PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 



The author recognises how much he owes to 

 his critics; but while he has felt grateful to those who 

 have encouraged him by their words of approba- 

 tion, he has been not less grateful to those who 

 have suggested corrections which have been 

 invariably kindly and just. 



During the month of November, 1906, a most 

 interesting and valuable series of articles appeared 

 in The Times, entitled, "The Struggle for Suprem- 

 acy/' in which were described the origin and pro- 

 gress of the great company that has incorporated 

 so many of those enterprizes, the story of which 

 has been told in this book. 



The great positions of power and promise which 

 the Tinted Alkali Co., Brunner, Mond and Co., 

 and. many other similar great chemical concerns 

 fill to-day, owe their beginnings to the individual 

 struggles for existence of the earlier chemists, 

 wlmse life story is full of interest, instruction, 

 and even of romance, and which the author ltnj>< ^ 



