Obituary Notices of Fellows Deceased

Obituary Notices of Fellows DeceasedSource: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Containing Papers of aMathematical and Physical Character, Vol. 110, No. 756 (Apr. 1, 1926), pp. i-xixPublished by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/94465 .

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OBITUARY NOTICES

OF

FELLOWS DEC-EASED.



CONTIENTS.

PAGE

RUDfOLPH M lRSSET i (Wi& }tli p3ortna't) , .: ................................ Ce+ *t s... s *s* s* +l ....... i

FR.DERIcic THoAYAS, IT, OUTON (Witll portrait) .............- .......... iv

JoeN VENN (Withl pOrtrait) . ................... . ..., ......X

JOHN YOUNG BUdCH.AxANA (with portra it) ................... . ..........i xii

OLIVER IEAT VISIDE ................. e............. ..................... e......

ANDRm GWRAy (witlh po3 trait) . . . x ........ .. Sri





i

RUDOLPH MESSEL-JANUARY, 1848, To APnRII, 1920.

RUDOLPH IESSEL was the son of Simon Miesse.l, a ban-ker of Darmistadt. He was the second of five children, of wlhom four were to make their homes in England; the fifth acquired great distinction as an architect in Berlin. He lost his father when 11, and shortly after was sent to a Huguenot school at Friedrichsdorf in the Taunus, where he remained until he was 15 years old. His schoolmaster, Philip Reis, was the inventor of the first telephone. Messel, in his Presidential Address to the Society of Chem:ical Industry in New York in 1912, makes reference to the fact that he "'assisted Reis in making the mechanical parts of some of his instruments and also repeatedly in his experiments, Reis being at one end of the circuit, speaking or singing, I listening at the other, or vice versa." About this time the family circumstances changed, and it was clear that Messel would have to become self-supporting at an early date. It was his intention to become an engineer, and in 1863, he discussed his further course of action with an old friend of his father's, H. Rau, then living in Frankfort. Ran appears to have advised Messel to devote himself to the study of comnmerce which he said would rapidly lead to independence, and to combine with this the study of Chemistry, Physics and Technology, and so become a manufacturer. It is clear that Messel's whole course of action was influenced by this letter, as not only did he keep it to the last mong his rarest letters, but followed the advice it contained almost verbally. In April, 1863, he became apprenticed to E. Lucius in his wholesale drug

and chemical factory in Frankfort, and remained there until September, 1866, leaving to enter the Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, where he followed the regular first-year course. The following winter he spent at Heidelberg, studying physical chemistry under Erlenmeyer. He moved in the spring to Tiibingen, where he finished his education, studying chemistry under Strecker, and continuing with him until April, 1870, carrying out work for which he obtained his degree. In April, 1870, he came to Manchester, originally to act as private assistant to Roscoe.

He was recalled to Germany owing to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war, where he served as a stretcher-bearer in the army of the Loire and was wounded. When recovered, he returned to England, where he remained during the rest of his life and ultimately became an Englishman.

He entered the service of Messrs. Dunn, Squire & Co., Stratford, as assistanit to Dr. Squire. Shortly after, Squire formed with Spencer Chapman the firm of Squire, Chapman & Co., and took Messel with him in his new venture. This change occurred at a time when the growth of the synthetic dyestuff

dwtstry was threatened by the excessive price which was charged for fuming



ii Obituary N otices of lI'ellows deceased.

sulphuric acid, then produced by thle old Nordhausen process in Bo.emixa. Squire decided to commence the mianufacture of fuming acid.

In his New York Presidential Addr-ess, M\Iessel tells of a conversation in the beginning of the '70's with his former teacher Strecker, anid Briining of Hdchst, on the importance of fuming suLlphuric acid in the synthetic alizarin indust. To his quiestion how the acid should. best be made, Strecker gave the re7ply " That is a problem for youi to solve.,' A few experimeents convinced him, hc says, that, given pure gases, the catalytic action of platinuilnI was the rational solution of the problem. In April, 1.87t5, a telegram came to him at the hi.boratory from Squire, aski iig him to read ap that night about Nordhausen acid, as it was wanted by an- Alizarin Torks. The response was imnuedia anid typical--no reading was 5necessary. Next day he showed how simple a mnatter it was to unite suiphur dioxide wxith oxygen by nieans of platiinum. HIowever, Squire was conventional and thought that the decomnposition of acid sulphate would be a simpler i ethod. Experiments were made, as requested. but eventually Messel was told to try his dodge.

