Address of the President, Sir Howard Florey, at the Anniversary Meeting, 30 November 1963

Address of the President, Sir Howard Florey, at the Anniversary Meeting, 30 November 1963Source: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences, Vol. 159, No.976 (Feb. 18, 1964), pp. 393-404Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/90444 .

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Address of the President, Sir Howard Florey, at the

Anniversary Meeting, 30 November 1963

[Plates 22 to 291

Award of Medals 1963 The COPLEY MEDAL is awarded to SIR PAUL FILDES, F.R.S.

Sir Paul Fildes has the enviable distinction of being the pioneer chiefly responsible for opening up a vast new field of microbiological research. His early studies, over half a century ago, on the growth factors of Haemophilus influenzae and related organisms and his elucidation of conditions requisite for the sporula- tion and germination of anaerobic bacteria of the tetanus group, both in vitro and in the infected animal, were notable achievements in their own right. Their chief importance, however, lay in the fact that they convinced Fildes that the key to the rational control of microbial infections lay in a full knowledge of the nutritional requirements of the causative organisms and elucidation of the bio- synthetic precursors involved in the utilization of essential nutrients. He was probably the first to recognize the necessity of close collaboration between bacterio- logists and biochemists for fruitful investigations along this line of approach. To this end he establishedin 1934, undertheauspices of the Medical Research Council, ateam which, under his leadership, pioneered the way into the field of bacterial chemistry.

Of the many notable discoveries resulting from the work of his unit perhaps the most outstanding was the demonstration of the inhibitory action of the sulphon- amide drugs on the utilization of p-amino-benzoic acid in bacterial synthesis. This discovery provided the stimulus for the intensive search for analogues of essential growth factors for use as chemotherapeutic agents; a search which is still being carried out on a world-wide scale.

The influence which Fildes's work has had upon biological research extends far beyond the realm of medical microbiology. Stemming from his discoveries came the realization that bacteria provide the best material for the investigation of many of the fundamental, and interlinked, enzymic processes on which the life of higher organisms, including man himself, depends. Equally the development of bacterial genetics would have been impossible without the background of knowledge derived from the exploitation of his early concepts.

Fildes still continues in active research and during recent years has published important papers on interactions between bacterial viruses and bacterial host cells.

A ROYAL MEDAL is awarded to PROFESsoR H. H. READ, F.R.S.

Professor Read has achieved an international reputation for the contributions he has made to the understanding of metamorphism and the interpretation of granites. Trained in the hard practical school of the Geological Survey before he entered academic life, he has always appreciated that theories of space and time in

25 [ 393 1 Vol. 15g. B. (i8 February I964)



394 Anniversary Address by Sir Howard Florey, P.B.S.

geology must stand up to the observed facts of field work. It is for this reason that his work on low-load metamorphism, metamorphic differentiation and poly- metamorphism has placed him in the acknowledged position of a leader with a large and successful school of workers following the directions in which he has pointed.

His work on migmatites led him to look at the problems posed by the existence of granites and to develop the concept of the Granite Series. In his famous book The granite controversy, he fitted granites according to their composition, form and environment into the framework of mountain, fold or mobile belts. From an international point of view, it is for this work that he is probably best known; but we should not forget the many pieces of careful detailed field interpretations of Scottish metamorphic and igneous rocks, nor on a different plane, his ability to write excellent text books.

A ROYAL MEDAL is awarded to DR ROBERT HILL, F.R.S.

Dr Robert Hill is distinguished for many original contributions to biochemistry but particularly for his outstanding work on the processes involved in photosynthesis. His first research on the affinity of different haemoglobins for oxygen led to the development of a sensitive quantitative test for measuring oxygen produced in reaction systems, and by applying this test to isolated chloroplasts he discovered the now famous Hill reaction. He demonstrated that isolated chloroplasts have oxido-reductive systems activated by light, that oxygen pro- duction is independent of carbon dioxide fixation but requires an electron acceptor, which need not be specific because naturally occurring compounds could be replaced by such substances as ferric oxalate. His identification of the light-induced reaction with the photolysis of water initiated current studies in cell-free systems of the photochemical phase of photosynthesis, and his lucid formulations of the problems contain most of the concepts on which work fruitfully proceeds. Hill recognized an enzyme involved in the oxygen-yielding system and this was later purified and crystallized. He also identified cytochromes peculiar to chloroplasts and it is generally accepted that these are concerned in an electron transport system connected with photosynthesis. Although Hill is best known for his work on photosynthesis, he has also contributed much to knowledge about the role of cytochromes in respiration, and he was one of the first to study isolated mito- chondria from plants. His remarkable insight into biochemical processes has kept him consistently as a pioneer, able to design experiments that seem simple because they are made without elaborate equipment but that produce decisive and novel results.

