WOMEN IN SCIENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1862, 23 September 1913, Page 3

WOMEN IN SCIENCE.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS. In the second week of August London was erowded with tho leading scientific men of the world, who were attending the big medical conference. From a women's point of view it was particularly interesting to recall the debt scienco owes to women —a debt too often forgotten, writes tho London correspondent of the "Sydney Telegraph." 'i'lio fact that the number of women doctors has been steadily increasing for a great many years past proves boyond alfdoubt that they are wanted, and that they fill a useful place in the world. At tile New Hospital- for Women in the Euston Road, it has been staffed by women for tjiirty-nine years, and its waiting list is always full. There are in England now over 600 women doctors, about 200 of them in London, and all are doing excellent and valuable work.

In many other branches of science, women have rendered distinguished services. Jlarv Somerville, Agnes Clarke, and Lady Higgins are famous names in astronomy. , Mrs. Ayrt-on was awarded the Royal Society's medal for her electrical research work. Miss Eleanor Ormerod was a high authority on insects. Mrs. Percy Frankland has a deservedly great reputation as a bacteriologist. Miss E. 11. Saunders received a medal from the Itoyal Horticultural Society for her studies ill the variation of plants. As soon as women are admitted to the bar, which will not be long, it is hoped they will do as well in the legal profession as American and French and Scandinavian women are doing.

A Problem In Waterproof. Tho latest addition to the ranks of women scientists is Mrs. Ernest Hart, who is the presiding genius at a factory at Woodside, near Croydon, at the Viking Company's works, which, has been erected to carry through some of the chemical processes she has invented. Mrs. Hart devoted a largo part of her life and private fortune to the introduction of cottage industries in Donegal, where she established a woollen mill. Ever since her early days when sho studied medicine and chemistry in London and Paris, Mrs. Hart was attracted to tlhe practical side of laboratory work. She had a partiality for taking up forlorn hopes. In this spirit she set herself tho task of overcoming tho difficulties of weaving ramie fibre. After many experiments sho succeeded in weaving every kind of fabric in pure ramie on power looms. Then she found that hobotly could waterproof the material,, so she-began to study the processes .of waterproofing. It was during these investigations, and after a long time, spent in patient and- costly experimental work that she arrived at patentable processes. Anything can bo treated by olio or o.t'her of these processes, from tissue paper to coarse canvas, from the flimsiest of. silk fabrics to the heaviest cloth.

Another patented improvement of hers is that made in tho material for cinematograph screens. The material is aluminised nnd ribbed, and when the pictures aro projected they are far more brilliant than usual, and can be seen; equally well from a position at the sidos as from the front. In Mrs. Hart's opinion, tho most valuable of the patents and processes acquired from her by tho Viking Manufacturing Company is that for the "improvements in the manufacture of nitro-ccllulose —the best-known form of which is guncottoii. Still another of her inventions is a method of degre.isng wool without saponification. When the wool has been purified,- the valuable by-product lnnoline may be skimmed from tho surface of tho liquid. It has been observed by more than one' philosophe: - that there is no room in science nnd commerce for sentiment. Mrs. Hart cordially embraces Hint view. Everything she does slio wishes to bo judged by its merits alone, and for that reason she has never yet exhibited in a section devoted to women. Sufficient justification of this attitude is to be found in Mrs. Hart's abundant collection of medals and diplomas gleaiied from many countries.