Of -the work that followed, no permanent record has beenl published, except Mn the form of Patents taken out by Sqjire -in 1875. A year later, howeerve in April, 1876, Squire and Mvessel described and demonstrated the process before the Chemical Society. This p.aper wvas never printed, probably becaume of the Patent situation, but a paragraplh in the 'Chemical News' records the meeting. Messel treasured uatil hlis ast days a. document desenri)in the experiments, and the original platinum apparatus used was left by him in his will to his lifelong friend, Professor H. E. Armstrong.

In his Presidential Address, M essel refers to the publication in October, 1-875, by Winkler, of a process which was practically identical with his. Both investigators erred at that time in believing that stichionmetrical proportio xs of the gases were the best to iuse, and the various similarities gave rise to unpleasant comment. In letters to Messel, however, Winkler freely acknow- ledges the independence of Messel's worl, and only regrets that he had deprived hiraself of the benefit of the invention by his publication.

The process was established at Silvertown, and in 1878 Messel succeeded Squaire as manager of the works, which he only quitted in 1915, when his health gave way under the excessive strain of tIle times. The firm became SpenCer, Chapman & Messel, Ltd., and the factory grew in size and importance.

Atessel remained a bachelor and lived on the works. He was an indefatigable worker, and set a very high standard to all those who served under him. 1is sense of justice and sympathy, and the fact that he lived amongst them, gaey him great popularity and power with his workpeople.

ITn the early days of the industry, the value of the fuming acid was much greater than that of oil of vitriol and the most suitable mixture of sulphur dioxide with oxygen was made by decomposing the latter. As experience was gained,



Rudollph Messel. iii

and the difficulty of condensing the anhydride was overcome, sulphur dioxide prepared by burning sulphur and ordinary air were used, and later, excess of air was employed largely as a result of observation by the foreman that the plant w\Torked better under these con-ditions.

It is a testimony to Messel's remarkable insight that right at the beginining he obtained such a wonderful knowledge of all details of this catalytic process, subsequently developed on a very large scale and in great detail by Dr. Kneitsch and his co-workers of the Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik.

Remarkable as Messel was as an industrialist, he was even more remarkable as a man. A man of astounding vigour and feeling, he had little thiought for himself and a hatred of all display. He was essentially an artist, both in his extreme devotion to hiis own art of chem;istry and in his love of the company of artists and other bohemians. He was everything-not only chemist, engineer and business man, but also took care to cultivate the social side of his life, and was almoslt the only manufacturer of his day who attended regil1arly at scientific gatherings and showed a real interest in the proceedings. His vigorous frame, black hair and sparkling eyes, his smiling face and peculiar gatteral accent will remain in the memory of all who knew him. He never mastered English properly though he spoke it fluently. He was very fond of young people, many of whom rejoiced in his generosity. One of the mnost love- able of men, his outlook on life was always cheerful and optimistic. The example lhe set in leaving his fortune to science is a remarkable one and best proof of his considerate outlook. Honest and sincere himself, he hated insincerity and all meanness of spirit.

He played an active part in many scientific societies, particularly the Society of Chemical Industry, of which he was Foreign Secretary for mnany years and President for 1911-1912--probably the only connection in which he showeed vanity, but he was very proud also of his election to the Royal Society in 1912.

His Presidential Address was written to show that scienice and industry are working hand in hand, and the importance of the results that such co-operat-ion has prod-uced. In discussing the ed-ucation of a chemist, he stressed the- fact that too early concentration on special subjects had a bad effect on the develop- maent of the power and habit of thinkiing independently and on the faculty of iunagination in the student. He held that technique is very rapidly acquired in practice by one who has been scientifically trained. With Carlyle he said, "l lie who has learned how to learn can learn anything," and the best systm of education is the system which teaches each man how to educate himself. Gifted with his full share of enjoyment of the good things of this life, Messel nevertheless led a life of great simp'licity. His success was due, in the first place, to his thorough scientific training and scientific outlook, but in an exceptional degree to his moral attitude towards his work.



iv Obituar Notices of Fellows deceased.

He left four-fift-hs of his residuary estae to the Society aTnd the remainder to the Society of Chemical Indust-ry. WJithout imposing any trust or obli- gation, he desired that the capital shoulld be kept intact and the income applied to the furtherance of scieitific re search and other scentific objects.

