October i8, 1906] 



NA TURE 



625 



1 Liverpool being also present. At 3 o'clock the opening 

 "■ ceremony took place in the arts theatre of the University, 

 a large and distinguished company being present. Mr. 

 li. K. Muspratt formally presented the new laboratory to 

 the University, and in a very interesting speech expressed 

 his conviction that physical chemistry was that branch of 

 chemistry which was most likely to advance knowledge 

 at the present time. Sir John Brunner had founded the 

 chair of physical chemistry at Liverpool. In order to com- 

 plete this valuable gift a laboratory was necessary, and so 

 he (Mr. Muspratt) had resolved to build and equip a labor- 

 atory of physical and electrochemistry. He was glad to 

 see that a considerable number of rooms had been reserved 

 for research work in the new building. He wished to 

 emphasise in the strongest manner the necessity of research 

 being most actively carried out in the University. He 

 was convinced of the importance of electrochemistry, and 

 so he had taken care that the new laboratory should have 

 an adequate electrical equipment. 



Vice-Chancellor \. W. W. Dale formally received Mr. 

 Muspratt 's gift on behalf of the University, the Earl of 

 Derby, Chancellor of the University, not being able to be 

 present. The Vice-Chancellor referred in glowing terms 

 to the liberality and generosity of Mr. E. K. Muspratt, 

 who had already increased his original gift of Io,ooo^ to 

 something like 14,000/. Sir W. Ramsay, in an interesting 

 address, dealt with the paramount necessity of cultivating 

 the " troublesome habit of thinking," as against the sub- 

 conscious or semi-unconscious processes of brain action. It 

 was the duty of the University to strive with all its power 

 to induce young men to cultivate independent thought. A 

 man might be a walking dictionary, but, if he was, he 

 IkkI .ill the defects of a dictionary — the words were there, 

 but they formed disconnected and desultory reading. The 

 power to be desired was not specially to remember the 

 words, but to build them up into living sentences. The 

 chief duty of a chair of physical chemistry was to teach 

 men to think for themselves. He would advise that as 

 soon as might be the student of that fascinating subject 

 should be induced by example, precept, sympathy, exhort- 

 ation, and by all means whereby young human minds 

 could be influenced, to extend the bounds of their subject. 



After Sir John Brunner had moved a vote of thanks to 

 Sir VV. Ramsay for his very interesting address, which 

 was seconded by Prof. Donnan, the company adjourned to 

 inspect the new laboratory. .\t five o'clock Prof. Ostwald 

 delivered a highly original and interesting address on the 

 fundamental principles of chemistry, in which he showed 

 that the phases occurring in nature are all solutions, and 

 that the concepts of pure substances are only ideal limiting 

 cases. In fact, a " pure " substance was simply a phase 

 which, within certain limits, boiled or froze at a constant 

 temperature. It was an artificial product. In the evening 

 the guests of the University were entertained to dinner 

 at the University Club by the Liverpool section of the 

 Society of Chemical Industry. 



The following brief description of the new laboratory 

 may be of interest to the readers of N.xture. The build- 

 ing, which is connected with the main chemical institute, 

 contains a basement, ground, first, and second floors. The 

 basement includes a dynamo room, battery room, furnace 

 room, store, and a research room for six students. The 

 generating plant consists of motor-generators driven off the 

 city mains at 460 volts, and comprises a jo-kilowatt 

 direct-current generator supplying current at 80-100 volts, 

 a lo-kilowatt charging set consisting of two machines on 

 the same axis each giving 250 amperes at 20 volts, and 

 an 8o-kilowatt alternator with two windings to give 1000 

 amperes at 80 volts or 500 amperes at 150 volts. The 

 charging set is employed to charge in sections a battery 

 of thirtv-six Tudor cells, divided up into six sets of six 

 cells, so that different floors or rooms may have the use 

 of separate sets. Vertical cables carry the current from 

 the machines and accumulators to four distributing 

 exchange-boards (one on each floor), whence run circuits 

 (to carry 50 amperes) to the working benches. It is 

 possible by means of flexible connections to connect up on 

 the exchange-board the terminals at each working bench 

 with the required voltage. From the battery switch-board 

 three wires run to each of three exchange-boards, the 

 arrangement being such that each of the latter is supplied 



NO. 1929. VOL. 74] 



