454 



NATURE 



| February b, 1919 



number. Thus marine plants (by assimilation) and 

 all marine organisms (by respiration) respectively 

 11 ami inri.ase tin- concentration of carbonic acid, 

 and so exert considerable influence on the inverselj 

 related changes of the hydroxyl-number in any body 

 of water. 'I In- carbonic acid is also ail. end by the 

 carbonates and bicarbonales brought into sea-water 

 from the land or dispersed over tin' sea-floor. t\S a 

 resull "1 Ihe successive chemical processes, the 

 hydroxyl-number becomes greater when the sea-water 

 dissolves carbonates bom the bottom deposits. Con- 

 sequently the bottom water should have a largei 

 hydroxyl-number than that of the superjacent layers. 

 Organic life acts on the hydroxyl-number, nut merely 

 through the carbonic acid, but also through the car- 

 bonates. By removing the calcium and magnesium 

 carbonates from the sea-water it lowers the hydroxyl- 

 number, but gradually, as the organisms die, the 

 organic material and the carbonates are carried down 

 through the deeper layers to the sea-floor. The effect 

 of the atmosphere seems to be confined to readjusting 

 in the upper layers the balance of carbonic acid dis- 

 turbed by plant assimilation. The chemical changes 

 cons, qu. ui on an influx of fresh water have as their 

 final expression a reduction of the hydroxyl-number; 

 in other words, the salter the sea, the greater the 

 hydroxyl-number, and the more alkaline the water. 

 The concentration of oxygen in sea-water is, by reason 

 of the vital processes mentioned above, inversely pro- 

 portional to that of carbonic acid, and therefore stands 

 in direct relation to the hydroxyl-number. 



The principles thus worked out by Mr. Gaarder 

 from theoretical interpretation of previous observations 

 have been applied by him to the fjord-waters of 

 western Norway, and have there found both confirma- 

 tion and extension. 



Of the other papers, Mr. J. A. Grieg's inquiry into 

 the age of starfish individuals collected from various 

 localities in the North Sea and North Atlantic is not 

 without its practical bearing. It is found that in 

 any given spot the starfish, like the brittle-stars, are 

 represented only, or in great majority, by the product 

 of a single vear. The length of life of a starfish is 

 usually about four years. The species as yet inves- 

 tigated, however, do not appear to include the forms 

 of chief economic importance. 



Dr. J. D. Landmark contributes a well-illustrated 

 discussion of the valley system at Dale, in Bruvik ; 

 and Prof. G. O. Sars describes, under the name 

 Urocopia singularis, a new member of the Copepod 

 family Lichomolgida?, which, unlike its confamiliars, 

 lives, not near the shore, but in the open sea at some 

 distance from the bottom, and, presumably for this 

 reason, has its caudal rami broadened into oar- 

 ' lades 



SEARCH ORGANISATION IN 

 INDUSTRIAL WORKS* 



Introduction. 



"\J O pla ■ the future development of industry 



-*• ' are no isidered complete unless they provide 



for scientifii h, and although this is necessary 



to a greater m 1 ;s degree in all industries, in no 

 industry is then ich cope for research as in the 

 highly technical eli ' industry. 



During the past f. w years there has been a great 

 deal of research directly controlled by or associated 

 with industry. For instance, while universities and 

 technical colleges have in nnducted research, 



1 From a paper on "Planning a W ■:-. Research Organisation" read 

 l.tfore the Institution of Electrical Engineers on January 23 by A. P. M. 



NO. 25/1, VOL. I02] 



only a fraction of which has been directed to indus- 

 trial requirements, the tendency is for an increasing 



pn portion of ihe research carried out in such institu- 

 tions to be of an industrial character. Various other 

 laboratories and organisations, together with scientific 



and engine, rine societies, have either conducted or 

 financially supported research in connection with their 



mi. 1 eStS. 



In a national sense, the Department of Scientific 

 ami Industrial Research with its large Treasury granl 

 is endeavouring bj the establishment "t research asso- 

 ciations to develop means wli.i.ln co-operativi 

 search can be established in various industries, with 

 the initial assistance of Government Funds, 



Many of these laboratories will provide new indus- 

 trial knowledge for the common use of those able t.. 

 make use of it, and, while there is need for them, the 

 individual manufacturer invariably has his own im- 

 mediate problems, for which he requires special pro- 

 vision directly under his control. In such cases he 

 has to consider whether he should establish his own 

 research organisation or whether he can be efficiently 

 and suitably served by research associations, university 

 or other laboratories. Whatever facilities are avail- 

 able, it is clear that in many instances it is advisable 

 for firms — particularly large ones- to establish re- 

 search organisations in connection with their own 

 factories. 



I. — Functions of the Organisation. 

 The function of an industrial research organisation 

 in its broadest sense is to acquire and to apply all the 

 knowledge and experience which can assist the 

 advancement of the industry, since it is only by the 

 application of new knowledge and experience that 

 progress is made. 



It is necessary to draw a clear distinction between 

 research work in pure science and industrial research. 

 Both are essential to industrial progress, the former 

 being directed towards widening the boundaries of 

 knowledge, formulating principles, and revealing rela- 

 tionships that are the raw material of the latter, which 

 is generally directed towards the solution of some 

 specific industrial problem or towards meeting some 

 industrial need 



The justification for undertaking research in pure 

 science in a research laboratory associated with an 

 industrial concern lies in the almost inevitable indus- 

 trial applications which follow rapidly in the wake of 

 a new scientific discovery, and it should be noted that 

 the functions of the man of science, industrial worker, 

 and manufacturer are equally necessary in rendering 

 the ultimate product of a new discovery available to 

 the public. It is questionable from the economic point 

 of view, however, whether the majority of works 

 laboratories should undertake such research, since only 

 a fraction of the new knowdedge produced is likely to 

 be of value to one particular works. Much of this 

 work, therefore, must be carried on, as hitherto, by men 

 of science working in private, university, co-operative, 

 or national laboratories. On the other hand, in very 

 large laboratories in complex industries, particularly 

 where special products resulting from discoveries can 

 be manufactured, the undertaking of research in pure 

 science may be of very great value. 



Research laboratories partly or wholly supported by 

 industrial firms may be broadly classified according to 

 the particular interests tin \ are intended to serve, as, 

 for example : — 



(1) Industrial research laboratories self-contained and 

 serving one particular works. 



(2) Central industrial laboratories each forming the 

 scientific focus of an industrial organisation comprising 

 several works, often in different industries, and linked 

 up by control laboratories at the individual works. 



