December 2, 1897] 



NATURE 



I r I 



this time he has published seventy-six papers, recording the 

 results of his own researches, and [forty-eight relating to in- 

 vestigations made in conjunction with other workers. 



These papers cover a wide range of subjects. In chemistry 

 he showed, in 1847, that urea is formed by the breaking up of 

 some of the salts of fulminic acid. He demonstrated the com- 

 position of the so-called iodide of nitrogen. His memoir on 

 the relations of the atomic weights of the elements suggested 

 analogies wiih the homologous series of organic compounds. 

 An important monograph on chemical affinity occupies forty- 

 five pages of the Philosophical Transactions of 1855; in it 

 the behaviour of salts in solution is discussed with much 

 acuteness. 



Amongst Dr. Gladstone's other very numerous contributions 

 to chemical science, may be mentioned the study of the influence 

 of carbonic anhydride on the germination of plants, his re- 

 searches on the chemistry of storage batteries, on the molecular 

 weight of caoutchouc and gums, and on the zinc-copper couple 

 and its application to the production of organo-zinc compounds 

 and the hydrides of the organic radicals. Dr. Gladstone's new 

 and simple method of producing organo-zinc compounds con- 

 ferred a most valuable boon upon organic chemistry, and led 

 to the very extensive use of these bodies in organic research, 

 and consequently to many important discoveries in that domain 

 of chemistry. 



Amongst Dr. Gladstone's numerous researches in physical 

 chemistry, may be mentioned the following : — "On the Spectra 

 produced by Solutions of Coloured Salts in Hollow Prisms " ; 

 "On the Use of the Prism in Qualitative Analysis " (1857). 

 He shows that when a coloured acid and base combine, a solution 

 of the salt so formed only allows those rays to pass which are 

 not absorbed by either constituent separately. He taught us 

 the optical detection of didymium in the same year, and also 

 studied the influence of heat on the colour of saline solutions, 

 showing that whilst in some cases the intensity only of the 

 colour was altered, in others the tint was completely changed. 

 In i860 he published a useful paper on the use of the polari- 

 scope in chemical investigation. Of his other papers on physical 

 subjects, the following may be mentioned : — "On the Connec- 

 tion between the Optical Behaviour, Specific Gravity, and 

 Chemical Composition of Ethereal Oils " ; " On the Refraction 

 Equivalents of some Elements"; "On the Refraction and 

 Dispersion Equivalents of Chlorine, Bromine, and Iodine " ; 

 " On the Refraction Equivalents of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, 

 and Nitrogen " ; " On the Specific Refraction and Dispersion 

 in Isomeric Bodies" ; and (with Dr. Perkin) " On the Relation 

 between Molecular Magnetic Rotation and the Refraction and 

 Dispersion of Nitrogenous Compounds." 



One of Dr. Gladstone's most important investigations was the 

 determination of the refractive equivalents of many of the 

 metals. The object was not, however, only to determine these 

 equivalents, but also to answer the question whether any of 

 the elements possessed more than one refractive equivalent. 

 As the refractive indices of the metals could not, on account 

 of their opacity, be directly determined, he operated upon 

 solutions of their salts, first proving, in cases where both 

 solid and solution were available, that the refraction was the 

 same in the solid and in its solution, whether the solvent 

 was aqueous or alcoholic, and whether concentrated or 

 dilute. As the refraction equivalents of all sodium compounds 

 were between 3 and 39 less than the corresponding potassium 

 compounds, it was proved that the electro-negative constituent 

 of the salt had the same optical effect no matter with what 

 metal it was combined By taking the refractive equivalent of 

 potassium as 8, and dividing it by the atomic weight (39) of 

 potassium, he obtained for the specific refractive power of that 

 element the number 0205, and by a similar series of deter- 

 minations the specific retractive power of sodium, lithium, 

 magnesium, barium, strontium, calcium, zinc, nickel, cobalt, 

 lead, and mercury were ascertained. 



Buchanan Medal. 

 Sir John Simon, F. K. S. 



