60 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES. 
In a few cases only was the country capable of expanding its existing 
manufactures, as in the case of phosphorus and chlorine; it was not 
equipped for the home production of phosgene, arsenical compounds, or 
mustard gas. New factories had therefore to be erected and staffs 
specially trained, in striking contrast to the existence in Germany of 
standardised plant capable of rapid transference from one purpose to 
another with little alteration: an example of this was their manufacture 
of arsenical preparations in the azo-dye sheds. 
As a result of an intensive study of absorbent substances, our respirator 
was never beaten, and it is claimed that, although our output was smaller, 
the better employment of gas, tactically for surprise, lay with us. Starting 
late and entering a field entirely new, we were able while there was yet 
time to protect the soldier, and to make a reply on the offensive side that 
was rapidly becoming more and more effective. 
Not all of the work specially devoted to chemical warfare has been 
without its effect on peace-time requirements. Thus liquid chlorine, of 
which very little was made in this country before the war, is now being 
prepared electrolytically and transported by rail in tank waggons for use 
in various industries. For the preparation of phosgene, which had been 
used in Germany in the manufacture of dyes of the triphenylmethane 
series, better methods were discovered in this country, so that cheaper 
and purer phosgene is being used here for the first time to prepare the 
important group of colours known as the Victoria blues. Improved 
methods are now available for the manufacture of arsenical compounds, 
such as arsenic trichloride, a substance used for combating the growth 
of prickly pear in Australia; and mention may be made of the work of 
Professor Moureu in France on the stabilisation and concentration of 
acrolein, as it has led to the production of a substitute for celluloid from 
that body. In addition, the study of many of the bodies used for chemical 
warfare has been of value from the aspect of the elucidation of their 
chemical constitution. 
Metallurgy. 
When the part played by metals in the history of civilisation is con- 
sidered, the development of some more durable alloy or some stronger 
metal appears intimately linked with a distinct advance constituting a 
new age, often characterised by eponymousassociation with the metal. As 
the possession of some superior metal may give ascendency to a people, 
it is natural that States should show interest in metallurgy, both militarily 
and to maintain the standard of the medium of exchange. It is thus seen 
that iron and the precious metals gold and silver have for the most part 
interested the modern State, the metallurgy of the other metals only more 
recently coming in for attention on military grounds. Accordingly, we 
find the armourer and the minter holding important positions in early 
times. 
It must be stated at the outset that the relations in Great Britain 
between the State and metallurgical science before the war of 1914 to 1918 
were for the most part sporadic, the great developments in that science 
being to a large extent independent of the State. It undoubtedly exerted, 
however, an influence on the nature and quality of metallurgical products, 
of which it was a large user for warlike, structural, and shipbuilding 
