190 RESEARCH 



both of older and newer doctrines being represented. 

 It has been pointed out 1 that this discussion was 

 prosecuted even more thoroughly outside the section 

 than in it a pertinent example of what has been 

 indicated elsewhere as the most valuable informal 

 function of the Association, Indeed, at this period the 

 chemists seem to have been specially fortunate in 

 their ability to avail themselves of the opportunity 

 offered by the annual meetings, for only three years 

 earlier, at Manchester in 1887, when Roscoe was 

 President, ' the leading chemists from every civilised 

 country in the world, with few exceptions, were 

 present, and the friendships formed at that time must 

 have been innumerable and priceless.' 2 Certainly 

 it would seem that at this time the wave of inspira- 

 tion in the chemical section rode high, for it is again 

 during the same period (1888-90) that we find a series 

 of ample reports on the teaching of chemistry. 



The Section of Chemistry has adhered perhaps 

 more closely than others to the earlier practice of 

 obtaining ' reports on the state of science ' from 

 members specially qualified in particular depart- 

 ments, and a notable development of this practice 

 is found in the series of reports on colloid chemistry 

 which began to appear in 1917, and have been 

 separately published by H.M. Stationery Office on 

 behalf of the Association, with the help of the 

 Scientific and Industrial Research Department as 

 intermediary. The compilation of these reports 

 represents a remarkable effort of voluntary collabo- 

 ration by experts in all branches of the science of 

 colloid chemistry and its application. 



1 By Prof. Smithells in Sir W. Tilden's life of Sir William Ramsay. 



2 Prof. Smithells. 



