November 24, 1898] 



NATURE 



87 



bound to confess that I have been for some time past a most 

 unworthy member of the Chemical Society It happened that 

 after a good many years of work in our Society, I had other 

 matters of such importance claiming my time and attention, 

 that I was unable to continue to work amongst my colleagues 

 and friends in the Chemical Society. 



"Before I came over in 1849 to work at University College, 

 I had become acquainted in the Cliessen Laboratory with that 

 most remarkable man, August Wilhelm Hofmann, and I may 

 mention a characteristic incident illustrating his earnest and 

 steadfast devotion to his science. He had for a considerable 

 time been working at derivatives of aniline, and in order to 

 carry on these researches as eft'ectively as possible, he prepared 

 by the action of caustic potash on indigo about some two 

 gallons of aniline. The product was placed in a big bottle on 

 the mantelpiece in his bedroom, and the story goes that he used 

 to stand and gaze at it for some time every morning and even- 

 ing, and gloating over it with delight would think, ' what a 

 number of splendid products I shall make out of this aniline ! * 

 The energy and devotion with which he followed up his work 

 on the derivatives of aniline at the expense of many other 

 researches which he might with advantage have followed up 

 was such that he came to be talked of as the great worker on 

 aniline, and Sir Benjamin Brodie somewhat prematurely wrote 

 his epitaph in the following words, ' Hie jacet Aniline ' His re- 

 searches extended, hovvever, at an increasing rate into other and 

 wider departments of chemistry, and his energy and enthusiasm 

 were such as to make him the leading explorer in the domain 

 of organic chemistry. Berzelius had been for a lengthened 

 period the one great man in the domain of inorganic chemistry, 

 which was the only part of the science which had been explored 

 to any appreciable extent. When I saw the vast piles of 

 knowledge which Hofmann was so rapidly accumulating in the 

 new domain of chemistry, I felt, and ventured to .say, that his 

 masterly labours entitled him to be called the Berzelius of 

 Organic Chemistry. I happened to be present at a meeting of 

 the Chemical Society at which a young chemist read a paper in 

 the presence of Hofmann on some theoretical matters of 

 importance which had already engaged the attention of dis- 

 tinguished chemists. Hofmann did not enter into any particulars 

 of the paper, but he gave vent to an outburst of heartfelt delight 

 at the simple narrative which had been read. There are various 

 incentives to work, but the most potent incentive to earnest and 

 €fificient work is probably the example of a man like Hofmann, 

 whose whole delight lay in mastering the truths of science, and 

 in learning more and more particulars of the order of nature, 

 and Hofmann possessed that power in a most eminent degree. 



" We see in this grand hall an assemblage of chemists known 

 by their earnest labours and valuable discoveries, and we are 

 honoured by the presence of men of the highest distinction in 

 other branches of science, as well as of leaders in the learned 

 professions. It might not be unreasonable to believe that 

 enthusiastic delight in the triumphs of chemical research is duly 

 represented by some of the guests in this hall, and that the lively 

 conversation which has been going on may not relate merely to 

 high questions in juiisprudence, medicine, or legislation, but 

 that some samples of chemical enthusiasm may reach the ears of 

 the learned representatives of other professions. 



" I feel sure that at a future time we shall all look back with 

 the highest pleasure upon this delightful evening, which we owe 

 to the kindly exertions of our President and other leading 

 members of the Society." 



Dr. John Hall Gladstone — " It is a pleasant thing to look on 

 the faces of so many friends with whom one has worked in 

 olden times, with whose works one is well acquainted. Though, 

 of course, there are many at the present time who come into the 

 Society, and whom I can look to as budding philosophers : un- 

 fortunately, I do not know their names so well as their faces. 

 The pleasure is not merely because we call ourselves chemists, 

 but because there is a bond of union between us arising from the 

 desire of discovering the wonderful secrets of the great cosmos 

 of which we ourselves form part. There is a great difficulty 

 in speaking to you this evening, because so much that I should 

 have liked to say has already been said by previous speakers. 

