible to attend a meeting of this type wherever it is held. Mr R. C. CHIRNSIDE I think that the Council’s objective is very similar to that of Dr Parker. We seek to ensure that all the 15,000 members of the Institute shall have an opportunity to endorse or reject any matter of policy that is sub-mitted to them. There is however a suggestion in Dr Parker’s statement that this meeting is a policy-making meeting. We do not make policy in a general meeting; we elect the Council to make or suggest policy.It is for this meeting to say whether it endorses or rejects such proposals as are put before it. The object of the proxy system is to allow all those other members who for one reason or another cannot come here to make their views known. It is obvious that no proposal on a major matter of policy should be put forward without very serious and careful consideration. Even when the object is quite clear and is known to be acceptable we must study all the implications. We should not alter a By-law without thinking very carefully about the effect the change might have on other By-laws. We are told that with directed proxies we cannot accept an amendment. With undirected proxies it may be possible but I doubt very much whether the members of the Institute as a whole really want to take the chance of snap amendments being carried without prior consideration of their possible impact on other matters.The present system has the advantage of permitting either directed or discretionary proxies. Incidentally I find myself this morning with twelve proxies-all discretionary. Neither system may be ideal. The question we are considering is whether we should be better off if we returned to the use of discretionary proxies only. Best of all he should be both. But that is only one aspect of the matter. I do not think that that is quite true. That is the main point to be decided 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 341 Dr PARKER Replying to the last remark first the sentence referred to reads “. . the meeting instead of being a policy-making body has become a mockery, as the decision is made beforehand.” I submit that this is a policy-making body.If a motion particularly one amending a By-law is passed by a two-thirds majority it is binding. Secondly I cannot help deducing from the last speaker’s remark that the assumption is that the Council is right and that it knows better than the members. I cannot see that the present system of directed proxies allows for an enlightened conclusion any more than the system of having only discretionary proxies. A MEMBER At the Meeting in October last no one asked for a postal ballot. There is a rule I think that if ten members give notice in writing before the close of a General Meeting a postal ballot is held. That should be quite clear.It may be unwise to make use of this provision if the voting is very heavily for or against a resolution but that is a matter for members’ own consciences. If the voting is very close and particularly if the voting by proxy goes in the opposite direction to that by show of hands members may well think it proper to demand a postal vote. Indeed this is the final court of appeal when there is a doubt about the correctness of a decision. I should like to remind you that this motion which Dr Parker has so kindly and courteously put relates to an alteration of By-laws and would therefore have to be passed by a two-thirds majority. Therefore it is a policy-making body. The CHAIRMAN That is so and it has always been a By-law provision. The motion was put to the meeting.The CHAIRMAN (subsequently) The result of the voting is as follows : Resolution 6 For Against By proxy .. .. .. .. 504 923 By show of hands . . .. .. 74 100 a total of 578 for and 1,023 against. Dr R. E. PARKER I should like to ask that it be considered again in Council. The majority is not very much one way or the other it is less than two-thirds against. I do not want to demand a postal vote but I should like to ask that it be considered more fully. The CHAIRMAN All I can say is that the matter will be reported to the Council. The resolution is therefore lost. PROPOSED FURTHER ALTERATIONS OF BY-LAW 4 (2) The CHAIRMAN reminded the meeting that there were three resolutions 7 8 and 9 to be considered under this heading and that it had already been agreed that each resolution should be discussed and voted on separately.Each of the resolutions had as its object the further alteration of the following modified form of the new By-law 4 (Z) approved by the Privy Council to take effect on 6 April 1957 :-4. (2) A corporate member wishing to bring before the Annual General (a) that notice in writing of the proposed motion be given to the Secretary (or other Administrative Officer specified by the Council in accordance with By-law 18 (b)) and be received by him prior to the first day of February next before the date on which such meeting is to be held; ( 6 ) that the proposed motion be supported by not less than 10 corporate members. The notice must state the terms of the proposed motion and must be signed by all the corporate members supporting although it may consist of several documents in like form each signed by one or more of them.In default of compliance with any of the requirements of this By-law the proposed motion shall not come before the Meeting. The CHAIRMAN also drew attention to the following statement by the Council (issued with the Agenda) in opposition to the further changes in By-law 4 (2) proposed in resolutions 7 8 and 9 :-Meeting any motion relating to Special Business may do so provided :-342 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL “The subject of the motions concerning the amendment of By-law 4 (2) gave rise to controversy at the Special General Meeting on 