Chemistry of To-day. xiii 



intrepidly begun by our old Astronomer Royal in the 

 evening of his life. 



During the year, two men who had made their mark in 

 the astronomical arena, have passed away, Richard A. 

 Proctor, the well-known author of many astronomical works 

 (though not a practical astronomer), and Editor of the 

 periodical Knoivledge, died of yellow fever in New York, on 

 12th September. J. C. Houzean, Honorary Director of the 

 Royal Observatory, Brussels, author of Uranometric 

 Generale Vade Meciiin de VAstronomie and BibliograpJdc 

 Generale de VAstronomie, died July 12, 1888, at the age of 

 68. 



SHORT ADDRESS ON THE CHEMISTRY OF 

 TO-DAY. 



By Professor Orme Masson. 



I fancy it will be best not to attempt to do what is 

 impossible — to give you an account, in the ten minutes at 

 my disposal, of the results of the chemical researches of the 

 past year. I shall rather try to indicate some of the great 

 problems in the science which still await solution, but 

 towards the solution of which something has been contri- 

 buted by recent important investigations. 



The phrase " modern chemistry " has been used in many 

 senses. It carries us back to 1661, or thereabouts, when we 

 hear Boyle described as the "Father of Modern Chemistry ;" 

 to the end of last century, when Lavoisier is credited with 

 having founded modern chemistrj^ by his enunciation of the 

 correct theory of combustion ; and there are not wanting 

 chemists who would make the science much younger by 



