924 SIR HENRY ROSCOE. 



searches of Bunsen and Roscoe deserve the name of a classical in- 

 vestigation as they not only have gathered together all points known 

 hitherto on the subject, but by their wide and thorough experiments 

 have laid the foundation for all future work on the subject. It 

 cannot be doubted that these researches not only serve as a classical, 

 but as the classical type for all future works on the subject of physical 

 chemistry. 



Roscoe's residence in Heidelberg and his association with Bunsen 

 and with Kirchhoff naturally led him to take special interest in 

 spectrum analysis. He translated the book of Bunsen and Kirchhoff 

 and also lectured extensively on this subject. 



In 1857 he was elected professor of chemistry in Owens College, 

 Manchester, succeeding Franklin. The College had then been in 

 existence only six years, and it was in a low state financially. In his 

 "Life and Experiences," published in 1906, he says: "The institution 

 was at that time nearly in a state of collapse, and this fact had im- 

 pressed itself even on the professors. I was standing one evening 

 preparing myself for my lecture by smoking a cigar at the back gate 

 of the building, when a tramp accosted me and asked me if this was 

 the Manchester Night Asylum. I replied that it was not, but that 

 if he would call again in six months he might find lodging there! 

 That this opinion as to the future of the college was also generally 

 prevalent is shown by the fact that the tenancy of a house in Dover 

 Street was actually refused to me when the landlord learned that I 

 was a professor in that institution." 



Roscoe's principal work for chemistry was done while holding the 

 professorship in Owens College, which he resigned in 1885 to enter 

 Parliament, after a continuous service of 28 years. During this period 

 the college was completely transformed and in 1880 a Royal Charter 

 constituting the Victoria University was granted. Of this new uni- 

 versity Owens College was a part, the other parts being the University 

 College of Liverpool and the Yorkshire College of Leeds. 



Roscoe undoubtedly rendered his country a great service in im- 

 proving the methods of teaching chemistry. In this work he was ably 

 seconded by Carl Schorlemmer, a German, who was thoroughly 

 imbued with the spirit of the German universities. He held the chair 

 of Organic Chemistry and distinguished himself by his researches 

 and by his literary work. Roscoe had great admiration for the 

 German methods and he did what he could to give his country the 

 benefit of these methods. 



Roscoe's contributions to chemistry are not numerous. Probably 



