May 25, 1876] 



NA TURE 



73 



contributed by himself to the Loan Collection, repre- 

 senting the results of his admirably conducted series 

 of researches in connection with this particular one of 

 those metals designated by the chemist as " rare." 

 The President, in thanking Prof. Roscoe, remarked, in 

 reference to the value of scientific research, that it could 

 not be too widely known that all the greatest results to 

 which it had conduced had been obtained primarily by 

 devotion to purely abstract science — practical applications 

 having unexpectedly followed upon discovery. Prof. 

 Guthrie, F.R.S., then gave an account of his researches 

 on " Cryohydrates and Water of Crystallisation," a sub- 

 ject on which he has been working for the last three 

 years. Prof. Williamson, F.R.S., gave an address on the 

 " Manufacture of Steel," limiting his attention chiefly to 

 the modes devised for the obviation and repression of the 

 escape of carbonic oxide gas from molten steel during the 

 casting and cooling process, after leaving the Bessemer or 

 Siemens-Manin furnace. Mr. W. C. Roberts, F.R.S., 

 subsequently read a paper, on the " Apparatus used by 

 the late Prof. Graham in his Researches." The principal 

 interest attaching to these pieces of apparatus was the 

 simplicity of the means by which the late Master of the 

 Mint established such important discoveries as the law of 

 the diffusion of gases, the principle of the endosmotic 

 action of fluids, and the consequent division of chemical 

 substances into crystalloids and colloids. Mr. W. N. 

 Hartley read a paper on the existence of *' Liquid Car- 

 bonic Acid in the Cavities of Crystals," Dr. Gladstone, 

 F.R.S., following with a short address on the electrolysis 

 of organic compounds with the copper zinc couple. Dr. 

 Frankland, in closing the Chemical Conference, con- 

 gratulated the audience upon the success which had 

 attended the proceedings throughout the two meetings. 



Yesterday the Section of Physics met for the third time, 

 when the following papers were to be read : — 



Prof. J. Clerk Maxwell, "On the Equilibrium of Hetero- 

 geneous Bodies;" Prof. Andrews, " On the Liquid and 

 Gaseous States cf Bodies ;" M. Sarasin-Diodati, *' On M. 

 de la Rive's Experiments in Statical Electricity;" M. 

 Lemstrom, " Sur I'Aurore Bor^ale ;" Baron F. de Wrangell, 

 *'' On a New Form of Voltameter ;" 11 Commendatore Pro- 

 fessore Blaserna, " Sur I'dtat Variable des Courants Elec- 

 triques ; " Mr. Warren de la Rue, " On Astronomical 

 Photography ; " Mr. Ranyard, " On the Instruments lent 

 by the Royal Astronomical Society ;" Mr. Brooke, " On 

 Magnetic Registration, and on the Corrections of the 

 Magnetometers;" Prof. Carey Foster, "On Electrical 

 Measurements ; " Herr Prof. Dr. Rijke, " On the Historical 

 Instruments from Leyden and Cassel;" the Rev. R. 

 Main, " On a Telescope of Sir W. Herschel's." 



The third meeting of the Mechanical Section is held 

 to-day. 



The first meeting in the Section of Biology will take 

 place to-morrow, when the following papers will be read : — 

 Dr. J. B. Sanderson, the President, "On Methods of 

 Physiological Measurement and Registration ; " Prof. 

 Marey " On various Instruments for Investigating and 

 Pegistering Vital Movements;" Dr. Hooker "On the 

 Plan of the New Laboratory for Investigations relating to 

 the Physiology of Plants at Kew ; " Prof. Dyer " On 

 various Apparatus for Investigating and Registering the 

 Growth of Plants contributed by the Ph) siological Labo- 

 ratory of Bremen ; " Dr. P. L. Sclater " On Drawings 

 contributed by the Zoological Society ; " Dr. Brunton 

 " On a new Myographic Apparatus ; " Dr. Klein " On 

 Recording Apparatus exhibited by the Physiological In- 

 stitute of the University of Prague ; " M. E. A. Schafer 

 " On recent Improvements in Recording Apparatus." 



The Science and Art Department are organising a 

 series of popular lectures to be given on the evenings of 

 the free days. Demonstrations of the objects in the 

 galleries are also now given by the exhibitors or other 

 competent persons at frequent intervals during the day. 



SECTION— CHEMISTRY. 

 Opening Address by the President, Dr. Frankland, F.R.S* 



The Conference which I have been requested to open 

 to-day has for its object the discussion of the merits 

 and defects of the various forms of chemical apparatus 

 exhibited in these buildings ; and the criticism of the 

 original investigations which are here illustrated, partly 

 by the instruments used in them, and partly by the 

 chemical compounds, to the discovery of which they have 

 led. 



Various objects interesting to chemists have been dis- 

 played in former international exhibitions, but it may be 

 safely asserted that such a collection as this, which has 

 been brought together in these buildings, has never before 

 been seen ; neither has there before been the opportunity 

 for discussion and criticism, by men eminent in science 

 from all parts of Europe, which is now afforded. 



Such a collection of apparatus and products, gathered 

 from all parts of Europe is useful in disclosing, to che- 

 mical investigators and others, the best sources whence 

 to procure apparatus ; it is interesting historically and 

 as showing the improvements in chemical apparatus 

 during the present century ; and it is instructive in the 

 comparisons it affords of the various forms of instru- 

 ments used for the same purpose in different countries, 

 and by different experimenters. 



The entire novelty of such a collection as that belonging 

 to this section has rendered the attainment of the object 

 sought for, on the present occasion, exceedingly difficult. 

 The workers in science have hitherto had no inducement 

 to preserve the insiruments with which they experimented. 

 When an investigation was finished the apparatus em- 

 ployed was dismantled and converted to other uses. Still 

 less inducement has there been to preserve the chemical 

 compounds resulting from research, although their creation 

 required, in many cases, a great expenditure of time and 

 labour. The chief object of preparing such compounds 

 has hitherto been, in most cases, merely to ascertain their 

 existence, to show their molecular relations to previously 

 known bodies, and to ascertain a few of their leading pro- 

 perties such as colour, specific gravity, vapour density, 

 melting point, boiling point, and chemical composition. 

 They have been weighed and measured and then dis- 

 missed out of existence. And thus the present collection 

 of chemical preparations is but the merest skeleton of 

 a complete exposition of all known chemical compounds. 



It is, indeed, remarkable, that whilst natural chemical 

 compounds are exhibited in almost endlessly multiplied 

 specimens in the mineralogical collections of our national 

 museums, the artificial compounds which have resulted 

 from research, or have been the foundation of important 

 theories and generalisations, have nowhere been honoured 

 by admission into national collections. The neglect, not to 

 say contempt, with which these productions of the labo- 

 ratory have been treated, cannot be justified on the ground 

 of their want of national utility. It is true that from an 

 exclusively commercial point of view, no one of them 

 can lay claim to the importance of coal, iron, silver, 

 and gold. Still, many of them, such as the paraffins, 

 the coal-tar colours, and many of the compounds of 

 sulphur, potassium, sodium, and ammonium, have con- 

 tributed, in an important degree, to the wealth and 

 prosperity of this and other states. Had these arti- 

 ficial compounds remained undiscovered, how different 

 would now have been the condition of the industries 

 of bleaching, dyeing, calico-printing, glass-making, and 

 the manufactures connected with the production of 

 artificial light. Many of these artificial compounds 

 have become of the most essential importance to the 

 physician, the artist, the telegraphist, the engineer, 

 and the manufacturer, and it cannot be doubted that 

 many more would soon come into active service for such 

 purposes if they were better known. 



