28 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
of coal were thrown into molten metal, which, on being allowed to 
cool, produces a diamond equal to those got from Kimberley. 
They are, however, extremely small. Also in Paris, by means of 
the electric furnace, many of the minerals have been made. One of 
these—the ruby—is a compound of aluminum and oxygen, without 
a trace of iron to give it color. 
Passing away from the minerals, the lecturer dealt with a much 
more interesting class of substances. He distinguished between 
organic and inorganic substances. The latter can be made in the 
laboratory, but the former required the life element. The organic 
compounds are essentially compounds of the element carbon; the 
other common elements in them are hydrogen and oxygen, more 
rarely nitrogen and sulphur, and occasionally phosphorus. By 
means of formulae, a shorthand description was given of the way in 
which the elements were related in such substances as glucose, 
glycerine, cane-sugar, benzine, toluene, anthracene, napthaline; the 
last three being coal-tar products. 
The manufacture of analine dyes was next treated of. In 
Germany, after many years of experimenting, it had been found 
possible and commercially profitable to manufacture indigo. A five 
million dollar factory has been erected for this purpose, so that the 
manufactured product is likely soon to displace the natural product 
of India. The indigo used annually in the world is worth 
$25,000,000. Germany exports $20,000,000 of analine dyes made 
from coal-tar products imported from Great Britain. The hope was 
expressed that the mother country, as well as Canada and the 
United States, will soon manufacture their own coal-tar products. 
In conclusion, the lecturer made an appeal for State support 
for the scientific chemist alongside of the technical or practical 
chemist. In England technical schools were being taken up, but 
pure science was being neglected. The State should encourage 
both classes. After a hearty vote of thanks the meeting adjourned. 