The DAVY MEDAL is awarded to Dr E. J. BOw-EN, F.R.S.

Bowen has made many contributions to physical chemistry, but undoubtedly his main work has been the study of phenomena involving the interaction of matter and radiation. He was among the first to examine the mechanism of photochemical processes in terms of quantum theory at a time, 40 years ago, when the significance of Einstein's law of photochemical equivalence was not clear. He



Anniversary Address by Sir Howard Florey, P.R.S. 395

studied the photo-decomposition of a number of simple gases such as ozone, the hydrogen halides, and the oxides of chlorine. Some of these reactions show simple behaviour and Bowen's results, together with those of Warburg, provided some of the earliest verifications of Einstein's law. Other reactions, however, showed deviations from the law, and Bowen studied further the decomposition of aldehydes and ketones and the photo-oxidation of hydrocarbons and alcohols. Low quantum yields in liquid-phase reactions were attributed to primary recombination, and high yields to chain reactions.

His attention later turned from photochemistry to the phenomena of lumin- escence, phosphorescence and fluorescence, and particularly to the quenching of fluorescence. Much of his work was done with anthracene and other polynuclear hydrocarbons such as rubrene, naphthacene, pentacene and coronene. For anthracene he demonstrated elegantly the inter-relation between fluorescence, photo-dimerization and photo-oxidation. The relative efficiencies of different molecules in quenching fluorescence gave information about the variety of interactions involved, ranging from perturbation by van der Waals forces to highly specific transfers of electronic energy. A knowledge of the absolute magnitudes of quenching efficiencies, together with their variation with temperature and viscosity, yields information about collision processes in liquids which is difficult to obtain in any other way.

Some of Bowen's earliest work was on chemical reactions and fluorescence in solids, and recently he has returned to a study of fluorescence in solids and gases. In particular, his work on solid solutions of naphthacene in anthracene shows how a photon absorbed by one component can be transferred over considerable distances in the solid before it excites fluorescence of the other component; this kind of energy transfer is of importance for theories of the solid state. He has always been interested in the application of fluorescence and other optical measurements to other sciences, and has published papers on the use of fluorescence for analysis, the action of light on dyes, photosynthesis, and a method for making visible streamlines in fluid flow.

A marked characteristic of Bowen's experimental work has been the skilful use of simple apparatus.

The HUGHES MEDAL is awarded to PROFESSOR F. C. WILLIAMS, C.B.E., F.R.S.

Williams's war-time contributions to the development of radar were inevitably somewhat obscured by the circumstances of the time, but it was generally under- stood that they were of considerable importance. They were recognized by the award of an O.B.E. in 1945, and he received the premier premium award of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, the 'Institution Premium', for a group of papers on pulse techniques and associated circuitry which he presented to the I.E.E. Radar Convention held in 1945.

On returning to Manchester University in 1946 his primary interest became the development of digital computing machines, in collaboration with T. Kilburn, and he soon perfected a cathode-ray-tube storage system which formed the central

25-2



396 Anniversary Address by Sir Howard Florey, P.R.S.

part of the Manchester computer which began to operate in 1948. This was the prototype of the first Ferranti 'Manchester Mark I' machine which was installed in the University in 1951 and this machine was unquestionably the first commercially made saleable machine in the world. In addition to the cathode-ray-tube store several other novel features were incorporated which are common to most present- day digital computers. Williams was the inspiration behind the early-stage development of digital computers in this country and his work exercised a considerable influence on similar developments in other parts of the world.

Later his interests turned from electronics to electrical machines. His objective is to devise a brushless variable-speed a.c. motor, and some progress has been made towards this. It appears that practically any pair of 'even pole number' speeds can be provided by his method using a simple switching system, and that at least five speeds can be obtained at the cost of rather more complex switching arrangements. There seems little doubt that these machines will find rapid acceptance in industry, since the two-speed version shows a saving of one or two frame sizes over the double wound equivalent.