1E.F.A.

FREDERICK T.HO1MAS TROUTON-1863-1922.

FREDERICK THOMAS TROUTON was born in Dublin on the 24th November, 1863, being the youngest son of Thomas Trouton of that city. He was educated at Dungannon Royal School and at Trinity College, Dublin. He graduated M.A. and D.Sc. (Dublin), and received a large Gold Medal in his year. He was appointed Assistant to Prof. G. F. FitzGerald in 1884, and became Lecturer in xperimental Physics in 11901--a post which he held for two Sessions. In 1897 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

In 1902 he was appointed Quain Professor of Physics, London, and held this post until 1914, when serious illness compelled him to relinquish it. He lived in retirement at Tilford in Surrey, and afterwards at Downe in Kent, until 1922, when, on September 21st, he passed away in the 59th year of his age. He kept his mental faculties little impaired until his death, although paralysis of the lower limbs had taken away all power of locomotion during the last five years of his life.

In 1887 he married Annie, the daughter of George Fowler, of Liverpool, and through her had four sons and three daughters. His two eldest sons were killed in War service; of these the eldest, Eric, was a promising student of Physics at Trinity College, Cambridge; the other, Desmond, a keen Engineering student at U-niversity College, London. His wife and the remainder of his children survive him.

While still a student Trouton pointed out a relation between the molecular latent heats and boiling points of various substances, which is known to every physical chemist as Trouton's law (' Phil. Mag.,' vol. 18). He himself was disposed. to depreciate the discovery of this law, regarding it as the result of an afternoon's manipulation of figures. But the law plays an important part in many physico-chemical discussions, and though criticism has shown that it cannot claim to be exact, it is at least a useful rule. The rule is equivalent to saying that the change of entropy per molecule in evaporation at ts boiling point is approximately the same for various substances.



J 7 2 X



-Frederick Thomas Trouton. v

Later on he came back to the subject of latent heats and published experimental investigations on the latent heat of evaporation of steam from saturated salt solutions ('Trans. R. Irish Acad.,' vol. 31, p. 345, 1900) in which he obtained satisfactory agreement between the experimental values and values calculated by means of a thermodynamic cycle.

Much of his earlier work was inspired by Prof. G. F. FitzGerald. In 1886 was begun an investigation to test the accuracy of Ohm's law for electrolytes. The method employed is that carried out for metallic conductors by Maxwell and Chrystal. A WVheatstone's bridge was employed in which two of the arms were of about equal sections and resistance, while the remaining two, though equal in resistance to one another, have sections very different from the first pair. If Ohm's law were not true the point of balance would vary with the amount of current passing through the combination. To avoid complications arising from the unequal disturbance of the resistances by the heat developed a rapid alternation of a large and small current was employed. A balance obtained in this case could only be an average one if Ohm's law were not true, in which case, on reversing the direction of one of the currents, the two which previously cancelled each other would now conspire to produce a deflection. Copper sulphate solution was the electrolyte employed. The inequality between the unequal arms was very considerable; one was 119 cm. long by 2-38 cm. internal diameter, whereas the other was a hole drilled in very thin mica and 0-0027 cm. diameter. As a final result of experiments extending over several years ('Brit. Assoc. Reports,' 1886, 1887, 1888) it was decided that in the formula R = Ro (1 - h2), where C is the current, h is not greater than 3 X 10'. For metals, Chrystal had shown that h is less than 1012. An item of historic interest is that " they hoped soon to have storage cells in the laboratory," in connection with the driving of the inter- mitter.

FitzGerald was one of the few physicists who took Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light seriously. Consequently it was to be expected that when Hertz began publishing his investigations on electric waves, FitzGerald should be one of the first to give a detailed account of them (Brit. Assoc., 1888, Bath meeting), and to stimulate the Dublin laboratory to extend and interpret them. Trouton was his co-worker in studying cases of reflection from non-conducting substances such as glass and paraffin. They also decided the question of the relation of the azimuth of vibration to that of polarisation. In one sense the answer is twofold, because in the electromagnetic wave there is both an electric and a magnetic vibration. Trouton's experiments on reflection at the polarising angle from the surface of a bad conductor proved that when the electric vector is in the plane of incidence the reflection is bad, but reflection occurs at all angles when- the electric vector is at right angles to that plane. He also showed that a small reflector, i.e., one approximately

