B.—CHEMISTRY. 85 
AFTER THE WAR. 
The magnitude of the chemical effort, it can be claimed, was a factor 
in winning the war which must be reckoned as of importance only second 
to that of the bravery of our forces in the field. But it has left a lasting 
mark, and given to chemistry a value which, were it not for the rapidity 
with which the achievements of science are forgotten, ought to keep before 
the public its connection with almost every phase of activity. 
Defence.—To take our subjects in the same order, we may consider 
some of the effects of the energy spent on the production of munitions. The 
intensive study of explosives and of other chemical substances used in the 
war has led to a more complete knowledge of their chemistry, their physical 
and explosive properties, and has advanced chemical theory. These 
advantages are not of military importance only, but are reflected in the 
production of trade explosives. The collected records of the Department 
of Explosives Supply afford examples of treatment of many problems of 
interest to the general chemical technologist, and not only to the explo- 
sives expert. 
A further benefit was reaped by chemists in every position, from the 
Professor to the youngest graduate, coming into direct contact with manu- 
facturing methods and thus gaining insight into the applications of their 
science. While it is true that the opportunity came to few of these to take 
part in the design of plant and primary choice of process, nevertheless the 
experience was a novel one, as it led them into the field of technology, and 
cannot fail to have widened their outlook. It became apparent that there 
was a shortage of a type of chemist which had been developed in Germany, 
skilled in the transference of the chemical process from the laboratory to 
the works scale in the largest enterprises. A chemist of this type is one 
who, besides having a sound knowledge of chemistry and physics, has had 
experience in the materials of construction used on the large scale and in the 
operation of the usual types of plant for carrying out the operations of 
chemical manufacture, and who is capable of working out flow-sheets 
illustrating the process, and operating plant with every regard to economy. 
The need for instruction in such subjects had been borne in on men like 
the late Lord Moulton, and as a direct result of the war-time experience 
of our deficiencies in this direction has arisen the movement for erecting 
Chairs of Chemical Engineering in some of our universities. It is to be 
_ expected that from these schools, especially where the instruction is super- 
imposed upon a full graduate course, will emanate men who will lead the 
way in the application of academic science to industry. 
Metallurgy.—While the interest of metallurgical science in war material 
has fortunately fallen to a peace-time level, State participation in the 
support of scientific research remains far greater than betore the war. 
In metallurgy it is exercised through the Department of Scientific and 
Industrial Kesearch, with its organisations of the National Physical 
Laboratory and the Industrial Research Associations, as, for example, 
those dealing with the non-ferrous metals and with cast-iron. The State 
also continues to maintain efficient research establishments for the Fighting 
Services, but it is significant that the largest of these is undertaking indus- 
trial metallurgical research on a considerable scale, for the benefit of the 
