The President's Address. 63 



their establislinient. He held the post of second brewer there 

 for eight years. During this period he communicated several 

 papers to the ' Philosophical Magazine,' and also published 

 a set of ' Chemical Tables ' for students, &c. Eight years 

 later, having resigned this position, he canvassed for the 

 formation of a Chemical Society, and finally convened the 

 meeting of chemists at the Society of Arts which resulted in 

 the formation of the present Chemical Society. He held the 

 office of Secretary to that Society for ten years, and read 

 many papers before it. 



On Mr. Hennell's death he was appointed Chemical 

 Operator, in 1842, to the Society of Apothecaries, which 

 office he held until ill health compelled him to resign in 

 1866. Soon after his appointment, and for many years, his 

 professional engagements became very numerous. In the 

 course of his duties there he was struck with the singular 

 properties of glycerine. Being thought to be useless, it was 

 allowed to drain away into the common sewer without further 

 notice. Warington, however, saw this waste with regret, 

 and, having some empty and unemployed carboys on hand, 

 he collected the glycerine, and stored it away. He found it 

 valuable in the mounting of objects for the microscopes, and 

 mentioned its properties to his medical friends, amongst 

 others to Erasmus Wilson, F.R.S., and Mr. Startin. 



Erasmus Wilson says — " It was not long before we were 

 startled by the complaint of one of our patients of the ex- 

 travagant price of the substance. We had recommended it 

 as inexpensive, and we soon discovered that Waring ton's 

 hoard was exhausted, and that the enhanced price resulted 

 from want of supply. Then a supply was obtained from the 

 soap-boilers, but was so inferior to the first, and so offensive 

 in odour, that glycerine for awhile lost its popularity. Its 

 reputation, however, was eventually restored by passing into 

 the hands of Price's Candle Company, by whom the best 

 glycerine in the market is at present manufactured. In the 

 hands of Warington, and with a prevision of its future utility, 

 glycerine w^as a waste product of no value whatever by the 

 side of the materials from which it was obtained. Soon, 

 however, the product rose to occupy the first place, and the 

 materials were sacrificed in its production ; and for this we 

 have to thank the foresight, the providence of Warington ; 

 for the increased consumption of the article was the best 

 proof of its usefulness to man, and glycerine occupies at 

 present an important place in the ' British Pharmacopoeia.' 

 The reputation of Warington and glycernie will for all time 

 be inseparable ; and we know of no more glorious monument 



