20 PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



it is high time that the public began to distinguish between the druggist 

 or pharmacist, who sells toilet articles and medicine, and the chemist, 

 whose prime business is chemistry and its application to production. 



The popular confusion that formerly existed in the British 

 mind between the chemist and the apothecary is largely respon- 

 sible for the false perspective of chemical matters that the whole 

 iBritish nation has had. In Germany such a Hogarth's picture of 

 the chemist and his functions never prevailed. 



It is unfortunately true that, however inadequate the value 

 placed upon chemical attainments and qualifications in England, 

 the position is distinctly worse in South Africa. Two years ago 

 the South African Association of Analytical Chemists appointed 

 a Sub-Committee to report upon the duties and responsibilities of 

 Government Analysts. The resulting report — a very exhaus- 

 tive one — was subsequently printed in that Association's Pro- 

 ceedings,''' and it proclaims with emphasis that with the emolu- 

 ments obtained by analysts in the Imperial Government Labora- 

 tory the conditions of the South African service compare most 

 unfavourably, a condition of afifairs which it attributes to " the 

 lack of scientific training extant among ministers and responsible 

 officials." 



The Government Laboratories [the report continues] could be more 

 fully utilised in investigating the industrial resources of the country. The 

 crying need of this countr}' is research, and the Government should 

 provide the necessary staff and laboratories for investigational work ; at 

 present, the time of the officials is largely taken up by work of a routine 

 character. 



In another part of the report occurs this paragraph : 



This failure to realise the importance and necessity of the cliemist is 

 found among the general public as well as among Government officials, 

 and it will be necessary, in order to effect an improvement and secure 

 proper recognition of the value of the chemist, to continually emphasise his 

 importance to the welfare of the State. 



Many, no doubt, do not comprehend what functions the re- 

 search chemist can exercise in South Africa, and what scope the 

 country can offer for his labours. Following the United States' 

 principle of the best men in the best posts, where, they ask, can 

 we place him so that the country may, through his instrumen- 

 tality, reap the greatest advantage? To answer such questions 

 one needs, first of all, to consider how scientific research — and 

 therefore inferentially chemical research — may be distributed. 

 As a matter of convenience, a threefold grouping is adopted — 

 imiversity research, industrial research, and national research. 

 Adapting the definitions given by Mr. C. E. Skinner a few month> 

 ago at a meeting of the American Institute of Electrical 

 Engineers, we may say that university research includes the pure 

 scientific research, which naturally finds its home in the univer- 

 sity and all other research done there for the purpose of training- 

 men. Industrial research comprises all that done by or for 

 industrial concerns with the purpose of advancing industry. 



* Proc. S.A. Assoc. Anal. Chemists (1916-17), 32-51. 