This work is now being extended to cover multi-frequency alternators by pole changing methods, and various schemes are under consideration for application to electric and diesel electric traction. Present experiments are concerned with the application of semi-conductors to rotating machines. In all this machine work, Williams has been ably assisted by many colleagues, but the inspiration has again come from him.

The quality of his work and of his authorship may be judged from the fact that he had been awarded, either individually or in association with his staff colleagues and research students, no less than nine premiums of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, including the Kelvin and the Sylvanus Thompson Premiums each on two occasions.

The LEVERHULME MEDAL is awarded to DR A. J. P. MARTIN, C.B.E., F. R.S. Dr A. J. P. Martin has been the central figure in the development of chromato-

graphy, the outstanding advance in the techniques of chemistry for the last quarter of a century.

The most important part of this work was carried out during his service as a chemist at the Wool Industries Research Association in Leeds (1938-46) and later on the staff of the Medical Research Council in London (1948-56). Through this period, and particularly during the last 15 years, chromatography has emerged in a variety of forms as a method of analysis, separation and purification of the greatest value to chemistry. Dr Martin's outstanding contributions to this explosive growth have been widely recognized by numerous awards including that of the 1952 Nobel Prize for chemistry (jointly with R. L. M. Synge, F.R.S.), the Berzelius gold medal of the Swedish Medical Society (1951) and the Franklin Institute medal (1959).

The methods of chromatography have become so much a part of chemical practice, and in so short a time, that they hardly call for description. Like




distillation, crystallization and titration they form part of chemical operations in laboratories throughout the world. In all the main sections, paper chromatography, column or partition chromatography, and the later gas chromatography, Martin played a leading part; and his work led on to later technical modifications and extensions such as ion-exchange and reversed-phase chromatography. His in- ventiveness, imagination and resourcefulness have been linked with a sound understanding of basic principles, and have enabled earlier disconnected observations to be converted into sound. general methods of extraordinary and sweeping range. Paper and partition chromatography enabled new fields of organic, biochemical and medical research to be successfully attacked, and later applications to inorganic analysis have been of great benefit. Gas chromatographic procedures, with their auxiliary methods of detection and measurement, have attained a remarkable elegance and have presented the chemical and petroleum industries with a most valuable analytical tool.

The applications of chromatography today are fantastically diverse. They range from the study of cosmology to that of disease, and from the evaluation of mineral deposits to that of Old Masters.

This year I have been faced with more than the usual difficulties in deciding what I should say in this Anniversary Address. I wrote one version in a euphoric frame of mind engendered by perfect weather enjoyed in the shade of banana trees not very many miles from the monument to Captain Cook's landing in Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus. In that respect the address might well have been unique. But a return to the less salubrious climate of Great Britain has forced me to admit that the full course of the negotiations for improved accommodation for the Society has not yet been run. Nevertheless, I have some reason to believe that they will be successful so that with the agreement of the Officers I will try to tell Fellows what is happening and where we stand.

Some of the older Fellows will remember that Sir Henry Dale devoted his Presidential Address of 1943 to a consideration of the accommodation of the Society, which was not only inadequate for its activities at that time but had been so for many years. He gave a sketch of the previous arrangements for the housing of the Society and drew some conclusions not only about our own post-war needs but also about those of numerous other scientific societies. To give a background to what I have to say about present developments I propose to repeat some of his remarks in the hope that the older Fellows will not have a clear recollection of what Sir Henry said and in the confident belief that few of the younger Fellows read past Anniversary Addresses.

The question of a building in which it could function effectively has exercised the Society on and off ever since its beginning. Soon after its foundation the original rooms which had been put at its disposal by Gresham College (figure 1, plate 22) had to be evacuated because the College was needed for the Royal Exchange whose buildings had been destroyed in the fire of London in 1666.