19 October 1956 (Journal 1956 634) and subsequently in the correspondence columns of the Journal.Members are referred also to the considered review of this matter by the Council given in the Journal (1956 727-9). The purpose of the Council’s resolution passed at the Special General Meeting was neither to stifle discussion nor to prevent motions of substance coming before a Meeting. The resolution was designed merely to ensure that members should take full advantage of existing facilities for the exchange of ideas and viewpoints before a formal motion was submitted. Motions from corporate members like those submitted by the Council should be fully considered as to their implications and assured of a reasonable measure of support by other members. Differences have arisen as to what constitutes reasonable support. The Council in con-sidering this matter felt that the requirement of twenty signatures was reasonable and as the proxy voting showed this appeared to be acceptable to a large body of members.Subsequently after reconsidering the matter Council could find no reason to change its view but is naturally willing to defer to the judgment of the Privy Council on this point. Many professional bodies have no provision at all for private members’ motions especially such as might change the By-laws, but those that permit such motions usually require at least ten supporting sig-natures and Council is aware that some members have advocated this number. The motions now submitted provide respectively for sponsorship by one two and five members. The Council is opposed to these motions because they would in varying degree remove the safeguards which the Council in the interest of members sought to introduce last October.Those members who like the Council are prepared to accept the view of the Privy Council that ten is a reason-able number of sponsors can give expression to their wishes by voting against Resolutions 7 8 and 9.” Resolution 7 proposed by M r K. D. Hunt Associate : That the following By-law 4 (2) be made and adopted as a By-law of the Institute in substitution for and to the exclusion of any other By-law 4 (2) which has previously been made and adopted by a General Meeting of the Institute : A Corporate member wishing to bring before the Annual General Meeting any motion relating to Special Business shall give notice thereof to the Secretary (or other Administrative O&cer specified by the Council in accordance with By-law 16 ( b ) ) not later than thejrst day of February next before the date at which such Meeting is to be held and failing such notice no such motion shall come before the Meeting.Mr HUNT I wish to make it perfectly clear that each of the resolutions I am bringing forward at this meeting has the signed support of several members. In formally moving Resolution 7 I propose first to read my statement. The By-law in this resolution is the Institute’s By-law 4 (2) exactly as it has been for many years in the past. If any change even of only one word is made in this long-standing By-law the result may well be a restriction of the rights of corporate members. The By-law should therefore remain exactly as it is until such time as a strong case is made out for improving it.Under this By-law 4 (2) one member alone has the right to bring Special Business before the Annual General Meeting, held only once a year. Any change in the By-law which increases the number of sponsors required (whether it be to 2 to 5 or to 20) will deprive the member of this right completely. Under this By-law 4 (2) it is not necessarily required to notify the exact terms of the proposed motion prior to the Meeting. Any change in the By-law therefore which specifically requires the exact terms of the proposed motion to be notified (as does the Council’s proposed By-law over two months prior to the Meeting) involves a restriction of the rights of members; and may lead to other undesirable and unexpected consequences.” Since I wrote that about the exact terms of a motion the Privy Council has taken the same view.We have heard a great deal about giving careful “Reference is made to the Journal 1956 pp. 641 to 648 November 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 343 consideration to a proposed resolution. But until now nobody has referred to this point about exact terms-other than myself and the Privy Council. I have brought this resolution forward again although it was voted on last October simply to give the members an opportunity of retaining the old By-law if they wish. In my experience being able to work on your own is of great practical advantage especially if time is short because you can get your support and be sure of your support without getting twenty or ten signatures.Also many members prefer not to sponsor a resolution even if they are in favour of it and I have a proper respect for their point of view. Of course I agree that anything going before a meeting should be supported. I agree entirely with the Council’s view that you do not want frivolous motions. But that is very different from having to get signatories. In point of fact when I moved a resolution last year I did not bother to get any signatures. It was not necessary for I knew I should have the support of hundreds of members. In conclusion I consider that very strong arguments ought to be advanced for any proposed change in the By-laws which will have the effect of curtailing the rights of members at a General Meeting and what has happened this morning has convinced me more than ever that I am right because the General Meeting, such as this is the supreme authority in the Institute.This is the fundamental point that this Meeting is missing and that the Council has missed. In this Institute the General Meeting controls the Council. It is the