17 
Institute of Mining Engineers, makes the astounding acknowledg- 
ment that only 25 per cent, of the phosphorus in the crude rock 
which is worked is actually recovered, 75 per cent, being lost in 
the tailings. Here is food for thought for anyone interested in 
problems of economy of natural resources. In our own case, so 
long as we have a plentiful supply of high-grade phosphate rock 
coming to us from over the seas we remain in the same calm state 
of contentment as we did in regard to our potash supplies, and 
make little or no effort to utilise local lower grade or less soluble 
minerals. It is quite possible, however, that through some cause 
or another our overseas supplies may one day be stopped or at 
least reduced to less than our reasonable requirements, and it would 
not be out of place therefore for our scientists to interest them- 
selves in our Australian phosphatic minerals and make a complete 
study of the chemistry of these substances with a view to their 
economic utilisation. 
Other similar cases will suggest themselves on a little mature 
consideration. For example, how was it that although before the 
war the British Empire produced about three- quarters of the 
tungsten ores of the world, and utilised more than one- half of the 
pure tungsten compounds prepared from them, the metallurgy of 
the metal was left wholly in the hands of the Germans, with, very 
serious results from a munition point of view in the early days of 
the war. 
It is astonishing to note to what an extent in the past the 
chemical side of the science of Mineralogy has been absolutely 
neglected and the physical side, particularly the crystallographic 
and optical, developed to extremes. As a matter of fact the utilis- 
ation of minerals in the service of mankind depends, in nine cases 
out of ten, on their chemical properties and not on their physical. 
Just consider for a moment how few minerals are used like diamonds 
or quartz for their optical properties, or asbestos for its infusibility, 
or mica for its resistance to the passage of the electric current. 
And on the contrary, how very many economic minerals depend 
entirely for their value upon their chemical properties, for example, 
pyrite, or apatite, or calcite, or salt. There is undoubtedly a crying 
need for a much fuller treatment of the chemical properties of 
minerals in our text hooks and courses of study. Who can doubt 
which is the more important piece of knowledge to impart to a 
student of mineralogy, that haematite crystallises in the hexagonal 
system, or that haematite is reduced to metallic iron when heated 
to a high temperature with carbon. 
A new branch of geochemistry which promises to yield many 
results of great practical importance has recently been brought 
into prominence through the researches and publications of a 
Russian professor of Mineralogy, J. V. Samoilow of Moscow'. This 
science though essentially chemical and miner alogica.1 in its scope. 