VOL. CX.--A. 3 F



Obituary Notices of Fellows deceased.

like the pole of a wave, reflects a wave nearly a quarter of a period in advance of the whole reflected wave, and thereby justified experimentally the somewhat puzzling introduction of a " quiarter-wave advance " by Stokes in connection with Fresnel's treatment of a primary wave as the resultant of effects arising fromn elementary wavelets or secondary waves.

r s eTies of papers on the relative mnotion of the earth and ~ther forms anotheer indicationu of FitzGerald's influence. The fundamental idea of the first experi-

ents is that a charged condenser, when mioving throlgh the Tther wvith its plates parallel to the direction of mnotion, Posssesses -magnetic energy as well as lectrostatic, in accordarce with the generally held view that a movig charge is equivalent to a current-elenment. FitzGerald's view as to the source of this nergy w-as th'rt it would be fo-und as being due to a mechanical drag on the

conde mser itself d-iring the process of ch arging. Trouton arranged an. experi- nent to test this conciusio n Tnitial experim.nents vere i.n progress, and were apparently leading to a negative resut, when FitzGerald clied but Trouton records that FitzGerald, in conversation. writh hini, had expressed the view thlat the negative results, if stustaiLnecl by furtbher work, vould be attributable to the sa-me ca-Lse as the negative results in the iichelson and Moriey's experiment, viz., a alteration in linear dimensions of the moviing system according to the direction of motion in the Tther. Fromn sone such cause a diminution in the elecctrostatic energy might be brought aTout, when the condenser was in the edge-wise position, just sufficient in anmount to provide for the energy required for the magnetic field. Further consideration of the problem convinced Trouton that it was a turning-impulse and iot a translational one that was to be expected. The extra energy gained in turniing the condenser through ninety degrees woild theIL come from the work required to efect the ro-tation. In a iy intermediate position a couple would be experienced which would have a maximrun value in the 45-degree position. Assuiming a positive result -to be obtaind Trouton pict-ured the possibility of building a machine consisting of ajir-condensers for utilizing the vast store of energy in the Earth's motion through space. Experiments on this turning-moment were not carried out- until after Trouton's appointment to University College, London, when, in co.njuection with a research student, Mr. H. R. Noble, a very complete experimental investigation was in'ade. A mica condenser with its plane vertical vas suspended by a fine wire. The charges were let into the plates of the condenser by means of this wire and by a wire which hung from beneath and dipped'into a liquid terminal. Observations were taken at different times of the day, when the planie of the condenser made various angles with the direction of the drift. Calculations had been previously worked out as to the best time of day on different days at which the effects sought for might be a maximum, taking account of the earth's motioni round the suln and the motion of the whole Solar system in space. The condenser was set in oscillation and a series of



Frederick Thomas Trouton. vii

elongations taken alternately with the condenser uncharged and charged. From the elongations the equilibrium positions in the two cases were calculated. After many months' experience with the apparatus, the largest displacement of the equilibrium position was barely 5 per cent. of the value calculated from theory. These small clisplacemnents were attributed to pertulrbation of the surrounding air arising from small sparks taking place inside or over the condenser. The final conclusion was that the electrostatic energy mus-t diminish by a fraction (U/V)2 of itself when moving with a velocity uf at right angles to the electrostatic lines of force.

Assuming that FitzGerald was right in his cont-raction hypo-tlhesis, TroLton 'was led to seek for more positive evidence of its truth. Amongst the physical properties which miight be mnodified by the contraction there is the electrical -resistance of a wire. The dependence of the resistance on the specific resistance (p) leingth (1) and cross-sectional area (a) implies the relation

IR dp d_ l - da Rp I a

If r3 is written for a/V, turning a wire through a riglht angle might be expected to procluce a change given by

dR dp 2

where p2 is the term arising froml change of dimensions. The investigation was carried out in conjunction with Mr. A. 0. Rankine (now the Director of the Optical Department in the Imperial College, London). Four rectangular coils were wound, mounted on a common stand and connected in such a way that they formed a, Wheatstone network such that the wires forming opposite arms of the bridge were parallel. The whole could be rotated bodily on an axis. Balance was obtained when the wire in two of the coils was at right angles to the resultant drift. The whole was turned through 90 degrees and the change of balanLce tested. The usual diffic-lties arising from variable temperatures and thermo-electric currents were met with. The out-come of the determinations made with every realizable preca-ution was that for the two positions a mean difference of scale-reading of only 0 * 13 mm. was observed, whereas for the value of the drift on the particular day on which the experiments were made, the expected value from P2 alone would be 10 9 mm. The final conclusions are stated by saying, firstly, that the total electric resistance of a wire is not altered by an amount exceeding 5 x 10-? of its value by any change of its position relative to its motion through space; and secondly, that if the FitzGerald shrinkage takes place the specific resistance of a material must also be dependent upon the direction of the current, being greater to a current flowing parallel to the velocity of the material through space than to a current in a perpendiculax