supreme authority and policy-making body of the Institute not the Council. In many other bodies and in most companies that is not the case. That is why I attach so much importance to members at General Meetings both in respect of the voting pro-cedure and their right to bring motions forward. The CHAIRMAN thanked Mr Hunt and invited comment. Dr C. W. HERD As a member of Council I should like to emphasise again the Council’s view on this motion.Some of what I say will naturally apply also to the next two motions. May I reiterate that the Council definitely does not wish to restrict the rights of members at all and I do not think the new By-law does so. There is no wish to stifle discussion. The Council is in fact anxious to stimulate discussion on any question of substance. But it does feel that before any matter is brought to the stage of a formal resolution at a General Meeting it should have been fully discussed. Mr Hunt himself has just declared that he is in agreement with this. The purpose of the new By-law is to ensure that some prior consultation does take place. Any suggestion that comes to the Council is considered in very great detail. It is in most cases referred to a committee which considers the implications and reports back to Council for further discussion.It is only after such detailed examination that any motion is submitted to a General Meeting. I feel that individual members should also take steps to obtain the opinions of others on any proposal they wish to put forward. There are various ways of doing that, and everybody knows that encouragement is given to such preliminary consulta-tions. [The statement by the Council in opposition to Resolutions 7 8 and 9 is given on p. 342.1 Mr C. R. COLMAN I should like to say that I find these procedural arguments very tiresome. They seem to me to have exactly the opposite effect to what is intended. They are going to drive away members like myself and stop them from attending Annual General Meetings.I am here to discuss business not procedure. It seems to me that we are entirely losing track of our objectives. The By-laws are surely a con-venient framework within which the Institute operates. They do not denote policy at all. It is the Charter which shows what the Institute is for and this is like trying to alter the spirit in which cricket is played by deciding how many men you have fielding on the leg side. A MEMBER May I say how strongly I endorse that 344 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL The CHAIRMAN expressed his full agreement. Mr HUNT in replying I want to make it clear that when I said I was against frivolous motions I also indicated that in many cases there is no need to have prior discussions with several other members.It often happens that you know you will get support without doing that. In fact it is the proper function of the meeting itself to discuss and consider a resolution. If you make the proposer do that beforehand with twenty other members you are making them take over the function of the meeting in their own time and at considerable expense to themselves. Resolution 7 was then put and a count having been demanded the proxy votes were brought in. The CHAIRMAN (subsequently) The result of the voting is as follows: Resolution 7 For Against By show of hands . . .. .. 6 154 By proxy . . .. .. . . 268 1,153 a total of 274 for and 1,307 against. Resolution 7 is therefore lost. Resolution 8 submitted by M r C. W. G. Martin Fellow on behalf of 87 corporate members: That under the powers exercisable by the Institute under or by virtue of its Royal Charter the following new By-law 4 (2) be made and adopted as a By-law of the Institute in substitution for and to the exclusion of the proposed new By-law 4 (2) approved at the Special General Meeting of the Institute on 19 October, 1956 : A corporate member wishing to bring befre the Annual General Meeting any motion relating to Special Business shall give notice thereof to the Secretary (or other Administrative O$cer specified by the Council in accordance with By-law 16 ( 6 ) ) not later than thejirst day of February next before the date at which such meeting is to be held and failing such notice signed by two members no such motion shall come before the meeting.Mr Martin first drew attention to his short statement in support of the resolution which was printed on the Agenda paper as follows: ‘“This motion for the revision of By-law 4 (2) so that “private members’ motions need only a proposer and seconder” is presented on behalf of 87 members.It rests on the following considerations : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The right to present a motion to the Annual General Meeting has been enjoyed by each private member for more than 70 years until it was surrendered by the proxy vote recorded at the Special General Meeting on 19 October 1956. Only three private members’ motions have been presented during the past 40 years. Any conceivable misuse of this right could and should be restrained by some means less drastic than abolition of the right.The proxy voter is entitled to have both sides of the case presented to him before casting his vote. This principle was not fulfilled when Council’s resolution was presented last October. It has now been fulfilled by publication in the Journal of the October debate and of the subsequent statement by Council containing further arguments not previously presented either to the proxy voter or to the General Meeting. In view of the widespread concern with the manner in which the vote was achieved on 19 October this motion is presented to enable the matter to be reconsidered.” Mr MARTIN I wish to move Resolution 8 for the reasons given in the Journal last November and in the notice convening the meeting. I have even