Mr Howard who was later to be the sixth Duke of Norfolk, then, offered the




Society rooms in Arundel House whose site is now marked by Arundel Street and Norfolk Street near the Strand (figure 2, plate 23). This offer was gratefully accepted by Council and the first meetings were held in Arundel House in January 1667. These rooms were occupied for 6- years, during which time Council began to discuss the provision of more permanent accommodation and, in the modern manner, appointed a Committee which, as is sometimes the case in our own day, accomplished little. It was perhaps not to be unduly blamed for this for great hopes were raised by the gift of Chelsea Hospital to the Society by Charles II. But the buildings were unfortunately dilapidated and in need of repair, and in spite of strenuous efforts money could not be raised for their restoration. Generous donors were, however, not entirely lacking for Mr Howard gave the Society 4000 sq. ft. of the grounds of Arundel House on which to build. Unfortunately difficulties arose with regard to this site and, what was ultimately more serious for the Society, with regard also to the Chelsea Hospital site. So, in spite of apparently great efforts, nothing came of the negotiations, and to the lasting and serious de- privation of the Society the Chelsea site was handed back to Charles II in 1682 for the payment of ?1300. It was, to be sure, quite reasonable for the President and Council of the day to consider this to be in the best interests of the Society and no doubt we should have taken the same course today if confronted with the same situation.

During this period Hooke made proposals for building what was described as a 'handsome fabric for the Society's use, with a library, repository, laboratory and other conveniences for making experiments'. But it appears that he never put his plans on paper.

Another effort which came to nothing was to include rooms in a rebuilt Gresham College. Wren was asked to consider what accommodation the Society needed and to produce a suitable design. Unfortunately the proposals, which had the full support of Gresham College, were amongst a number connected with the College which needed an Act of Parliament for their implementation, and the Act when brought before the House was rejected at the first reading. This made it necessary for Council to take vigorous measures to find premises, their efforts being stimulated when the Mercers' Company let it be known in 1705 that they were not prepared to let the Society have any room at all in Gresham College. Many explorations were made, including a petition to Queen Anne for a grant of land at Westminster, but they came to nothing until in 1710 two houses were brought in Crane Court where the Society remained until 1780 (figure 3, plate 24).

The bald statement that the houses were acquired hardly conveys the effect on some of the Fellows of this decision by the President, Sir Isaac Newton, and Council. There was a stormy meeting about the proposals and a good deal of acrimonious comment was made, but this did not deflect the President and Council in whose competence the decision rested. The President, it seems, behaved with mule-like obstinacy. But within a short time all this was forgotten, and although the accommodation of Crane Court was never adequate the Society flourished there to such an extent that it acquired a reputation as a body of national importance, with the result that in 1778, thanks to the personal interest of George III, the Government agreed to provide rooms rent free and indeed free from any financial obligations at all, an arrangement which has happily continued ever since.



Anniversary Address by Sir Howard Florey, P.B.S. 399

Discussions took place to accommodate the Society in the new Somerset House which was to be designed by the architect Sir William Chambers to house a number of bodies including the Royal Academy. The space offered to the Society seemed to Council to be inadequate, but after some rearrangement of the rooms had been proposed it was concluded that the conditions were so favourable that the Govern- ment's offer should be accepted. The houses in Crane Court were consequently sold; and it is not without interest that they brought only ?1000, although seventy years before they had cost ?1450. This is a sharp and interesting contrast with the modern trend in property values.

The rooms in Somerset House (figure 4, plate 25) were never sufficient for the Society's needs, although the meeting room was certainly elegant. By 1852 the congestion had become so acute that the Library Committee recommended that Council should raise with the Government the whole question of the future accommodation of the Society.

About this time the idea took root that it was desirable to bring the major scientific societies under one roof, by which arrangement they could share meeting rooms of various sizes and have co-ordinated library facilities without impairing the independence of the societies. Considerable pressure towards this goal was exerted by a newly formed dining club, the Philosophical Club, which started to consider the preparation of a memorandum on the subject as early as 1847. It appears that it was through this Club that a proposal was made that the Society should endeavour to obtain Burlington House from the Government in place of the rooms in Somerset House and in 1856 this was proposed in an official letter. The Government were not then in a position to give a definite undertaking but agreed that at least temporary premises should be provided in Burlington House for the Royal Society and some others. This offer was accepted.

Burlington House has undergone a number of changes (figures 5 to 7, plates 26 to 28). Originally it must have been a very desirable and commodious town residence. It was altered by the Lord Burlington of the day according to the plans prepared in 1717 after which it probably remained essentially unaltered as far as its exterior was concerned until the middle of the nineteenth century when it appeared as shown in figures 6 and 7.

