xviii PROCEEDINGS. 



"facture of indigo was placed on a solid. basis. From that moment 

 "I had the firm conviction that the method on which we were 

 "engaged would hring us to the desired end." The reason of this- 

 confidence lay in the fact that napthalene as raw material had the 

 great advantage over toluene of being very much cheaper and more 

 abundant-; so much so that nearly 30,000 tons of napthalene 

 annually were being converted into lamp black, or left unisolated, 

 for lack of more profitable use. 



Success, however, was not yet won. Besides the solution of 

 numerous minor difficulties, it involved the devising of a cheaper 

 method of producing concentrated sulphuric acid; and thus it 

 has happened that it is to the struggle for synthetic indigo we 

 owe the introduction of the contact process of manufacturing^ 

 sulphuric acid which has already revolutionized this, the greatest 

 of chemical industries. 



It is now nearly a decade since the goal so long striven for 

 was at length gained, and synthetic indigo was able to compete 

 successfully both in quality and cost with the natural product. 

 In 1901 the whole of the indigo imported into Great Britain was 

 the product of the indigo plant. In 1 908 i synthetic indigo to the 

 value of $670,000 was imported, or about one half of the total 

 importation. It requires no prophet to foretell the conclusion of 

 the story : the industry of indigo production will pass from the 

 banks of the Ganges to those of the Rhine. . And the moral is 

 equally plain. It is the country that is most successful in making 

 science not merely the occasional adviser of the industries, but their 

 ally and confidant, that will be victor in the contest for industrial 

 supremacy. 



The Treasurer, M. BOWMAN, presented his annual report, 

 showing that the receipts for the year 1909-10 were $849.19, the 

 expenditures $609.45, and the balance in current account on 31st 

 October, 1910, was $236.74; while the permanent endowment fund 

 is $859.81, and the reserve fund, $190.68. The report having been 

 audited, was received and adopted. 



The Librarian's report was presented by H. PIERS, showing 

 that 1754 books and pamphlets had been received by the Institute 

 through its exchange-list during the year 1909: and 1456 had been 



