April joth, 1920.] Proceedings. xxxvii. 



economical or wasteful according to circumstances, and atten- 

 tion should be given wherever possible to the grouping of 

 buildings housing particular operations, so that solid materials 

 can be handled in buildings in proximity to each other and to 

 the means of transport. Operations involving the use of steam 

 should be carried on in buildings grouped round the central 

 steam supply, such arrangements involving the minimum of 

 losses which arise from radiation and other causes. A variety 

 of points connected with the construction of drying plant, 

 mixing apparatus, and the use of corrodible metals, were also 

 gone into. 



Annual General Meeting, April 30th 1920. 

 Mr. R. H. Clayton, B.Sc. (Chairman), in the Chair. 



The following Members were elected Officers of the Section 

 and Members of the Committee for the ensuing year : — 



Chairman : J. H. Lester, M.Sc, F.I.C. 

 Vice-Chairman : R. H. Clayton, B.Sc. 

 Hon. Secretary : David Cardwell, M.Sc, F.I.C. 



Other Members of the Committee : Edward Ardern, D.Sc, 

 F.I.C; F, W. Atack, B.Sc, M.Sc.Tech., F.I.C. ; W. H. Bentley, 

 D.Sc, F.C.S. ; Professor Arthur Lapworth, D.Sc, F.R.S., 

 F.I.C; Harold Moore, M.Sc.Tech., F.C.S. , A.I.C; Professor 

 F. Lee Pyman, D.Sc, Ph.D., F.I.C; Rona Robinson, M.Sc, 

 A.I.C; Leonard E. Vlies, F.C.S., F.I.C; and T. R. Wollaston, 

 M.LMech.E. 



Ordinary Meeting^ April 30th, 1920. 



Mr. J. H. Lester, M.Sc, F.I.C (Chairman), in the Chair. 



Dr. J. A. Russell Henderson, F.C-S., read a paper entitled 

 " Alchemy and Chemistry amongst the Chinese." 



Chinese alchemy is of great antiquity and is closely connected 

 with the religion of Tao, which is indigenous to China and 

 which dates back to the sixth century B.C., if not to the begin- 

 ning of the Chinese race. The alchemists in China had the 

 same objects in view as those in Europe at a much later time, 

 viz., immortality and the transmutation of base metals into 

 gold ; their writings are obscure and they failed in their great 