In the interval between the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the acceptance of the Government's offer of Burlington House another suggestion had been made. With the profits of the Exhibition land had been purchased in Kensington Gore and it was proposed to group the most important scientific societies there. However, the scheme was rejected by the interested societies who wanted a more central position, for at that time Kensington Gore was almost in the outer suburbs. The idea of what has recently been called a Science Centre was thus clearly formulated by our predecessors more than a century ago.

The occupancy of Burlington House by the Royal Society, which began in 1857, did not long remain undisturbed, for in 1866 the Government decided to allocate it to the Royal Academy. The manner in which this event was announced seems to indicate that the Royal Society was not esteemed as highly in ruling government circles as the Fellows might have wished or may indeed have imagined, or that in some way it had been outmanoeuvred. The first information that the Society had




of the impending move came from the columns of The Times of 1867 in the form of a statement that the Government had decided to give the Royal Academy a permanent lease of Burlington H-ouse with the right to extend northwards. Sir Edward Sabine, the President, was away at the time-let me hasten to add very properly so, as it was during the summer vacation-but then, as now, the Society had an alert Treasurer, Professor W. A. Miller, who promptly wrote to the Prime Minister, Lord Derby, to enquire if the announcement was true. It was.

-~~~~~~----~-?- BURLINGTON GARDENS l l

FIUR=-8. PVIL SERVICE COMMnSSI HO i 1943.

The A Goermet wished to us th bidn the Roa Acadm ocupedi

Trafalgar Square for what is now the National Gallery and so the Academy had to move. To what better place than Burlington House? The Royal Society then went through 5 years of considerable difficulty and, I have no doubt, discomnfort and annoyance while the Burlington House that we know was constructed.

The Royal Society was then allotted its present roomns, the occupation of which was completed by 30 November 1873 when the Anniversary Meeting was held here.

The utilization of the magnificent site surrounding Burlington House for scientific societies was further complicated by the construction of what is now known as Burlington Gardens on the northern portion of the area (figure 8). Burlington Gardens was built to acco~mmodate the University of London, and as it was principally to be used for ex~aminations it was constructed with a number of extremely large rooms.

As Sir Henry Dale pointed out, a mzagnificenlt opportunity to provide adequately




for the growing scientific societies was lost, for the buildings allotted to them around the quadrangle on the Piccadilly side could not be enlarged and even when first constructed they were not more than sufficient for current needs. Nor could the original conception of some integration of the facilities of the societies be carried out.

The Society had not occupied its present rooms for long before pressure on space began to grow once more. This was already evident by 1900 when at a meeting of the Council of the Society held on 22 March 'the Senior Secretary reported that, having learnt in an indirect manner that the Government was considering how to make use of the building in Burlington Gardens, about to be vacated by the University of London, he had written privately to Lord Esher explaining that the present rooms occupied by the Society were rapidly becoming inadequate for its proper accommodation and desiring him to consider whether the Society might not with advantage be transferred to the above vacant building'. But this was not to be and the Civil Service Commission was installed in Burlington Gardens.

The pressure on space has continued to build up. Some indication of the growth of the activities of the Society is given by the fact that there are now over 100 committees-committees let it be emphasized which actually do something- and that to serve them and the other functions of the Society the permanent staff has grown from two in 1873 to seventy in 1963. Fellows who have inspected the premises in detail in recent years must have been astonished at the cramped and inadequate conditions under which the constantly growing executive staff have been doing their work with such efficiency and success.

In the Anniversary Address of 1950 Sir Robert Robinson gave a resume of the negotiations that had been going on since 1944 for the improvement of the accommodation of scientific societies. These negotiations culminated in proposals to establish a Science Centre which was to house a number of societies including the Royal, as well as government scientific organizations such as the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. This centre was to act as a focus for both national and international scientific activities. The site chosen for the centre was on the South Bank and the Government offered to finance the project. The President said 'All the fundamental aspects have been agreed in principle and, if we are now to be disappointed, it can only be as the result of some grievous calamity'. The fact is that the offer of the Government was withdrawn in 1958. What the judge- ment of posterity will be it is impossible to say, but I sometimes have a fleeting thought when looking at the splendid panorama of the Thames from the Festival Hall that our successors may want to know why this scheme did not come to fruition, and no doubt this will furnish an interesting article for Notes and Records in, say, 50 years' time.

