PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. ]3 



And what shall we say of that royal kingdom of science 

 we call physics, that is now slowly but surely penetrating, 

 if not capturing all other divisions in the realm of nature, 

 and whose extraordinary discoveries surpass everything 

 known in the past, fusing itself with chemistry into so 

 intimate a relationship that one can hardly say whether 

 physical chemistry shall henceforth stand as a separate 

 science or be relegated as a mere continuation or refined 

 sublimate of physics. Indeed the ideas of last year prepare 

 us for the discoveries of this year, for the germ found a 

 few months ago multiplies with such vigour and fecundity 

 that it is in potent ia the actuality of to-day. The omni- 

 present bacillus is even surpassed by the mobile and 

 ubiquitous ion — an entity in itself — that engrosses so much 

 attention as to command a journal published for its sole 

 discussion. The ion enters into commerce and is harnessed 

 up already in many industries, for I hear of the use of the 

 silver ion as a means of sterilising doubtful drinking water. 

 New systems of thought and procedure are evolving fresh 

 ideas that revolutionise our conceptions of matter for 

 present day research goes to the very foundation of things 

 and profoundly modifies our notions of matter. 



The Zeeman effect provides us with the means of detect- 

 ing electro-magnetic disturbances on a large scale by means 

 of a luminous vapour drawn across the poles of a powerful 

 magnet, and when viewed through the spectroscope the 

 lines of force appear as doublets. Prof. Hale of the Mount 

 Wilson observatory in making use of the Zeeman effect 

 made a very striking discovery in the spectra of sun spots. 

 The observation indicates the association of strong magnetic 

 fields with the spots due probably to vortices of charged 

 particles, and the discovery may lead to important develop- 

 ments in our knowledge of the connection between solar 

 and terrestial phenomena. 



