ADVANCE OF CHEMISTRY

Evening Star, Issue 23382, 27 September 1939, Page 5

ADVANCE OF CHEMISTRY

WIDESPREAD INFLUENCE ADDRESS BY MR L. H. JAMES Few people realise what a far-reach-ing effect modern chemists have on a world now dominated hy scientific activity. In an address to the Otago branch of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry Mr L. H. James, M.Sc., A.1.C., the Government analyst at Dunedin, gave some idea of the wide field covered. His account of experiences during a recent trip abroad-was both enjoyable and instructive, and his subject ranged from sewage disposal to crime detection. He had visited water supply undertakings in London and Pan’s, and he described the methods used in purifying and softening the water. Chlorine was the agent in London, but in Paris ozone was used. Dealing with sewage_ disposal, he said that some largo cities, such as San Francisco, still discharged their raw sewage into the sea. Others had been forced to instal plants to convert it into a clear and harmless effluent which could be discharged into rivers, and a non-putrescent sludge which could be used as fertiliser. Bacterial action was used in some plants to destroy organic matter, and the gas produced, largely methane, was used for power production. At Hendon, England, research was being carried out into the separation of alkaloid poisons, for the purposes of crime detection. At the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, U.S.A., which he had visited, 250 experts dealt with the 7,000 fingerprints added daily to the collection of over 9,000,000. Mr James had visited a number of factories in England and America. Ho had been greatly impressed with the fine chemical work being carried out by British industries. Large staffs were employed and no money was spared on apparatus, in America lie had been pleased with the friendliness shown by chemists wherever he Lad been.