September 19, 1901] 



NA TURE 



503 



anatomical department a place where work can be 

 carried on under excellent conditions. 



In considering the general success of the meeting, it 

 must be borne in mind that many citizens of Glasgow- 

 had their scientific interests almost exhausted before the 

 meeting began, by the International Engineering Con- 

 gress which immediately preceded it. It is well under- 

 stood locally that the many congresses and celebrations 

 which have been held in Glasgow since last June supply 

 the reason for the comparatively small attendance at this 

 year's meeting of the Association. The first Glasgow 

 meeting in 1855 was attended by 2133 members and 

 associates, and the total number present at the second 

 meeting in 1876 was 2774. This year, however, the 

 attendance has scarcely reached 1900. But the many 

 claims which the City and Universities authorities have 

 had upon their hospitality did not diminish the liberality 

 of the welcome extended to the Association. Throughout 

 the meeting the social as well as the scientific pleasures 

 of the members have been attended to in the most 

 generous manner. For instance, the reception given by 

 the Corporation in the magnificent City Chambers will 

 be remembered by everyone who attended it as one of 

 the most brilliant yet given in honour of the Association. 



Next year's meeting will be held at Belfast, and will 

 begin on September 10, 1902. Prof. James Dewar, F.R.S., 

 will be the president. The vice-presidents for the meet- 

 ing will be the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, the Lord- 

 Lieutenant of County Down, the Marquis of Londonderry, 

 Sir Francis Macnaughten, the Lord-Lieutenant of County 

 Antrim, the Right Honourable the Earl of Shaftesbury, 

 the Right Honourable the Earl of Rosse, the Lord Mayor 

 of Belfast, the president of Queen's College, Belfast ; 

 Rev. Dr. Salmon, the president of Trinity College, Bel- 

 fast ; Sir William Quartus Ewart, the Right Honourable 

 Thomas Sinclair, and Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. 



The meeting in 1903 will be held at Southport. 



The following is a synopsis of grants of money appro- 

 priated to scientific purposes by the General Committee 

 at the meeting on Monday : — 



Mathematics and Physics. 

 •Rayleigh, Lord — Electrical Standards 

 *Judd, Prof. J. W. — Seismological Observations ... 

 Shaw, Mr. W. N. — Investigation of thejUpper Atmo- 

 sphere by means of Kites... 

 Preece, Sir W. — Magnetic Observations at Falmouth ... 

 Chemistry. 

 •Hartley, Prof. W. N. — Relation between Absorption 



Spectra and Constitution of Organic Substances 

 *Roscoe, Sir H. E. — Wave-length Tables 

 Roberts-Austen, Sir Wm. C. — Properties of Metals and 

 Alloys affected by dissolved Gases 



/40 

 35 



75 

 So 



*Marr, Mr. J. E.— Erratic Blocks (/6 in hand) 



•Qeikie, Prof. J. — Photographs of Geological Interest ... 

 *Marr, Mr. J. E. — Life-zones in British Carboniferous 



Rocks 

 * Watts, Prof. W. W. — Underground Water of North- 



West Yorkshire (balance in hand) 

 *Scharff, Dr. — Exploration of Irish Caves 

 •Woodward, Dr. H. — Type Specimens (balance in hand) 



Zoology. 

 *Herdman, Prof. W. A. — Table at the Zoological Station, 



Naples 

 •Garstang, Mr. W. — -Table at the Biological Laboratory, 



Plymouth (balance ;f 8 5^. in hand) 

 •Woodward, -Dr. H. — Index Generum et Specierum 



Animalium... 



•Newton, Prof. A. — Migration of Birds ... 



•Sedgwick, Mr. A. — Structure of Coral Reefs of Indian 



Region 

 Murray, Sir John. — Compound Ascidians of the Clyde 



Area ... ... 



• Re-appointed. 



NO. 1664, VOL. 64] 



Geography. 

 *Keltie, Dr. J. Scott — Terrestrial Surface Waves ... £^\^ 



Economic Science a nd Statistics. 

 *Brabrook, Mr. E. W. — Legislation regulating Women's 



Labour ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 



Mechanical Science. 

 *Preece, Sir W. H. — Small Screw Gauge (balance in 



hand and) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 



*Binnie, Sir A. — Resistance of Road Vehicles to Traction 50 



Anthropolog)'. 



•Evans, Mr. A. J. — Silchester Excavation ... ... 5 



•Penhallow, Prof. D. P. — Ethnological Survey of Canada 15 



*Garson, Dr. J. G. — Age of Stone Circles... ... ... 30 



•Read, Mr. C. H. — Photographs of Anthropological 



Interest (balance in hand) ... ... ... ... — 



*Tylor, Prof E. B. — Anthropological Teaching ... ... 3 



* Evans, Sir John. — Explor.ation in Crete ... ... ... 100 



Macalister, Prof. A. — Anthropometric Investigations of 



Native Egyptian Soldiers ... . . ... ... 15 



Rhys, Prof J. — Excavations on the Roman Site at 



Gelligaer ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 



Physiology. 

 McKendrick, Prof J. G. — Changes in Hemoglobin ... 15 

 McKendrick, Prof. J. G. — Work of Mammalian Heart 

 under influence of Drugs ... .. ... 20 



Botajiy. 

 Farmer, Prof. J. B. — Investigations of the Cyanophyceoe 10 

 Marshall Ward, Prof — The Respiration of Plants ... 15 



Educational Science. 



Armstrong, Dr. H. E. — Reciprocal Influence of Uni- 

 versities and Schools ... ... ... ... ... 5 



Conditions of Health essential to carrying on Work 



in Schools... ... ... ... 2 



Corresponding Societies. 

 '^Whitaker, Mr. W. — Preparation of Report ... ... 15 



SECTION B. 



CHEMISTRY. 



.^1015 



Opening Address by Prof. Percy F. Frankland, Ph.D., 

 M.Sc, F.R.S., President of the Section. 



The Position of British Chemistry at the Dawn of the Twentieth 

 Century. 



Two circumstances unite in rendering this year especially 

 appropriate for the survey and valuation of all departments of 

 British life and organisation— the dawn of a new century, the 

 close of the Victorian era. It is a moment when not only the 

 nation as a whole, but every group of persons drawn together 

 by whatever bond, and indeed each individual for himself, must 

 involuntarily -ask the question. Are we progressing or receding, 

 or are we standing still ? Upon us, then, who are bound to.gether 

 by the common interest which we have in that science to which 

 this Section is devoted there forces itself the question, What is 

 the position of British Chemistry at the present moment, how 

 does this present bear comparison with the past, and what are 

 the prospects for the future ? 



To bring before you some considerations with respect to the 

 answer which should be given to this question, or rather series 

 of questions, will be my endeavour in responding to the honour 

 which has been conferred on me of inaugurating the work of our 

 Section at this meeting of the Association. 



It is with no light heart that I undertake this task, for there 

 are present here to-day those whose much longer experience 

 and far more intin;ate connection with the progress of our science 

 render it presumption on my part to address them on this sub- 

 ject at all. 



It is well known that the history of British Chemistry, as, 

 indeed, that of British science in general, is a very remarkable 

 one : it is almost entirely made up of achievements which are the 

 result of private initiative ; and the persons who have taken part 

 in the making of this history have, with some notable exceptions, 

 not been servants of the State, and have thus differed from the 

 • Re-appointed. 



