248 



NATURE 



[May 29, 1919 



ants. During the progress of the war the institute 

 has been in constant communication with the War 

 Office and other Government Departments, and 

 has been largely instrumental in mobilising the 

 chemists of the country both for technical service 

 with the forces and for the production of all kinds 

 of war material. 



The authorities having at last become aware 

 that the services and advice of the scientific 

 chemist are indispensable in the economy of the 

 State, it appears eminently desirable that some 

 representative body should be recognised as the 

 mouthpiece of the several specialised organisations 

 which have been one after another called into 

 existence. The Institute of Chemistry already 

 mentioned is a professional body with aims in 

 reference to chemistry corresponding with those 

 of the College of Physicians in relation to medi- 

 cine. But the Chemical . Society is much older, 

 having been founded in 1841, and is, in fact, the 

 parent of all the chemical associations now exist- 

 ing. It is composed of about 3400 fellows, and 

 its object is the cultivation of the science of 

 chemistry and the publication of the results of 

 research. The Society of Chemical Industry, 

 founded about the year 1880, is also a very 

 numerous and influential body, consisting of 

 manufacturers and others engaged in the applica- 

 tion of chemistry to practical purposes. Beside 

 these two large societies there are the^ more 

 recently founded Society of Public Analysts, the 

 Association of Chemical Manufacturers, the Fara- 

 day Society, the Biochemical Society, the Ceramic 

 Society, the Society of Dyers and Colourists, the 

 Institute of Brewing, and some others less purely 

 chemical in character. 



A short time ago the Institute of Chemistry 

 addressed representations to the Government 

 pointing out the necessity for introducing a 

 definite system into the conditions of appointment 

 of chemists directly engaged in the service of the 

 State. There are already three first-class appoint- 

 ments held by officials entitled respectively the 

 "Government Chemist," "War Department 

 Chemist," and "Admiralty Chemist," but the 

 subordinate offices are without a recognised 

 system as to rank, qualifications, or emoluments. 



There is, however, another question of some 

 practical importance. In the event of the Govern- 

 ment requiring information, advice, or opinion 

 on any chemical question, to which of the bodies 

 mentioned should inquiry be addressed? Hitherto 

 the Government has been much in the habit of 

 seeking advice on all kinds of subjects from the 

 Royal Society, and getting it for nothing. During 

 the war the Institute of Chemistry has given valu- 

 able information and assistance. But neither of 

 these bodies can sf>eak for British chemistry as 

 a whole, and, since it is obviously undesirable for 

 any divergence of opinion to show itself in con- 

 nection with matters in which the public advan- 

 tage or even safety is concerned, a new body 

 has recently been called into existence consisting 

 of duly appointed representatives of all the 

 chemical societies and associations. It is hoped 

 NO. 2587, VOL. 103] 



that this Federal Council for Pure and Applied 

 Chemistry (the establishment of which was re- 

 ferred to in Nature for February 2^ last, vol. cii., 

 p. 591) will be recognised by the Government as 

 qualified to speak for the whole of the chemists of 

 this country; at the same time, its existence will 

 promote the general recognition of the profession 

 of chemistry and of its right to a position corre- 

 sponding with that of the other learned pro- 

 fessions. 



NOTES. 



The eighty-seventh annual meeting of the British 

 Association will be held in Bournemouth from Tues- 

 day, September 9, to Saturday, September 13, under 

 the presidency of the Hon. Sir Charles Parsons, who 

 will deliver an address to the association (dealing 

 with engineering and the war) at the inaugural 

 general meeting in the Winter Gardens on Septem- 

 ber 9 at 8.30 p.m. The sectional work will begin 

 on Tuesday morning, and the days available for sec- 

 tional meetings will therefore be Tuesday, Wednes- 

 day, Thursday, and Friday, September 9, 10, 11, 

 and 12, and, if required, Saturday morning, Septem- 

 ber 13. The following presidents of sections have 

 been appointed by the council : — A, Mathematical and 

 Physical Science, Prof. Andrew Gray ; B, Chemistry, 

 Prof. P. Phillips Bedson; C, Geology, Dr. J. W. 

 Evans; D, Zoology, Dr. F. A. Dixey; E, Geography, 

 Prof. L. W. Lyde ; F, Economic Science and Statis- 

 tics, Sir Hugh Bell, Bart. ; G, Engineering, Prof. 

 J. E. Petavel ; H, Anthropology, Prof. Arthur Keith; 

 I, Physiology, Prof. D. Noel Paton ; K, Botany, Sir 

 Daniel Morris; L, Educational Science, Sir Napier 

 Shaw ; and M, Agriculture, Prof. W. .Somerville. 

 Evening discourses will be delivered on Thursday, 

 September 11, by Sir Arthur Evans on "The Palace 

 of Minos and the Prehistoric Civilisation of Crete " ; 

 and on Friday, September 12, by Mr. Sidney G. 

 Brown on "The Gyroscopic Compass." 



A MEETING of subscribers to the Ramsay Memorial 

 Fund will be held on Thursday, June 5, at 5 p.m., at 

 University College, London, for the purpose of con- 

 sidering^ plans to be submitted by the executive com- 

 mittee with respect to the progress of the fund and 

 to the objects to which the fund should be devoted. 

 The total amount already given or promised amounts 

 to 42,794^. iQS. gd. This sum includes the following 

 contributions, either in full payment or on account of 

 the collections by the following overseas com- 

 mittees : — Switzerland, 817L 6s. qd. ; United States of 

 America, 626I. 155. lod. ; Japan, 500L 95. 2d. ; India, 

 397L 8s. 4d. ; Italy, 395^ fSs. 8d. ; Denmark, 225Z. ; 

 Norway, 1S6I. 6s. yd^; Chile, 128^. 6s. 8d. ; Holland, 

 68Z. IS. yd.; Australia. 37L 165.; New Zealand, 

 2il. 35. 6d. It also includes 5177Z. 185. 6d. collected 

 by the Glasgow committee for a Glasgow fellowship. 

 Promises, either provisional or definite, for the founda- 

 tion of one, or more than one, Ramsay Memorial Fel- 

 lowship have been received from the Governments of 

 Italy, Japan, Spain, Norway, China, and Greece, and 

 other Governments have the matter under favourable 

 consideration. 



Under the auspices of the French Government the 

 Office Commercial Frangais en Angleterre has 

 organised in London an exhibition of optical instru- 

 ments and perfumery. The Office Commercial is a 

 recently created department of the French Ministry 

 of Commerce, and its object is to assist manufac- 

 turers to develop export trade. The exhibition is 