kept to the somewhat archaic wording of the old By-law 4 (2) to illustrate quite clearly that this is no move to change the spirit of the By-law which served us well for so many years prior to October 1956 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 345 This resolution by requiring not just one proposer but two corporate members, that is a proposer and a seconder merely concedes what has by ancient custom, become a normal rule of debate.On the other hand it avoids the complications which could arise from the new By-law even as amended so drastically by the Privy Council or as some of our colleagues seek to amend it further by Resolution 9. I t has been said that the items likely to come up under Special Business will be confined to financial matters and changes in By-laws. You may get two people to agree on the wording of such a resolution by a simple exchange of letters or a telephone call but there may be endless delays in satisfying ten or even five.In any case even three is contrary to the spirit of the old By-law and its implied freedom of speech by the individual. The members who have been in touch with me are unanimous in believing the proposal passed in October to be an infringement of their rights. To the suggestion that a private member’s motion needs scrutiny by five or ten others, I would reply that even the Council’s own resolution was not acceptable to the Privy Council without radical amendment. The statement accompanying Resolution 9 fully agrees that the finding of supporters will be difficult for members in the more scattered Sections. Even five may be out of the question.I have one oversea correspondent who writes to say that there is no Local Section in his Dominion. How can he get ten or even five? Last October the Council’s action in attempting to alter this By-law prompted several of us to take an unaccustomed part in the proceedings. It may have been thought because Dr Oliver and Mr Webb and I all spoke on this matter, that there was some prior discussion between us. I think it is only fair to say that we three all met for the first time at that meeting. There was and is no conspiracy of any kind; merely a spontaneous expression of our dislike at the attempt to alter the By-law unnecessarily. Once it became known it produced an avalanche of support offers of proxy votes and congratulations at the stand we had taken.Some on a more sombre note said that but for our action, they would by now have resigned from the Institute. That is a pretty sad state of affairs. A letter from Norwich in the March Journal submitted that such important subjects should be first discussed in the Sections. This of course is exactly what I tried to encourage last November. It was as I mentioned earlier well ventilated at a special meeting of our largest Section, London where what you now know as Resolution 8 obtained I repeat a thumping majority. But unfortunately you have not until today had the chance of knowing that. Two supporters to a motion implies consultation and agreement; twenty, ten or five means a campaign for which most of us have neither the time nor the facilities nor perhaps the money.For I think you should know that the cost of replying to correspondence and getting this motion on the Agenda has been overL7. This has been borne by the three members most instrumental in placing the resolution before you and does not include over 100 man-hours of their private time. So because there has been so much support many more than the 87 corporate members by now it is not confirmation of the wisdom in requiring ten to sign a motion; rather is it an indictment of those who sponsored the resolution last October. The Council has spent YOUTS in the extra cost of the more elaborate notices they have had to produce for this meeting. But this is not the fault of the proposers of resolutions on this Agenda. These resolutions I submit are the only available means of protest against the manner in which the Council’s unhappy resolution was passed last October.I ask you to give your support to Resolution 8. The CHAIRMAN thanked Mr Martin for presenting the resolution and invited Mr Webb to speak in support. Mr A. WEBB I should like to make two points and also to answer the point that this is merely a wrangle about procedure. So it is on the surface I agree; There is one more point. For not only have we spent our money 346 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL but I submit that there is still a very important point of principle concerned-our dignity and our status as professional men. I submit that the result of the Special General Meeting last October was unsatisfactory to those who attended it and also to those who did not.Dr Parker has reminded us of Council’s opinion about that meeting namely that the general body of proxy voters arrived at a more enlightened conclusion than some of the members present at the discussion. I was one of those present and must therefore accept my share in the snub which Council saw fit to deliver to us. On the other hand as an inveterate proxy voter I claim my share in the Council’s very handsome compliment on our perspicacity from which it seems that we are regular sleuthhounds we proxy voters; Sherlock Holmes was a novice to us! You will recollect Sir that his speciality was to retire into his sanctum with a pound of shag an ounce of cocaine and a set of data and in the course of a couple of days having absorbed the lot he would emerge with a solution.We proxy voters are credited with performing this interesting feat without the shag, without the cocaine and without even the data. True we had a statement-a statement prepared by Professor Moriarty I should think. (Even Council admits that it was imperfect.) But we triumphed. We arrived at an