May 25, 1876] 



NA TURE 



75 



in almost every case at the cost of the State, would have 

 rendered a complete exposition of their plans and fittings 

 most instructive and interesting. Dr. de Loos, has, 

 however, sent us a model of the chemical laboratory 

 in the secondary Town School of Leyden. And we have 

 from Mr. Waterhouse plans of the Owens College labora- 

 tories in Manchester. The latter were devised after 

 the professor of Chemistry and the architect had 

 visited all the great laboratories of Europe, and for com- 

 pactness, economy of space, appropriateness of fittings, 

 and ventilation, they are unsurpassed. 



In illustration of the permanent fittings of laboratories, 

 we have from the Chemical Institute of the University of 

 Strassburg a diagram showing elevation, section, and plan 

 of a " digestorium," or iron closet, for use in dangerous 

 operations in which explosions are liable to occur. This 

 is a contrivance which ought never to be absent from a 

 laboratory in which research is carried on. 



Prof. Roscoe exhibits a beautiful and effective series of 

 diagrams and models illustrating the processes carried on 

 in alkali works, and Mr. Henry Deacon a sectional model 

 of his ingenious apparatus for exposing porous materials 

 and currents of gases to mutual action. 



Dr. de Loos, of Leyden, has sent drawings of gas works 

 used for teaching technical chemistry in secondary schools. 



We are indebted to Mr. Spence, of Manchester, for a 

 series of specimens illustrating his process for the manu- 

 facture of ammonia-alum. To Messrs. Roberts, Dale and 

 Co.. for specimens illustrating the manufacture of oxalic 

 acid. To Messrs. Calvert and Co. for similar illustrations 

 of the manufacture of carbolic, cressylic and picric acids. 



Messrs. Hargreaves and Robinson exhibit plans and 

 specimens in connection with their new process of manu- 

 facturing sulphate of soda directly from sulphurous acid, 

 steam, air, and salt ; whereby the intermediate production 

 of sulphuric acid is avoided. A chemical factory is gene- 

 rally conspicuous in the landscape by a series of huge 

 and ugly leaden vitriol-chambers. Should the new 

 process prove as successful as the inventors anticipate, 

 these leaden chambers will almost entirely disappear, and 

 the aspect of chemical factories will undergo a more pro- 

 found modification than any which has occurred during 

 the last half century. 



The splendid platinum apparatus of Messrs. Johnson 

 and Matthey for the concentration of sulphuric acid, will 

 also contribute much to compactness in chemical works, 

 by the abolition of cumbrous leaden pans and long ranges 

 of glass retorts. 



Not only is the sense of sight thus likely to be relieved, 

 but that of smell, which, in the case of chemical works, is 

 perhaps of even more importance, is also gradually being 

 subjected to less offence by the adoption of Mond's 

 process for the recovery of sulphur from soda-waste. The 

 vast mounds of this material which surround alkali works, 

 rot only pollute the air with sulphuretted hydrogen ; but 

 also the neighbouring streams, with an offensive drainage 

 which is very destructive to fi>h life. Herr Mond has 

 succeeded in profitably extracting the sulphur — the 

 offending constituent of the waste — and Messrs. John 

 Hutchinson & Co. of Widness, exhibit specimens illus- 

 trating this important process. 



Dr. Van Rijn, of Venlo, Netherlands, exhibits fine 

 crystals of potash and chrome alums. One of the Octo- 

 hedrons of potash alum weighs no less than 1 1 lbs. 



Messrs. W. J. Norris and Brother of Calder Chemical 

 Works have sent specimens useful in teaching the tech- 

 nology of lichen colours, sulphate of alumina, and 

 bichromate of potash. 



Messrs. Brooke, Simpson, and Spiller contribute a 

 fine series of specimens illustrating the technology of 

 coal-tar colours. 



Lastly, several magnificent series of specimens have 

 been sent over by members of the German Chemical 

 Society. 



They comprise, firstly, some items of much historical 

 interest. Thus, we have from Prof. Wohler the first spe- 

 cimens of boron and aluminium ever prepared. And, 

 from the same chemist, another historical specimen which, 

 it is no exaggeration to say, is the most interesting now 

 in existence, for, after the discovery of oxygen, it marks 

 the greatest epoch in chemical science. I allude to this 

 specimen of the first organic compound prepared synthe- 

 tically from its elements by Wohler, without the aid of 

 vitality. If the work of the army of chemists who have 

 successfully attacked the problems of organic chemistry 

 during the last quarter of a century were to be described 

 in one word, that word would be synthesis. In this 

 specimen of urea we have then the germ of that vast 

 amount of synthetical work which has done so much to 

 dispel the superstition of vital force and to win for che- 

 mistry the position of an exact science. In the absence 

 of a specimen of the first oxygen from Priestley's labora- 

 tory in 1774, it seems to me that this soecimen of the first 

 synthesised urea made in 1828 is, historically, the most 

 interesting chemical the world has to show. 



Secondly, we have a beautiful collection of all the com- 

 pounds discovered by Liebig, but I need not dwell upon 

 them, as they have been so recently described by their 

 exhibitor, Prof. Hofmann, in his Faraday lecture de- 

 livered to the Fellows of the English Chemical Society. 



And thirdly, there are several interesting series of 

 specimens illustrating the researches of Biedermann, 

 Weltzien, Michaelis, Hiibner, Hofmann, Lieberman, 

 Oppenheim, Pinner, Wichelhaus, Tiemann, and others. 



We come now to a review of that sub-division of the 

 Chemical Section which illustrates original research, viz., 

 chemical compounds discovered in certain specific inves- 

 tigations, and apparatus used in the prosecution of re- 

 search. Whilst the sub-division which I have been 

 describing illustrates for the most part the training of 

 the young chemist in habits of observation and in the use of 

 apparatus and processes, the one we are now considering 

 aims at representing, so far as it can be objectively re- 

 presented, the highest outcome of this training— the 

 additions to our knowledge acquired through the accurate 

 methods of observation and experiment which it is the 

 function of the chemical instructor to teach. I have 

 already remarked on the interest and importance of ex- 

 hibits of this class, and it is to be regretted that oat of 

 so many chemical investigators so few have exhibited. 

 It is characteristic of the direction long taken by chemi- 

 cal research, that of about 25 exhibitors only two have con- 

 tributed mineral as distinguished from organic products. 



Prof. Roscoe exhibits sixty-five compounds of vana- 

 dium discovered and investigated by himself. This clas- 

 sical research stands out as a model of thoroughness, and 

 not only clearly discloses the habits of a comparatively 

 rare metal, but brings to hght some new and interesting 

 facts in connection with the theory of atomicity. As 

 Prof. Roscoe has consented to deliver an address on these 

 compounds, we shall have an opportunity of discussing 

 the peculiarities and anomalies which have presented 

 themselves in the course of this investigation. 



The water of crystallisation of salts has been the sub-, 

 ject of some controversy amongst chemists of late. It is 

 generally considered to be present in atomic proportions, 

 however complex these may sometimes be, and most 

 chemists are inclined to regard the bond of union between 

 this water and the salt proper in the light of a moleadar, 

 as distinguished from an atomic, attraction. Mr. Walcott 

 Gibbs, however, has recently endeavoured to show that 

 the union is strictly atomic, and subject to the ordinary 

 laws of atomicity. The subject has attracted the atten- 

 tion of Prof. Guthrie, who has attacked it from a new 

 side, and obtained results which throw much light on this 

 question. He has promised to give us an address 

 on the subject at the next Chemical Conference. Prof. 

 Guthrie also exhibits — 



