09 DTJTY-FKEE AL{X)HOL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 



171 



missibners to urge the desirability of securing the use of pure alcohol 

 duty-free for the purposes of scientific research, 



' It was pointed out at the Glasgow meeting that the low price of pure 

 alcohol and its derivatives on the Continent and the high duty payable in 

 the United Kingdom severely handicapped research workers here in 

 chemistry, physiology, and pathology, and to a smaller extent in zoology 

 and botany. In the recent debates on the Budget Bill this disadvantage 

 was recognised, and steps were taken with a view to remedy the evil. 



' In the United States, where alcohol is taxed, permits are granted to 

 scientific institutions of certain rank enabling them to obtain duty-free 

 alcohol for use in their laboratories. The conditions under which these 

 permits are granted by the United States Treasury have been obtained by 

 this Committee. A copy of these regulations was placed in your hands at 

 the interview you were good enough to grant on the 9th inst. to members 

 of this Connnittee. 



' In accordance with your request we have obtained .some statistics as 

 to the amount of alcohol (and its derivatives) used in English laboratories 

 for higher teaching and research work. It has not been possible to obtain 

 complete details, but the following figures, which are the average number 

 of gallons used per annum during the last three years in the laboratories 

 at Cambridge, at Owens College, and the Yorkshire College, may be taken 

 as typical : — 



I. Cambridge. 



(University and College 



Laboratories.) 



Chemical Laboratories . 

 Pathological ,, 

 Physiological ,, 

 Zoological and Botanical Labora- 

 tories 



II. OWENS College. 



Chemical Laboratories 

 Pathological ,, . . . 



Physiological „ . . . 



Zoological and liotanical Labora- 

 tories 



III. Yorkshire College. 



Chemical Laboratories 

 Medical Department 



Absolute 



Ethyl 



Alcohol 



T, , -c 1 Absolute ' „,, , ' KTethv- 

 ^^^^^f Methyl E 'lyl ,^.^J 



^P»''* , Alnohol I Ether ^^-^-^ 



30 

 15 



15 1 

 10 \ 

 20 I 



30 



10 





20 



60 

 10 

 10 



80 



12 



600 



100 



5 



25 



120 



50 

 150 



It should be pointed out that if pure alcohol could be obtained duty-free 

 more would be used in scientific work instead of the methylated spirit 

 now used whenever possible. 



' From the table given it will be .seen that the chief demand in scientific 

 laboratories is for pure ethyl alcohol and pure ethyl ether. But other 

 alcohols {e.g. methyl alcohol) and other derivatives of alcohols {e.g. methyl 

 and ethyl iodides) and ethereal salts {e.g. malonic ether) are largely used 

 in organic chewistrj^. These reagents are at present mainly imported 



