SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



121 



THE DAVY-FARADAY RESEARCH LABORATORY. 



T N presenting to the Royal Institution of Great 

 Britain the munificent gift for the foundation 

 and establishment of a laboratory for physical and 

 chemical research, Dr. Ludvvig Mond practically 

 presents to the nation a sum largely exceeding 

 /ioo.ooo ; for although the new laboratory will be 

 administered by the managers of that Institution, 

 still it cannot fail to have national importance. 



Years ago Dr. Ludwig Mond came to this country 

 a foreigner, but 

 now his sympa- 

 thies are proved 

 to be with the 

 country in which 

 his commercial 

 successes have 

 been made. He 

 is a member of 

 the Alkali-manu- 

 facturing firm of 

 Brunner, Mond 

 and Company, 

 of Winnington, 

 near Northwich, 

 in Cheshire. 

 Dr. Mond's gene- 

 rosity has shown 

 itself by minor 

 gifts to the 

 Royal Institu- 

 tion, among them 

 being the means 

 of establishing 

 the Faraday Me- 

 morial lectures. 

 The Royal So- 

 ciety has received 

 substantial aid 

 from him in 

 producing its 

 " Transactions." 



When making this noble offer to the managers 

 of the Royal Institution, which offer was accepted 

 on the 2nd of July, Dr. Mond pointed out that 

 agitation had been going on for some such 

 laboratory since 1843. He further wrote : — 



"It has been my desire for many years to found 

 a public laboratory which is to give to the devotees 

 of pure science, anxious and willing to follow in 

 the footsteps of the illustrious men who have 



Photo by] 



Dr. Ludwig Mond, F.R.S. 



built up the proud edifice of modern science, the 

 facilities necessary ior research in chemistry, and 

 more particularly in that branch of the science 

 called physical chemistry. ... As only want 

 of space prevented the Royal Institution under- 

 taking this task fifty years ago, I took the 

 opportunity which offered itself last year of 

 acquiring the premises, No. 20, Albemarle Street, 

 adjoining the Institution. Being convinced that the 



managers of the 

 Royal Institu- 

 tion will give all 

 the encourage- 

 ment and aid in 

 their power in 

 the foundation 

 and working of 

 such a research 

 laboratory, I 

 hereby offer to 

 convey to the 

 Royal Institu- 

 tion the freehold 

 of No. 20, Albe- 

 marle Street, and 

 also the lease I 

 hold, from the 

 Institution, of 

 premises contigu- 

 ous thereto, to be 

 held by them for 

 the purpose of a 

 laboratory, to be 

 named ' The 

 Davy - Faraday 

 Research La- 

 boratory of the 

 Royal Institu- 

 tion,' I also offer 

 to make, at my 

 own expense, all 

 structural alterations necessary to fit the premises 

 for these purposes, and to equip the Davy- 

 Faraday Research Laboratory with the necessary 

 apparatus, appliances, etc., and to make such 

 further adequate provision as will hold the Royal 

 Institution free from all expense in connection 

 with the premises and the working of the said 

 laboratory." The importance of this splendid 

 arift cannot be over-estimated. 



