146 Britain's Heritage of Science 



confirmed when Sir James Dewar actually accomplished the 

 condensation. 



University College during Graham's time had two 

 Professorships of Chemistry, that of " Practical Chemistry " 

 being held by George Fownes (1815-1849), who, on his 

 death four years after the appointment, was succeeded by 

 Alexander M. Williamson (1824-1904). Like Graham, he 

 was of Scotch descent, but his education was cosmopolitan. 

 After attending schools in London, Paris, and Dijon, and 

 studying chemistry during five years in Germany, he stayed 

 three years in Paris and then returned to England. His 

 most important contribution to science is that which eluci- 

 dated the chemical process by which ether is formed when 

 alcohol is brought into contact with hot sulphuric acid. 

 Apart from the intrinsic importance of the subject, the 

 research illuminated a number of problems in chemical 

 dynamics, and led to a better understanding of " catalytic " 

 actions, by which the presence of a body induces chemical 

 transformations without itself being apparently involved hi 

 the change. Organic chemistry owes to Williamson many 

 other fruitful ideas. In inorganic chemistry his views on 

 the constitution of salt solutions, though essentially different 

 from our present ideas of " ionization," yet come sufficiently 

 near to them to have prepared the way for the readier 

 acceptance of the theory subsequently developed by Arrhe- 

 nius. They held the field for a time, and made the process 

 of electrolysis more intelligible, 



Williamson played an important part in the scientific 

 life of London; his was a well-known figure at the meetings 

 of the Chemical Society, and he started the publication, in 

 its Journal, of the monthly reports of all papers of a chemical 

 nature published elsewhere. He acted as Foreign Secretary 

 to the Royal Society during sixteen years, and also assisted 

 the efforts made at various times to convert the University 

 of London into a teaching body. In 1855, when Graham 

 resigned the Chair of Chemistry in University College on 

 becoming Master of the Mint, the two Professorships were 

 united, and Williamson continued to hold the combined 

 Chairs until 1886. 



One of Williamson's colleagues at University College, 