The Buchanan Medal is presented to Sir John Simon, who 

 may fairly be termed the founder of modern sanitary science. 



When, in consequence of the appalling facts relating to the 

 condition of the indigent classes in London which were brought 

 to light by the Sanitary Commission of 1843, powers were con- 



NO. 1^66. VOL. 57] 



ferred by the Legislature on the Corporation for the improve- 

 ment of so much of the metropolis as is under their control, 

 John Simon was appointed Medical Officer of Health of the 

 city. In this capacity he brought into existence a system of 

 sanitary administration which has served as the model on which 

 similar systems have been organised, not only in Great Britain, 

 but throughout the civilised world. 



When, in 1858, the powers of the General Board of Health 

 were transferred to the Privy Council, the knowledge and ex- 

 perience gained by Mr. Simon during his seven years of office 

 in the city were made available for the country at large by his 

 appointment as Medical Adviser of the Government. He held 

 this office for fifteen years, during which he not only energetically 

 and effectually promoted measures of sanitary improvement both 

 in town and country, but initiated a system of scientific inves- 

 tigations to be conducted year by year at the public expense, 

 and it is deeply to be regretted that his plans were not fully 

 carried out. 



The funds for this medal were supplied by Sir John Simon's 

 late distinguished pupil, Dr. Buchanan, and it is fitting that the 

 first award should be to the master. 



[We are glad to be able to reproduce the portraits of the 

 Royal, Davy, and Buchanan medallists. The portrait of the 

 Copley Medallist, Prof. Albert von Kolliker, will be given on a 

 subsequent occasion in connection with an account of his life 

 and work.] 



Report of the Council. 



Many of the subjects referred to by the President in his 

 Address at the last anniversary have continued to engage the 

 attention of the President and Council during the past year. 



Among the most important duties discharged by the Council 

 is that connected with the consideration of papers communicated 

 to the Society, with a view to ultimate publication in the Philo- 

 sophical Transactions or Proceedings. In this duty they have 

 received the most valuable assistance from the Sectional 

 Committees, which were appointed under the Standing Orders 

 mentioned in the last Presidential Address, and which now 

 present a record of their first complete year oi working. 



In all 116 papers were received between the close of the 

 Session, 1896, and the corresponding period in 1897. Of these, 

 37 were submitted for publication in the Philosophical Trans- 

 actions, and 70 in the Proceedings ; and 23 and 75 have been 

 ordered for publication in the two categorits respectively. 



During the past year 22 papers have been published in the 

 Mathematics and Physics section, and 10 in the Biological 

 section of the Philosophical Transactions. The two sections 

 together contain in all 1312 pages of letterpress and 22 plates. 

 Nineteen numbers of the Proceedings have been issued, con- 

 taining 991 pages and 9 plates. 



A meeting for discussion in accordance with the regulations 

 contained in the Standing Orders adopted last year was held in 

 March of the current year. The discussion was based on a 

 paper contributed by Sir Norman Lockyer " On the Chemistry 

 of the Hottest Stars"; this, together with some of the principal 

 contributions to the discussion, has been printed in the Pro- 

 ceedings. 



In pursuance of the resolution of the International Conference 

 on a Catalogue of Scientific Literature, the Council at the 

 beginning of the Session, upon receiving the report of the 

 British delegates to the Conference, and in accordance with the 

 26th resolution of the Conference, viz. : — 



(26) " That the Royal Society be requested to form a 

 Committee to study all questions relating to the Catalogue 

 referred to it by the Conference, or remaining undecided at 

 the close of the present sittings of the Conference, and to 

 report thereon to the Governments concerned," 



appointed a Committee with full executive powers. This Com- 

 mittee has since been enj^aged in developing a scheme for the 

 preparation of the projected complete Catalogue of Scientific 

 Literature. 



The Committee has held a number of meetings, has devoted 

 much time to the discussion of the difficult questions which arise 

 in devising methods for carrying out so large a scheme as that 

 contemplated by the Conference, and has appointed a number 

 of special Sub Committees for drawing up schemes of classifica- 

 tion for the several branches of science. 