The problems of accommodation continued to press and so about 3 years ago I enquired from the Executive Secretary what the position was. He told me that a plan had been produced by the Ministry of Works in 1960 for sharing out the space in Burlington Gardens, which was about to be evacuated by the Civil Service Commission, amongst the scientific societies and others. The plan was considered to be inadequate by Council, and the Ministry of Works was asked for other sug- gestions. In December 1960 the Executive Secretary placed on my desk an article




which had appeared in The Times calling attention to the fact that as the Govern- ment did not propose to build a new Foreign Office on the site of Carlton House Terrace the future of the buildings there was uncertain. A spokesman for the Crown Estate Commissioners, who was apparently somewhat vague, mentioned that it might be suitable as headquarters of cultural bodies. As we all consider that even today science has not totally lost its place as a part of the national culture, the Royal Society seems to qualify and Carlton House Terrace was in due course inspected by the Officers.

In the meantime revised plans for cutting up Burlington Gardens were produced by the Ministry of Works. The presidents of the societies around the courtyard of Burlington House were informed and a composite inspection party invaded Burlington Gardens. Suffice it to say that the Officers of the Society considered the proposed arrangements were unsatisfactory and that accommodation in Carlton House Terrace would be much to be preferred. Accordingly an application was made to the Treasury for Government assistance to enable us to occupy houses Nos. 6 to 9. This application was refused on 25 January 1962.

There the matter might have rested if it had not been for a lunch-time conversa- tion at Oxford, the details of which are perhaps not suitable for an Address such as this. But Fellows may like to be reminded that apparently trivial events can affect their corporate life just as much as their experimental results.

For the first application to the Government the Officers had prepared documents setting out why the Royal Society needed more accommodation. A copy of this was forwarded to the Nuffield Trustees who with very little delay came forward with the magnificent offer of ?250 000 towards the ?500 000 which it was estimated that it would cost to transform the interior of Nos. 6 to 9, Carlton House Terrace for the needs of the Society (figure 9, plate 29).

With this backing we again approached the Treasury to see whether they would agree to pay the rent, as they have done for our premises for over 180 years, if we raised a substantial amount for the capital cost of alterations. They agreed to consider the matter again. In the meantime further generous promises were given us-?50 000 from the Wolfson Trust, ?60 000 from the Wellcome Trust, ?1000 from Mr L. F. A. d'Erlanger and ?500 from Hambro's Bank Ltd.

In view of this backing from private sources Her Majesty's Government, as was announced in Parliament on Thursday, 28 November, has agreed to pay, subject to Parliamentary approval, a sum of the order of ?45 000 per annum to the Crown Estate Commissioners, who act for the Crown in respect of Carlton House Terrace. This will pay the rent and for the upkeep of the exterior of the building.

Clearly Council has had to satisfy itself that the new accommodation will be better than the rooms we are at present occupying. In making this assessment we have had the very great advantage of securing the advice of Sir William Holford, who, as a fraternal gesture from the Royal Institution of British Architects, prepared some preliminary plans. Indeed if it had not been for his backing of the idea that the Society could be satisfactorily housed in Carlton House Terrace it may well be that the Treasury would have remained unconvinced of the desirability of our schemes.

Tentative plans show that in Carlton House Terrace w~e can have an amnple




number of committee rooms and one meeting room to hold about 280 people, and another to hold about 100 and a third for lesser numbers. It may be possible to use the two larger meeting rooms as one if the occasion should demand this. There will, of course, be a library. There will be adequate office accommodation for the Officers and the permanent staff. An innovation will be the provision of a bar and a dining room so that the social activities of the society can be enlarged. Some six bedrooms, which can be occupied by Fellows and which may be of particular value for visitors from overseas, are planned, and also a flat for the use of the Executive Secretary.

Wren recommended when considering his designs for a building for the Society, the provision of 'a place... so seated in the said ground that the coaches of the members (some of which are of very great quality) may have easy access...'. In the Carlton House site there will be some garages and parking space for additional cars-for modern Fellows without reference to their quality. And, of course, we shall occupy one of the finest sites in London.