with current at 4, 8 and 12 volts from a different set of 

 cells. Specially heavy cables and terminals are arranged 

 to permit of employing 1000 amperes (direct or alternating) 

 in the basement furnace room. The ground floor contains 

 a lecture room with accommodation for about ninety 

 students, a preparation room, library, workshop, and 

 photographic room. The second floor contains a junior 

 laboratory to hold twenty-one students, a balance and 

 switch room, an optical room, a room for three advanced 

 students, research room for a member of the staff, and 

 an instrument store room. The second floor comprises 

 a senior laboratory for eight students, a balance and switch 

 room, and four research rooms. On the roof there is a 

 lavatory, a distillation room, and arrangements for carry- 

 ing out work in the open air. 



All working benches are supplied with gas, water, and 

 electricity. The current is carried by uninsulated wire run 

 on the walls and ceilings by means of wooden battens 

 and porcelain insulators, and terminating in slate panels 

 fixed on wooden battens above the working benches. Close 

 to each bench is a fire-proof slab constructed of compressed 

 red Ruabon tiles set in cement. Each centre bench carries 

 a sink at one end and a thermostat at the other. 



The architects of the building are Messrs. Willink and 

 Thicknesse, Castle Street, Liverpool. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford.- — Prof. Somerville, Sibthorpian professor uf 

 rural economy, has been elected to a fellowship at St. 

 John's College. 



Mr. J. E. Marsh, F.R.S., Balliol College, has been 

 elected to a fellowship at Merton College. 



Scholarship examinations in natural science have been 

 announced for the following dates ; — December 4, Balliol, 

 Christ Church, and Trinity Colleges; December 11, Uni- 

 versity, Magdalen, and Lincoln Colleges; January 15, 1907, 

 Jesus College. 



Cambridge.— Dr. G. H. F. Nuttall, F.R.S., fellow of 

 Christ's College, and university lecturer in hygiene, has 

 been appointed the first Quick professor of biology ; until 

 the Senate shall otherwise determine, " to devote himself 

 to the study of the Protozoa, especially such as cause 

 disease, and generally to promote that branch of study." 

 Owing to the terms of the will of the late Frederick James 

 Quick, the professorship is not tenable for more than 

 three years without re-election. 



The voting on the proposed changes in the mathematical 

 tripos will take place at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 25. 



The Government of India has awarded Mr. A. R. Brown. 

 " Anthony Wilkin " student in ethnology and archeology, 

 the sum of 300/. to assist him in carrying on his researches 

 amongst the natives of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 



Mr. H. Yule Oldham, the reader in geography, will 

 give a course of public lectures this term on the history 

 of geographical discovery, on Thursdays at 5 p.m., 

 beginning to-day, in the Sedgwick Museum. 



The Clerk Maxwell scholarship is vacant by the resig- 

 nation of Mr. O. \V. Richardson, who has accepted a 

 professorship at Princeton, New Jersey. Candidates for 

 the scholarship should send their applications to Prof. J. J. 

 Thomson. 



Mr. J. W. McB.MX has been appointed lecturer in 

 chemistry at University College, Bristol. Mr. McBain is 

 a graduate of the University of Toronto, and has also 

 studied for several years in Germany. 



New physical and engineering laboratories were opened 

 at Edinburgh University on Tuesday. Mr. Balfour pre- 

 sided over the ceremony, and an address on the progress 

 of scientific research was given by Mr. .Andrew Carnegie. 



The British Medical Journal states that the authorities 

 of the Victoria University, Manchester, have received a 

 sum of 5000;. from the trustees appointed under the will 

 of the late Miss Middlelon, and have allocated this amount 

 towards the endowment of the chair of anatomy. 



