4 Dixon, Inaugural Address. * 



into a rhombus, each layer has its particles in a more 

 condensed form, but raises the layer above so that the 

 pile is increased in height, and the number of particles in a 

 given volume becomes less. 



We shall have now another answer to meet the 

 sceptic's enquiry — " What do you know about your atom 

 when it has combined with another?" I think it is a 

 matter on which this Society may well feel pride that we 

 were the first to hear this newest development of the 

 atomic theory. 



My reference to benzene will naturally recall to many 

 here that the hexagon or ring of benzene has no 

 monopoly among closed carbon chains. The researches 

 of our member. Professor Perkin, on the formation and 

 stability of various carbon rings are known and admired 

 by all organic chemists. Of late years he has been 

 specially occupied with researches on the Camphor and 

 Terpene series, and his work has been crowned by the 

 discovery — specially dear to the constitutional chemist — 

 of processes for the synthetical preparation of Camphor 

 and of Terpene in the laboratory. It is not out of place 

 to mention here that, founded on Dr. Perkin's theoretical 

 researches, a successful technical process for the manu- 

 facture of camphor from oil of turpentine has been 

 developed in Manchester. Dr. Perkin and his pupils 

 have also successfully investigated the exceedingly com- 

 plex constitution of the natural colouring matters — 

 Brazilin and Haematoxylin. This room is not, perhaps, 

 the place for elaborate discussions on constitutional 

 formulae, but I feel sure the Society would be glad if 

 Dr. Perkin brought before us an outline of his dis- 

 coveries — as he makes them. 



With regard to the work that I am most interested in 



