PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Ixvii. 



hoped that a research laboratory for the purpose may be 

 founded as a result of their recommendation. At the British 

 Association meeting it was noted that with a wave length 

 of 600 metres the ranges by day and night were 450 and 2,000 

 miles respectively, and that by increasing the wave length 

 say to 800 metres an enormous increase was observed in the 

 range by day, whilst that by night was unaffected. In some 

 cases there was a maximum in the strength of signals at 

 midnight. An electrical sterilization of milk has been in 

 successful use at Liverpool, the bacteria being killed by an 

 alternating current of high potential. By this method no 

 heating is produced, w r hich is doubtless an advantage. 



CHEMISTRY. 



There are few things that are at present more discussed 

 in connection with Chemistry than the disadvantages under 

 which some of our great industries labour, in having hitherto 

 imported products that are necessary to them from Germany 

 and the best means of carrying out the manufacture of them 

 in this country. This is perhaps especially applicable to 

 certain dyes, 80 or 90 per cent, of which were imported from 

 Germany, and great efforts are being made by the Government 

 and others to establish works for their production, but so 

 far with but little success. Germany seems to have been 

 well aware that the co-operation of chemists and other 

 scientific men is in the highest degree important for the 

 success of such an undertaking, and it is greatly due to the 

 comparative ignoring of this fact by our leading manu- 

 facturers that she has outstripped us in the preparation 

 of dyes and various other articles. And even now both 

 the Government and those who propose to establish these 

 works seem very slow to realize this important point, and 

 to include scientists amongst their managers. It is, however, 

 to be hoped that in this matter they will follow the lesson 

 that Germany has taught us, and that British dyes, as well 



