PKESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 053 



In a Presidential Address to the Chemical Society last year Professor Meldola 

 discussed the position and prospects of chemical research in Great Britain, and in 

 view of the importance of the subject and the able manner in which it had been 

 treated the Council of the Society ordered the publication of five thousand copies 

 of his Address for distribution among the members of various public bodies. We 

 were told in this Address that many of our universities are distinct failures as 

 centres of chemical research, and that the output of original work from our col- 

 leges, polytechnics, and similar institutions is emphatically not representative of 

 the pi'oductive power of the teachers there employed. Tlie causes of the failure of 

 our universities Avere only lightly touched upon, and I propose to refer to them 

 later ; but in the case of our other institutions they were more fully discussed. 

 May I venture to draw attention to one cause, which I believe is by far the most 

 eft'ective drag on research in the vast majority of such institutions not of 

 university rank y It is simply the lack of those more advanced students who, 

 while gaining valuable experience in the methods of research, would also render 

 useful assistance to their teacher. The governing body of the institution may 

 not realise the importance of research; the Principal, as, alas ! is sometimes the 

 case, may throw cold water on such work; the teacher maybe overburdened 

 with routine duties, and he may be most inadequately remunerated ; if, however, 

 the research spirit is strong within him. he would overcome all these difficulties 

 were there any prospect whatsoever of success ; but what chance has he when be 

 must do everything himself, even to washing out his own test-tubes "? Provide 

 him with a few advanced students, and he would doubtless find time to undertake 

 the necessary pioneer research work, which would then be e.vtended and developed 

 with their assistance. 



It might be suggested that an efficient and enthusiastic man would soon attract 

 a number of research students. This, no doubt, is true as regards the universities, 

 but it must be remembered that a polytechnic or other institution which does 

 not grant degrees can hardly expect to compete with a university as a centre for 

 research ; all those students who intend to undergo a so-called ' complete ' course 

 of study — that is to say, all who are likely to become capable of undertaking 

 research work— naturally proceed to one of the degree-giving universities. There 

 are not enough students to go I'ound, to satisfy the research requirements of the 

 teachers, and the principal reason is — the limited demand for trained chemists on 

 the part of the manufacturers. 



Even of the small number of those who leave our teaching institutions fairly 

 well trained in i-esearch, how many have a chance of passing into works and 

 directly advancing applied science ? A very small proportion indeed. Most of 

 the better ones drift into other posts, become demonstrators, emigrate— any- 

 thing rather than wait on with the prospect of accepting as works-chemist 

 a salary which, meagre though it be, may be stopped altogether if dividends 

 are low. 



With whom rests the responsibility for this state of affairs ? Is it with the 

 teachers, and, if so, is it because they are incapable of training chemists or because 

 their system is at fault ? 



To answer this question it is necessary in the first place to arrive at some 

 conclusion as to the kind of training which is required for the future works- 

 chemist. On consulting the opinions of the manufacturers it would seem tliat 

 they attach great importance to what is called the 'practical side'; they believe 

 that, in addition to a knowledge of theoretical chemistry, the prospective works- 

 chemist should also have some acquaintance Avith engineering, should understand 

 the apparatus and machinery used in the particular manufacturing operations 

 witli Avhich he is going to deal, and should have had practical experience in 

 working the given process. It is from this point of view tliat we build and 

 equip large technological chemistry departments, such as those in the Universities 

 of Birmingham and Leeds and in the Manchester Municipal School of Technology, 

 departments fitted up with complete apparatus and machinery for carrying oiit 

 operations on a miniature manufact uring scale. 



The arguments in favour of this view, that it is a hybrid chemist-engineer who 