enlightened conclusion. I repeat that I am an inveterate proxy voter myself and so also are my colleagues with whom I have daily contact. This Sir is how we arrive at our enlightened conclusions. When we are faced with a Council motion we read it through a couple of times and if it does not happen to tread on any of our pet corns we vote for it out of motives of respect and loyalty to the Council. That is a very healthy and very desirable state of affairs but our loyalty must not be exploited and our respect must not be compromised.It is a matter of good manners that every motion presented to this meeting needs a seconder. It is one of the things which are done and it ought not to be questioned or discussed. We have therefore conceded that two corporate members may be required to sign a written notice of motion. It is not unreason-able in these days of telephones but that is as far as we can go. Any further increase is a restriction on those rights that we enjoy as presumably intelligent, presumably reasonable and presumably responsible men worthy to be incor-porated under the Royal Charter. I have enjoyed listening to that as much as I am certain the speaker enjoyed reading it.In the speech Mr Webb has just made he omitted the word “probably” from the quotation on which much of his argument was based. I noticed also that in a letter Mr Webb sent to the Journal some months ago he omitted the same not insignificant word from the Council statement. That is to say we voted the way Council wanted us to vote. Of course we did; and I will tell you how we did it. The CHAIRMAN Thank you. The SECRETARY May I draw attention to a point of fact. Mr WEBB I also omitted a regrettable parenthesis from that quotation. Dr J. H. OLIVER Last October I objected to the change of By-law 4 (2) as a matter of principle-the loss of a freedom. I still object to being turned into a committee man. In spirit we have imperilled our Charter; in behaviour-in sturdy Elizabethan language-we have belched before the Queen and the Privy Council has softened the sound.We are not a corporate body authorised by Parliament with all the limitations that Parliament by experience has found necessary. We are incorporated under the residue of authority that Parliament prefers to leave with the Crown. The rules which govern us are the unwritten ones of good behaviour. Our responsibility is individual and the symbol of that responsibility was rule 4 (2). We have not acted like chartered men and women but like children in making rules to serve our purpose in a game which we should not play. It may be among our instinctive qualities as a nation; it may be luck; it may be divine that our forefathers only limited the authority of the Crown for it stands today the only authority above jealousy that can hold united in th 19573 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 347 Commonwealth men divided by country colour class and creed.In no other countries in the world does a national anthem receive such frequent respect. At Twickenham or Wembley in Covent Garden or the Odeon we notice an unwritten rule for once past the door and whilst the anthem is still heard one may continue selfishly to be first on the bus or in the car park. We among the more privileged to stand closer to that authority must show no fear of anyone still less of each other. This is not a quarrel between a few members and the Council; it is a quarrel each with ourselves between sloth and strength between indifference and determination.There is still time for us to think again. Mr President I beg you with your influence to ask the Council to make this postal vote* a free one; and then one night Mr President as you and I watch that portrait which God gave a foreigner the insight to paint we will see a little smile that will make our hearts jump as they did years ago and we shall know that She was pleased at the way it all ended even if we were rather a a long time making up our minds. What we are discussing is the number of members needed to bring up a private members’ motion. Mr Martin has already suggested by calling for two supporters that the old rule is not sacrosanct. The question is this. Should it be two or should it be five or should it be ten? I quite seriously suggest that in a body of 15,000 people there may well be two or even five members who might want to take up the time of an Annual General Meeting and run the Institute into considerable expense over a proposal that is going to have very little support.When our original rule of one sponsor was established the membership of the Institute was certainly under 1,000. I am suggesting that times have changed very considerably since then. It seems to me reasonable that a man who wants to bring forward proposals for altering By-laws-and most of the special business that has come before Annual General Meetings has been concerned with this-should go to some trouble and even expense to find out that he has a measure of support. [The statement by the Council in opposition to Resolutions 7 8 and 9 is given on p.342.1 The motion was then put to the vote and a count having been demanded, the proxies were brought in. The CHAIRMAN (subsequently) The result of the voting is as follows : Mr L. M. MIALL Let us stick to the point. Resolution 8 For Against By show of hands . . * . . . 64 106 Resolution 8 is therefore lost. By proxy . . .. .. . . 476 959 a total of 540 for and 1,065 against. Resolution 9 submitted by Dr R. E. Parker FeZZow on behalf of 34 corporate members : That under the powers exercisable by the Institute under or by virtue of its Royal Charter the proposed new By-law 4 (2) approved at the Special General Meeting of the Institute on 19 October 1956 be amended by deleting the words “not less than 20 corporate members” and substituting the words “not less than 5 corporate members.’’ The following statement by Dr Parker in support of the Resolution had been printed on the Agenda paper : “This resolution is proposed with the unanimous approval of the Committee of the Mid-Southern Counties Section and supported by the Committees of the Hull and District and the Edinburgh and East of Scotland Sections. The arguments in favour of reducing the number from 20 have been discussed at some length in the Journal. They may be summaried as :-* A postal vote was subsequently demanded 348 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL The right of an individual member to bring a matter before a General Meeting of the Institute is one of long standing which should not be discarded lightly.Experience in the application of the original rule does not justify such a radical alteration. Since 1916 only three private members’ motions have been put forward and on only one occasion has this resulted in any difficulties. The finding of 20 supporters will be difficult for members in the more scattered Sections. The proposal to reduce the required number of supporters to 5 is put forward as a reasonable compromise between the individual rights of members and the need to restrict possible interference with the business of a General Meeting by frivolous motions.” Dr PARKER We put forward five as a compromise between what was then twenty-before we knew about the Privy Council decision-and the original one. This was supported by the committees of three Local Sections and subsequently by other Local Sections.The second point is that the reason we are wasting our time discussing this is not our fault but because of what the Council did in October. In the last forty years only three private members’ motions have been presented. Today there are seven in one year and I think this is the result of that action. Finally it does not follow that the figure of ten suggested by the Privy Council was put forward as ideal; it may have been the maximum they would accept. We suggest five as a better number. A MEMBER As a member of one of the smaller Sections in the far north where the speed of reaction might be expected to be reduced by the lower temperature I can say that we would have no difficulty in getting ten members to support a motion.Dr A. C. BENDER It seems to me that if the number of supporters required is in order to prevent cranks putting forward motions and wasting time we may be doing the wrong thing. A crank will go to a great deal of trouble to get twenty or a hundred supporters. The people who are put off may be those who have very good motions but will not go to the trouble of getting ten or more supporters. I am no longer a member of Council but I have not spent five years on the Council in order to modify my rights and privileges. I am as keen as any member to preserve them. Dr Parker agrees with me that we should have these rights and privileges and should not misuse or abuse them. The difference between us is very small but important. In considering how motions come before the Annual General Meeting we should not suppose that those submitted by the Council and those brought forward by private members are something entirely different.They are not. They were no doubt engendered in the same way-as some concept of thought. In the one case the person who had the thought happened to be serving on the Council and started the discussion going. Or he was serving on the committee of a Local Section or went to his Local Section. We know what importance is attached to discussion by the Council and its committees before a motion is brought forward to an Annual General Meeting. Surely the same amount of thought and discussion should be given to any private members’ motion. I suggest by talking it over or by correspondence with other members.So what we have to ask ourselves is whether it is reasonable not to expect a minimum of ten supporters for a motion to be submitted to an Annual General Meeting when that motion if carried, is going to affect the way of life in some particular of a corporate body of nearly 15,000 members. [The statement by the Council in opposition to Resolutions 7 8 and 9 is given on p. 342.1 (a) (b) (c) Mr E. J. VAUGHAN A lot has been said about rights and privileges. But how is it to be given 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 349 The motion was then put and a count was requested by Dr Parker. A MEMBER asked what interpretation the Council placed on the deletion of the word “precise” by the Privy Council? Did it mean that a member was obliged to state in general terms any matter he brought forward but need not put it in precise terms? The CHAIRMAN remarked that one object of the deletion was to ensure that a motion having merit should not be rejected solely because of some inexactness of wording.The SECRETARY added that although a motion might be put forward in general terms for discussion any proposed change of By-laws would certainly have to be put into precise form before submission to the Privy Council. The SECRETARY in reply to a question said that there had been one or two other occasions on which the Privy Council had modified the terms of a By-law submitted for their approval. The CHAIRMAN The result of the voting on Resolution 9 is as follows : By show of hands . . .. .. 66 82 For Against By proxy .. .. .. . . 