346 



NATURE 



[November ii, 1920 



Industrial Research Associations. 

 -British Scientific Instrument Research Association. 

 By J. W. Williamson. 



THE British Scientific Instrument Research 

 Association is one of the earliest research 

 associations formed under the scheme of the Com- 

 mittee of Privy Council for the promotion of 

 scientific and industrial research. It was founded, 

 as is stated in the third annual report of that Com- 

 mittee, "through the efforts of the optical in- 

 dustry, guided by the whole-hearted energy and 

 zeal of Mr. Conrad Beck, the president of the 

 British Optical Instrument Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation." The association was incorporated on 

 May 30, 1918, and established on lines broad 

 enough to include all scientific instrument makers. 

 In November, 1918, a group of firms representa- 

 tive of the electrical scientific instrument, electro- 

 medical, and X-ray industries joined the associa- 

 tion, which may now claim to be what the above- 

 named report of the Committee of Privy Council 

 stated in August, 1918, it had every prospect of 

 becoming — the representative industrial body 

 dealing with the application of science to the 

 manufacture of scientific instruments. The asso- 

 ciation was fortunate in securing from the outset 

 as its director of research Sir Herbert Jackson, 

 K.B.E., formerly Daniell professor of chemistry 

 at King's CoUege. Mr. J. W. Williamson was 

 appointed secretary of the association, and, later, 

 Mr. H. Moore assistant director of research, with 

 special reference to the electrical and X-ray re- 

 searches of the association. 



The first task of the newly formed association was 

 to secure suitable premises for ofllices and research 

 laboratories, and in November, 1918, the remain- 

 ing term of the lease of 26 Russell Square, W.C. i, 

 was purchased, and the association entered into 

 possession on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918. 

 Steps were immediately taken to effect the neces- 

 sary structural alterations and to equip the 

 premises with laboratories and secretarial offices, 

 and now, on the completion of its first two years 

 of life, though more remains to be done, the asso- 

 ciation has a relatively well-equipped research in- 

 stitute, with a scientific staff of six research 

 workers, all university graduates experienced in 

 research, in addition to the director of research 

 and the assistant director of research. 



In the beginning the association suffered a 

 grievous loss by the untimely death, in August, 

 1918, of its first chairman, Mr. A. S. Esslemont, 

 on whose wisdom, zeal, and powers of organisa- 

 tion the members had confidently counted to guide 

 the association in its early career. He was suc- 

 ceeded in the chairmanship by Sir Arthur Colefax, 

 K.B.E., who rendered valuable service to the 

 association, and when, owing to the pressure of 

 other duties, he was compelled to resign the 

 chair some months ago the association was for- 

 tunate in securing as chairman Mr. A. A. 

 Campbell Swinton, whose high scientific attain- 

 ments and wide experience will be of great benefit 

 to the association. 



NO. 2663, VOL. 106] 



The council of the association consists of fifteen 

 elected members, five co-opted members, and five 

 members appointed by the Department of Scientific 

 and Industrial Research. The addition to the 

 elected members of council of th^se Department 

 representatives and co-opted members has been 

 of great service to the association in enabling the 

 council to view from a wide angle and to a far 

 horizon the varied problems presented to it, with- 

 out impairing the predominant interest of the 

 members representing the industry or modifying 

 the necessary bias of the association's activities 

 towards practical results. 



The main and immediate functions of the asso- 

 ciation, the council has agreed, are : — 



(a) To prosecute research into the questions of 

 pure and applied science arising out of the urgent 

 needs of the scientific instrument industry. 



(b) To take long views and to investigate those 

 questions, whether of pure or applied science, 

 upon which the future of the industry may be con- 

 ceived largely to depend. 



(c) To investigate systematically and continu- 

 ously the field of application of scientific instru- 

 ments. 



Time and experience will show whether and how 

 far these guiding principles need to be modified 

 or amplified. 



Just as the actor's art, however subtle, will fail 

 if it does not get over the footlights, so wUl these 

 associations for scientific and industrial research 

 fail in one of their primary functions if they do 

 not get the results of their researches over into 

 the workshops of the industries. Two years is all 

 too short a time for any association to accomplish 

 much in this way. The first year is necessarily 

 spent mainly in organisation and preliminary sur- 

 veys of work under contemplation. But the British 

 Scientific Instrument Research Association has, 

 nevertheless, obtained results of research of imme- 

 diate utility which have already found practical 

 application in the workshops, and are of con- 

 siderable benefit to the industry. 



For example, as the result of an extensive re- 

 search on polishing powders, a rouge was pre- 

 pared for the hand and machine pohshing of lenses, 

 prisms, etc., which, tested by optical firms, has 

 proved to be thoroughly successful in the work- 

 shop. It has been manufactured on an industrial 

 scale, and is now standardised and in regular use 

 by optical firms. This research has given rise to 

 much investigation on the purely scientific side, 

 and to further work of an applied nature with the 

 view of decreasing substantially the time of polish- 

 ing glass and similar materials. The compre- 

 hensive researches of Sir George Beilby on this 

 subject, especially in connection with the flow of 

 solids under mechanical disturbance, has been of 

 great value. 



Another line of investigation which has been 

 occupying the association from the start is on 



