Marcu 25, 1915] 
NATURE 
103 

Mr. O. F. Hudson. This work had been undertaken 
at the request of the Publication Committee of the 
institute, and in preparing it Mr. Hudson received and 
incorporated methods adopted by well-known workers 
both in America and this country. The paper deals 
more especially with the final stage in the preparing 
of specimens for microscopic examination, but as the 
author points out, the effects of previous operations 
must always be borne in mind. There is now an 
increasing consensus of opinion among the most skilled 
metallographers that grinding on mechanically-driven 
discs produces too severe an alteration in the surface 
structure of a metal or alloy, which is likely to create 
difficulties in their microscopic interpretation after 
etching, and that hand grinding, although slower, is 
much more trustworthy. This is neither more nor less 
than a return to the technique of the late M. Osmond, 
whose skill in the preparation of a specimen for micro- 
scopic examination has never been surpassed. The 
discussion on Mr, Hudson’s paper was in a high 
degree illuminating, and showed the institute members 
at their best. When the complete paper and dis- 
cussion are published they will certainly be a standard 
work of reference. 
Four other papers were submitted. Of these, that 
by Mr. Whyte, on the microchemistry of corrosion, and 
that by Mr. Haughton, on the constitution of the 
alloys of copper with tin, were read and discussed. 
The remaining two were taken as read, and will be 
discussed by written communications. 
H. C. H. Carpenter. 

SUPPLIES OF LABORATORY AND 
* OPTICAL GLASS APPARATUS. 
REPORTS OF THE BritISH SCIENCE GUILD. 
THE British Science Guild has just issued two 
reports dealing with matters of national moment 
at the present time. One is concerned with the pro- 
vision of glass apparatus for educational purposes, 
and the other with optical glass and the position of 
technical optics generally in this country. The re- 
ports are here reprinted, and it will be seen that they 
are both informative and helpful. First, with regard 
to laboratory ware, it appears that, as the result of an 
inquiry instituted by committees of the guild, working 
in co-operation with the Association of Public School 
Science Masters, about three-quarters of the schools 
or other bodies requiring laboratory glassware have 
undertaken to use British glass during the war, and 
for a period of three years after, provided that the 
price is not prohibitive. As explained in a letter to 
Nature of February 18 (p. 670) the British Labora- 
tory Ware Association has made arrangements for 
the supply of laboratory glassware and similar mate- 
rials from British manufacturers. The British Science 
Guild has, by its action, presented the association 
and British glass manufacturers generally with an 
assurance of support which should be of the greatest 
value to them. 
The report of the Technical Optics Committee of 
the guild should cause serious attention to be given 
to the establishment of a British Institute of Technical 
Optics. In the last annual report of the guild it was 
pointed out that this necessity had been impressed 
upon the education department of the London County 
Council continuously during the past twelve years. 
Scientific experts, leading members of the optical 
industry, and educational experts have combined to 
urge the paramount importance of the definite pro- 
posals which have been formulated, but the scheme 
still hangs fire. Meanwhile our scientific and indus- 
trial rivals on the Continent, taking note of successful 
NO. 2369, VOL. 95] 

developments on a small scale which have been 
originated here, have gone forward to new develop- 
ments with increased vigour and with highly success- 
ful results. 

(1) Provision OF GLass APPARATUS FOR EDUCATIONAL 
PURPOSES, 
In the past practically all the glass and procelain 
apparatus used in chemical laboratories in this country 
has been manufactured in Germany and Austria. As 
the supply is now cut off and the stocks held by 
British dealers are almost exhausted, the problem of 
obtaining apparatus for educational and technical pur- 
poses has become a serious one, 
The Joint Committee is informed that efforts are 
now being made by several firms to introduce the 
manufacture of glass apparatus into this country, and 
being in hearty sympathy with these efforts, it has 
considered in what way the British Science Guild may 
best assist. In these efforts the committee has co- 
operated with the Association of Public School Science 
Masters, and has taken action along two main lines, 
viz. :— 
(A) Endeavouring to obtain assurances of support 
for British makers of educational glass ware after the 
war as well as now. 
(B) Obtaining information from educational insti- 
tutions respecting the principal types and sizes of glass 
apparatus in greatest demand. 
(A) Assurances of Support for British Makers of 
Scientific Glass Ware. 
It is understood that the efforts during the last 
three months by certain British glass manufacturers 
have been attended with satisfactory results as regards 
the quality of the products. Economic and manufac- 
turing conditions have prevented British glass appa- 
ratus being sold at so low a price as has been paid 
in the past for German material. As these conditions 
will probably remain unchanged, British manufac- 
turers have been naturally disinclined to expend the 
necessary capital in establishing the proposed new 
industry here while there is every likelihood that they 
will be undersold in the British market by their com- 
petitors when the war is over. The Joint Committee 
is informed that this has acted as a strong deterrent 
to British glass manufacturers contemplating the pro- 
duction of scientific glass apparatus. 
The Joint Committee therefore has endeavoured to 
ascertain how far it is probable that educational insti- 
tutions would undertake to buy only British-made 
glass and porcelain apparatus during the war, and for 
a period of three years after. 
Inquiries were made in this direction by the hon. 
secretary of the Association of Public School Science 
Masters, who is a member of the Joint Committee, 
from the headmasters of all schools represented on the 
Headmasters’ Conference. Out of the hundred and 
ten (110) schools so represented, no fewer than seventy- 
eight (78), i.e., 71 per cent., have definitely promised 
to authorise their science staffs to purchase, as far as 
possible, only British-made glass apparatus during 
and for a period of three years after the conclusion of 
the war. As these promises have been received from 
almost all the largest schools, both boarding and day, 
it may be assumed that manufacturers as well as 
dealers will receive adequate support from the ‘‘ confer- 
ence schools.” 
The guild also issued about 750 letters of inquiry 
to— 
(a) Local education authorities. 
(b) Governors of secondary schools. 
(c) Governing bodies of technical institutions. 
(d) Senates of universities and university colleges, 
and has received a very large number of replies. 