488 944 being 554 votes for and 1,026 against. Resolution 9 is therefore lost. METHOD OF VOTING ON SPECIAL BUSINESS Resolution 10 proposed by Mr K. D. Hunt Associate: Any question relating to Special Business to be decided by a General Meeting shall be decided finally by a Postal Vote and such a Postal Vote shall be taken on each and every such question. The Council shall send to each corporate member the postal voting papers and at the same time wherever possible the Council shall send to each corporate member a verbatim report of the proceedings at the said General Meeting. The Postal Vote shall be taken by means of a secret ballot and the envelopes containing the completed voting papers shall be opened by Scrutineers who are not Members of the Council.The completed voting papers shall be received at the Office of the Institute not later than fifty-six days after the said General Meeting. The results of the said Postal Vote shall be determined by the said Scrutineers. Mr Hunt in moving Resolution 10 referred first to his statement printed in the notice of meeting as follows : “This resolution concerns new but topical business. I t is brought forward to meet a widespread desire amongst members for a revision of the present unsatisfactory voting procedure at General Meetings. Since the method of voting has a bearing on every question submitted to a meeting I consider that this is a matter of great importance to the Institute. All decisions of a General Meeting the supreme authority in the Institute ought to be taken by means of a fair and proper vote of all corporate members whether they attend the meeting or not.This resolution provides the minimum conditions most of which are non-controversial for achieving this end. Its object is to abolish the proxy vote and replace it by a secret postal vote. The latter must operate automatically because past experience has clearly shown that members not present at the meeting are often disenfranchised if this is not the case. Moreover, absent members are entitled in all cases even where the business is non-contentious, to have their votes taken into account and formally recorded in the result of the vote. Special Business is now almost entirely confined to important topics, such as By-law changes and financial matters.The circulation of verbatim reports is already routine Council practice. The secrecy provisions in the resolution are taken from the present By-laws where they apply to the present secret ballot for the election of Members of the Council etc. The time required to take the Postal Vote (taken from the By-laws) is considered to be an advantage, and it will provide the 2,000 members resident overseas with an opportunit 350 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY [APRIL of voting on Institute business. It is of interest to note here that under the original Royal Charter during 64 years up to 1949 all changes in the By-laws had to be confirmed at a second and subsequent General Meeting. This resolution if adopted will not entail any appreciable additional expenditure by the Institute; the expense of the present directed proxy vote (which has serious defects) and of the discretionary proxy vote (which is unsatisfactory because the member voting does not cast his own vote) would disappear.” Mr HUNT This is the only resolution I have brought forward at this meeting concerning new business.It is submitted as a solution of all the voting procedure problems that have been mentioned. It has been very carefully thought out. The Council statement says that “the Institute and its members would thus regularly be involved in much unnecessary trouble and expense to no useful purpose” if this resolution is adopted. I do not agree with this view and I have taken the trouble to study the voting on all Institute special business during the last ten years.For example the voting on my resolution at last year’s Annual General Meeting by show of hands was-For 1 vote; Against 125 votes. I demanded a count in order that the votes of absent members who had taken the trouble to send in proxies might be included. The vote then became-For 178 votes; Against 945 votes. Can anyone say that my action in demanding a count was wrong or that it served no useful purpose? Experience not merely my opinion shows that it is unsatisfactory to have to rely on one member demanding a count in order to ensure that the proxy votes are included. Still more unsatisfactory is it to have to depend on ten members coming forward with a written demand for a postal vote before the end of the meeting so that all corporate members may have an opportunity of voting on each resolution after it has been discussed.In the interests of the Institute and of fairness votes should be automatic. As no further comment was offered the motion was then put and a count having been demanded the proxy votes were brought in. The CHAIRMAN (subsequently) This is the result : Resolution 10 For Against By show of hands . . .. .. 3 112 By proxy . . .. .. .. 420 1,000 being a total of 423 for and 1,112 against. Resolution 10 is therefore lost. PRIVILEGES OF ASSOCIATES Resolutions 11 and 12 proposed by Mr K. D. Hunt Associate: 11. That the By-laws of the Institute be altered so that an Associate of the Institute shall be eligible to be elected as an Honorary Officer of the Institute.12. That the By-laws of the Institute be altered so that an Associate of the Institute shall be eligible to be elected as a Member of the Council of the Institute. Mr HUNT These two resolutions were considered at the Annual General Meeting last year and I have referred members to the report of the debate (Journal 1956 347-352 ; see also 1944,62-63). I have done this because I wanted to give the proxy voters an opportunity of reading both sides of the argument before they cast their votes at this meeting. If you take the view that the Associateship is inferior to the Fellowship in responsibility and other such respects then for that very reason there should be some Associates on the Council in order to put forward directly the viewpoint of the lower grade of membership.On the other hand if you take the view that the Associateship