These in bare outline are the main proposals. Fellows will, no doubt, realize that much of the negotiation associated with trying to acquire the new premises has had to be quite confidential, but three successive councils have been kept fully informed of what was afoot. No dissentient voice has been raised. It is earnestly to be hoped that the Fellows will accept the new arrangements if they can be completed as being a substantial improvement in the Society's resources, although we shall all have regrets at leaving our present splendid library and council room.

Negotiations are still proceeding with the Crown Estate Commissioners on some architectural arrangements. Until these are completed no agreement can be initialled. We are not unhopeful of a successful outcome.

We are all immensely grateful for the extraordinarily generous response to our appeals by the Foundations and individuals I have mentioned but it should not be forgotten that we still have at least ?100000 to collect for the adaptation of the building and continuous efforts are being made to find this. If any Fellows can aid in bridging the gap this would be a signal service to the Society.

The generosity of the Foundations would have been of no avail but for the very substantial and continuing undertaking by Her Majesty's Government to pay the rent and outside upkeep of the new accommodation. This is not only very welcome and generous assistance in itself but it is a splendid recognition of the important part the Royal Society still has to play in the nation's scientific life.

In undertaking the present negotiations the position of numerous scientific societies, both those now around the courtyard of Burlington House and those founded more recently, has been kept in mind. Some societies are in dire need of space to be able to carry out their functions, for in many instances the premises now occupied are quite insufficient and often occupation is of a temporary nature. It is clearly the duty of the Royal Society to assist other societies in this matter in any possible practicable manner.

At the present time there are some schemes on foot to provide London with what might be called a conference centre which amongst other things would contain auditoria in which individual scientific societies could hold their meetings if they so desired and which would be invaluable for international gatherings. These



404 Anniversary Address by Sir Howard Florey, P.B.S.

schemes vary from the grandiose to the inadequate, but it is possible that if all scientific societies could agree to support the idea of a building in the nature of a conference centre something might be accomplished. This matter is under consideration by the Officers.

In an ancient society it is perhaps easier to look backwards than forwards but in the rapidly changing world in which we live it becomes urgent to adapt our- selves to the prevailing scientific environment. Perhaps new and elegant accommodation will give us a base from which the Society can move forward into the exciting times that await us.

As Fellows can see from the Annual Report of Council the activities of the Society have been maintained and indeed they have had to be increased in view of the turmoil surrounding the re-organization of science and technology. This has thrown a great burden on the Secretaries in particular. It is with great regret that we part with an able, amusing and energetic Biological Secretary, Sir Lindor Brown. I am profoundly grateful to him, for he has been of the greatest assistance to me personally and has, on many occasions, propped me up when I clearly did not know what I was doing. He has served the Society not only by his wise advice in its internal affairs, but also by acting as its representative on many external bodies. The surviving Officers will all miss him and not least for the anecdotes with which he has cheered us up from time to time.

The work of the Secretaries has been somewhat lightened by the so-called Active Vice-Presidents. Sir Gordon Sutherland has held this office for two years and is now retiring. He has been of very great help to us and particularly in calling attention, through his Committee on Emigration, to the seriousness of the loss of our scientists and technologists. I should like now to thank him for all he has done for the Society and for science in a wider context.

It remains only for me to welcome the new Biological Secretary who is just beginning to realize the strenuous nature of his new office, but he is, I am happy to say, a very vigorous man.

No year can close without recording our continued indebtedness to the Execu- tive Secretary for his unremitting labours on behalf of the Society and its manifold interests. He is backed by an able and well-informed staff and to them also we give our sincere thanks.

With the blurring of the conception of the British Commonwealth one of the functions of the Society, which may become more important with the passage of time, is to see that our close associations with actively growing and sympathetic countries are fostered in every possible way. In this connexion the Executive Secretary paid a visit to New Zealand in August and I joined him in Australia. I need hardly say that we were both treated with unbounded hospitality and that our glimpses of antipodean scientific activities were greatly stimulating. We hope that the close contacts we have with the Australian Academy may be strengthened by visits of a similar character at not too infrequent intervals.

If I have infused a somewhat optimistic note into my Address this year I trust that the Fellows will not think that this has been entirely due to the effects of sunshine and banana trees.



Florey Proc. Roy. Soc. B, volume 159, plate 22

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Address of the President, Sir Howard Florey, at the Anniversary Meeting, 30 November 1963

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