 Still there are one or two things which, if you will permit me, I 

 should like to bring before you. First of all, in your too 

 flattering description of myself and of my work — which 

 makes me rather ashamed to stand up and speak — 

 there was a point which I think calls for remark, 

 and so I must venture upon that which characterises the 



NO. I 5 17, VOL. 59] 



speeches of all of us, a certain amount of early auto- 

 biography. I was exceedingly fond of science from a little 

 child. My favourite science was geology, and also what could 

 be seen in the microscope — infusoria, and other little objects we 

 have heard of in later times. But, in choosing a profession, my 

 father said geology was not a promising career, and recom- 

 mended chemistry. I knew very little about it, but went to 

 University College and studied under that admirable teacher, 

 I'rofessor Graham, and afterwards under Liebig. I suppose it 

 was from Graham that I acquired the taste for the physical side 

 of chemistry and its connection with heat, light, electricity, 

 and other forces of nature. I looked out for a scientific posi- 

 tion, and lectured at St. Thomas's Hospital for some time, 

 made analyses, and considered myself a professional chemist 

 It may be that circumstances have Caused me to sink into the 

 position of an amateur chemist, but my first intention was that 

 of following chemistry as my proiession in life. It has not 

 been necessary to continue that ; and I have had this advantage, 

 that I could always keep in mv laboratory a good, trained 

 assistant, and thus, whilst f was engaged in other works and 

 ways, and in endeavouring to extend the knowledge of chemistry 

 and elementary science in our primary .schools, the work .still 

 went on more or less under my immediate direction. I should 

 like to have said something about the progress of chemistry 

 during these past fifty years ; but the subject is so enormous, 

 and you yourself have touched upon it to such an extent and so 

 well, that I need only allude to the fact that this great change 

 of volume of chemistry has caused it to be necessary that we 

 should specialise. Specialisation has its advantages, but also 

 its disadvantages. One danger is that we may become narrowed 

 in our views. So it would appear to be best to have a home 

 somewhere or other, but to make occasional excursions in the 

 neighbourhood, and take summer holidays so as to get our 

 nerves braced up to work again at our own pet subjects. I 

 must not touch upon other points, such as the relations of the 

 physical forces to chemistry, or its useful applications, and 

 the great value of chemical research for the welfare of 

 mankind. These are subjects too large and important to enter 

 upon at this late hour. It seems to me that while we are 

 always increasing the mass of knowledge we possess, the 

 space which we see to be bright becomes larger and larger, 

 but there is beyond a dim nebulosity. It is our work to bring 

 from that nebulosity something into the bright space, so that it 

 becomes the property of the human race. Bat there is beyond 

 this a region which we do not understand — infinite as far as we 

 know — and our object is to increase that which is knowable, in 

 the firm belief that it will be for the advantage of our fellow 

 creatures. While I feel thankful for the joy that I have had in 

 taking some part in these discoveries, I cannot look to have 

 much more time given me for carrying on this work of investi- 

 gation ; but still, there may be a few threads of old research I 

 may gather up, and in doing so I shall be greatly encouraged 

 by the kind remarks of this evening, and the way in which our 

 work has been received by the friends gathered around us." 



RECENT AND FOSSIL RHINOCEROSES.^ 

 pROF. OSBORN'S palsjontological work is' so painstaking, 

 ■*■ and his material is so rich, that all interested in the study 

 of the evolutionary and distributional history of those remark- 

 able Peristodactyles which may be included under the general 

 title of Rhinoceroses, cannot fail to welcome the appearance of 

 the elaborate and well-illustrated memoir before us. .As at 

 present planned, the complete memoir is to consist of no less 

 than seven parts, two of which are contained in the present 

 issue ; so that until the whole appears, a suspension of judg- 

 ment in regard to many points is due to the anchor. 



Prof. Osborn is of opinion that the Rhinoceros-like Ungulates 

 may be divided into the three families of Nyracodontiiiir, 

 Aiiiynodonlidic, and KliinocerotidiE. And as this arrangement 

 tallies fairly well with the date of appearance and disappearance, 

 and also with the relative specialisation of its various members, 

 the general principle may be adopted. It must not, however, 

 be supposed that either of the first two families are exclusively 

 ancestral types of the third, as many of their representatives 

 tended to specialise at a comparatively early period, and 

 took an evolutionary line of their own. Some, for instance, 



I " The Extinct Rhinoceroses." By H. F. Osborn. Mem. Amir. Mus 

 .Vat. Hist., vol. i. part iii., pp. 75-164, Plate.s X1Ia-XX. (1898.) 