now corresponds largely to what the Fellowship was in that two years’ experience as a chemist is now required for admission to the Associate-ship there is less reason for discriminating against Associates. So you can take your choice of these two possibilities 19571 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 35 1 The CHAIRMAN Thank you Mr Hunt. We will put Resolution 11 to the vote and while we are waiting for the result we will take a vote on Resolution 12. A MEMBER who asked as a matter of interest what conditions prevailed in other professional bodies with two grades of membership was referred to the administrative officers. Resolutions 11 and 12 having been put the CHAIRMAN announced The voting is as follows: being a being a The Resolution 11 By show of hands . . * . By proxy . . .. .. By show of hands . . .. By proxy . . * . .. total of 418 for and 1,133 against. Resolution 12 total of 505 for and 1,048 against. For Against .. 8 107 .. 410 1,026 Resolution 11 is therefore lost. For Against ,. 16 98 . . 489 950 Resolution 12 is therefore lost. CHAIRMAN I should like to thank the speakers for the way they have dealt with the resolutions which has enabled us to get through a large amount of business in a reasonable time. I have to inform you that I have received a written request signed by ten members for a postal vote on Resolution 8. This will be properly attended to. A MEMBER May I propose that this meeting records a vote of thanks to the President for the way he has handled it. Mr C. W. G. MARTIN seconded the motion. The vote mas carried by acclamation. The CHAIRMAN That concludes the meeting and I thank you very much LOCAL SECTIONS OF THE INSTITUTE Section Abrrdeen and North of Scotland Belfast and District Birmingham and Midlands Bristol and District Cardiff and District Cuniberland and District Dublin and District Duridee and District Caft Anglia Edinburgh and East of Scotland Glasgow and West of Scotland Hutidersfirid W ~ l l arid tlistrict Leeds Area Liverpool and North-Western London hlanchcster and District hl id-Southem Counties Kewcastle upon Tyne and North-North Lancashire East Coast North Wales Shefield South Yorkshire and South Wales North Midlands South-Western Counties Stirlingshire and District Tees-side Thames Valley Malaya Cape of Good Hope New Zealand Deccan Madras Western India Northern India Eastern India Ceylon East Africa Hon. Secretary H. G. M. Hardie PH.D. A.R.I.c. 14 Forbesfield Road Aberdeen R. J. Magee M.SC. PH.D. A.R.I.c. 255 Holywood Road Belfast G. Tolley M.SC. PH.D. F.R.I.c. College of Technology Birming-D. Woodcock MSC. PH.D. P.R.I.c.. University of Bristol Dept. of J. F. Byme A.R.I.c. Treharne & Davies Lid. Merton House The J. S. Nairn F.R.I.c. 16 Halsenna Road Seascale Cumberland J. T. O’Herliby B.SC. A.R.I.c. 21 Collins Avenue Rallymun Dublin T. c. Downie B.SC. PH.D. A.R.I.c. Chemistry Department The ham I Agric. Csr Hortic. Research Station Long Ashton Bristol Docks CardiK Terhnical College Bell Street Dundee H. F. Bamford. M.A.. P.R.I.G. John Markintosh & Sons Ltd. (Caley Iiraiich) (Jhapelfield \I &irks Sorwich W. C. Garratt mc. F.R.I.c. 6 M’estbourne Park hlackworth Estate ilrrby E. s. Stem B.Sc.. PKD. A.R.C.S. n.1.r.. P.R.I.C. Rewarch Dept., J. I,. hlacfarlan gi Co. Ltd. Abbeyhill Edinburgh 8 W. Gibb B.SC. PH.D. A.R.T.c. A.M.ISST.F.. A.R.I.c. Department of Technical Chemistry Royal College of Scieiire and Techriology, Georgc Street. Clasgow C.1 C. V. Hockey A.R.I.c. 3 Brooklyn Avenue Dalton. Huddersfield. P. Btieklebank. R.SC. A.R.I.c. c/o T. J. Smith & Kephew Ltd., hpturiz Strert ~inystot~-upori-€lull W. A. Wightman M.A. F.R.I.c. The University Leeds 2 J. Ashley-Jones F.R.I.c. c/o J. Bibby & Sons Ltd. Great Howard A. J. Tumbull F.R.I.c. 120 hat1 Street London N.W.1 Street Liverpool 3 R. E. Fairbairn B.SC.. PH.D. F.R.I.c. Imperial Chemical .Industries, Ltd. DyestufIs Division. Hexagon House Ulacklcy. hlanrhester 9 L. C. Thomas RSC. F.R.I.c. 7 Hilltop Way Salisbury Wilts. W. F. Stones A.R.I.c. Central Electricity Authority. North-Eastern Division Room 440 Carliol House Kewcastle upon Tyne A. B. Crowther BS. DIP.ED. A.R.I.c. 10 Chapman Road Fuiwood, Kr Preston S MeLintock B.SC. P.R.I.c. Chemistry and Lvletallurgy Dept., Flititshire Technical. College Connali’s Quay Nr Chester 0. S. Mills B.SC. A.R.I.c. Department of Chemistry University of Sheflield E. E. Ayling M.SC. F.R.I.c. University College Singleton Park, Swansea B. M. Doaxgall M.SC.AORIC.. P.G.S A.R.Y.c. Chemistry Dept. Seale-Hayne Agricultural College gewton Abbot F. S. Fowkes B.SC. PH.D. A.R.I.c. 28 Learmonth Street Falkirk, Stit lingshire P. Smith B.SC. PH.D. A.R.c.s. D.I.c. A.R.I.c. 51 The Avenue, Fairfield Stockton-on-Tees Co. Durham P. F. Holt B.SC.. PH.D. D.I.c. F.R.I.c. Department of Chemistry The University Reading Chia Chwec Leong hf.SC. A.R.I.c. Department of Chemistry, H. E. Kmmm F.R.I.c. “Sonnenschein,” 3 LeeuwendaI Crescent, E. S. Borthwick M.SC.. A.N.Z.I.C. A.R.I.C. Shell co. of N.Z. Ltd., M. R. A. Rao DSC. F.R.I.c. Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, K. R. Srinivasan M.A. F.R.I.c. King Institute Guindy Madras 15, J. R. Merchant M.SC. PH.D. A.R.I.c. Institute of Science Mayo G. S. Saharia M.SC. PH.D. D.I.C. P.R.I.c. Department oZChemistry, K. B. Sen DLSC. F.R.I.c. 66 Raja Basanta Roy Road Calcutta 29 N. Jayatange B.SC. P.c.i.c. Department of Government Analyst, Torriiipton Square Calom bo. 7 Ceylon R. F. Naylor BSC. PH.D. A.R.c.s. D.I.c. F.R.I.c. Department of Chemistry Makerere College P.O. Box 262 Kampala Uganda Outram Road Singapore Cape Town P.O. Box 2091 Wellington C.1 3 India S. India Road. Bombay I India The University Delhi 8 India 35
ISSN:0368-3958
DOI:10.1039/JI9578100251
出版商:RSC
年代:1957
数据来源: RSC
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