Union of Scientific Societies 37 



returned to Germany in 1865 to superintend the erection of a chemical 

 laboratory at Berlin and organize the system of instruction in that 

 subject. To this great work, and to carrying on researches in organic 

 chemistry and on aniline dyes, the later part of his life was devoted . 

 His death occurred in that city on May 5th, 1892. 



DR. HENRY BENCE JONES was a member of a good Suffolk family, 

 bom in that county in 1814, who graduated as B.A. from Trinity 

 College, Cambridge in 1836 and M.D. in 1849. After studying 

 chemistry under Prof. Graham of University College, London, 

 he worked under Liebig at Giessen, then practised as a physician 

 in London, obtaining much repute hi diseases of the stomach and 

 kidneys. Elected F.R.S. in 1846, he was Secretary of the Royal 

 Institution from 1861 nearly till his death, which occurred on April 

 2oth, 1873. He was a man keenly interested in the general advance 

 of science, whose genial nature won him many friends, especially 

 among scientific men at home and abroad. 



The minutes for May 26th contain a copy of a letter from 

 Lord Rosse to Lord Aberdeen, read at the meeting, which 

 requested the latter to appoint a time for receiving a deputa- 

 tion of those (about 200 in number) who had signed the 

 memorial in favour of the juxtaposition of scientific societies. 

 Among them were included many of the scientific men 

 most eminent in their different departments, the few who 

 had not signed abstaining because they feared the memorial 

 might result in locating the scientific societies in a position 

 neither central nor convenient. To the reasons given in 

 the memorial this also might be added, that " The present, 

 disjointed, ill-situated, and ill-appointed scientific institu- 

 tions " offered nothing " to attract young men who emerge 

 from our Universities highly trained, and ready at once 

 to take a prominent part in scientific research. As it is, 

 University honours are the object, and the examination 

 over, science is seldom thought of ; it has been learnt to 

 be forgotten. With us, therefore, scientific men are not 

 numerous and science rests on a narrow basis. This state 

 of things is perhaps not quite creditable to the country, 

 and certainly it has placed us under a disadvantage in the 

 application of science to the development of the national 

 resources." Mr. Grove stated that, on the 23rd, Lord 

 Aberdeen had received the deputation most courteously, 



