June 26, '91.] The Faraday Centenary. 481 



THE FARADAY CENTENARY. 



Friday, June 26, 1891. 



The Duke of Northumberland, K.G. D.C.L. LL.D. President, 



in the Chair. 



There were also present — Lord Halsbury, Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir 

 Richard Webster, Sir Edward Fry, Sir William Thomson, Sir Joseph 

 Lister, Sir James Crichton Browne, Lord Rayleigh, Sir Joseph 

 Fayrer, Sir William Bowman, Sir Frederick Abel, Dr. Frankland, 

 Professor Odling, Mr. Ludwig Mond, and Sir Frederick Bramwell. 



The Chemical Work of Faraday in relation to Modern Science. 

 By Professor Dewar, M.A. F.R.S. 



Prof. Dewar commenced his lecture by saying that his eminent 

 colleague had done such ample justice to the physical side of 

 Faraday's work, that his own task would be limited to dealing with 

 those early researches in which he developed that astounding manipu- 

 lative power which enabled him to conduct his subsequent electrical 

 investigations in so remarkable a manner. He proposed to give a 

 brief sketch of the more important of the distinctive chemical labours 

 of Faraday, and then to select one of the many veins of investigation 

 he had opened up, and show what had resulted from its development. 



Faraday's chemical work might be divided into the following 

 groups or periods : — Period of Analytic Work. Organic Research. 

 Study of Gaseous Properties. Investigations on Steel and Glass. 

 Determination of Electro-chemical Equivalents. Regelation. Action 

 of Metals on Light. Work on Chemical Manipulation. Published 

 Lectures. 



Having given a short resume of Faraday's progress through these 

 Bubjects, Prof. Dewar referred to his first great work in organic 

 research, the production of two comjDounds of chlorine and carbon, 

 the perchloride and the protochloride, and the determination of the 

 composition of " Julian's chloride of carbon." The original specimens 

 prepared by Faraday were exhibited, and it was pointed out that the 

 discoverer's analyses of these bodies were absolutely accurate, not- 

 withstanding the difficulties attending such work at that time. His 

 discovery of " bicarburet of hydrogen " (now widely known and 

 largely manufactured as benzol), and a "new hydrocarbon" (now 

 known as butylene) was then described, it being pointed out that 

 having regard to the methods of working which Faraday had to 

 employ, the isolation and determination of the composition of such 

 bodies was marvellous, and was to be explained only by his wonderful 

 manipulative skill. 