3 F 2



viii Obituary iVotices of Fellows deceased.

direction. Such a change of specific resistance can quite plausibly be deduced from electronic theory as arising fromn the change of dimensions.

These experiments, in each case leading to a negative result, helped to demon- strate the illusive nature of the luminiferous awther and to pave the way for the various theories of relativity which dominate the situation at the present time.

For some years the problem of the viscosity of quasi-solids attracted his attention, and much ingenuity was displayed in investigating it. In conjunction with Mr. E. S. Andrews he applied the bending beam method to pitch (viscosity, 1011 C.G.S. units). By a torsion method they obtained the viscosity of soda- glass at different temperatures, and even the value for shoemakers'- wax (4o 7 X 106 C.G.S.). Stokes' method of a falling sphere was applied to the last material, the velocity of a bicycle ball falling through it being obtained by observing the shadow of the ball when X-rays passed through the wax and fell on a fluorescent screen. The ball took a fortnight to travel I8 cm. This nmethod for the examination of opaque media was originated by Trouton, but has been reintroduced in recent years by others with a similar object.

While at Dublin researches were begun. on the adsorption of water vapour by flannel, glass and other substances, the immediate object in view being, if possible, to construct a recording hygroireter based either upon the change of weight or, in1 the case of glass, the chanige of electrical resistance between two wires fused on to the surface. Though the imnmediate aimn. was not successfuil, these investigations led up to a long series of others on adsorption. In the counse of these experiments several curious effects were observed (in collaboration with Mr. J. H. C. Searle) when voltages were applied between electrodes mouted on glass. It was found possible for the resistance to be of the order 2 X i05 ohms, while for a voltage applied in the reverse direction it was 106 ohms. The effect was observed to be very sensitive to changes in the hygrometric state of the atmosphere, as well as on the length of time the current was allowed to run before reversal. In further stzidy of the deposit of moisture oni glass-a study which was carried out with the most scrupulous care-it was found that if the amount of water admitted to a vessel which was filled wvith glass wool was gradually increased, the equilibrium pressure of the vapour varied continuously, but the curve obtained by plotting pressure against water-content had a marked kink in it, analogous to the kink given by Van der Waals' equation for gases. A curious consequence is that it could be arranged for a glass surface holding a certain amount of water to have a less vapour pressure than a drier s rface. Analogous effects were observed witn phosphoric pentoxide. If very dry and ordinary phosphoric pentoxide are placed side by side under a bell jar and water be admitted in small quantities day by day, the ordinary oxide gets continually wetter, while the dry remains dry (except for a few specks probably due to dust or other impurity)-it is, in fact, too dry to take up moisture at all.

At the time when he first fell ill work was being conducted on the generaI



Frederick Thomas Trouton. ix

phenomena of adsorption with the help of his assistant, Mr. Burgess, to whose accuracy and care Trouton readily bore witness. It was made clear that the effects observed with glass and water vapour were not peculiar to them, for sinilar effects were obtained with the adsorption by silica of the salt from various salt solutions. These researches have not been published in detail, but a brief account is given in Trouton's Presidential Address at the Australiani Meeting of the British Association (1914)-an address which he was unfortunately not able to read in person, as he was even then too ill to undertake the journey.

As an example in a lighter vein, attention may be called to a letter in Nature (December 14, 1893) jointly with FitzGerald on " Systematic Nomenclature." Following the example of "resistance" and " resistivity," it was suggested to introduce terms like " diffusance and " difusivity," " emissance " and "emissivity," "expansance" and "expansivity,"' " frictance" and " fricti- vity," etc., etc. Although these suggestions were treated perfectly seriously, the writer has Trouton's o statement that it was in an atmosphere of rather hilarious levity that the letter was concocted.

Owing to his long severance from active life through illness, Trouton is known personally only to a minority of the younger generation. Those who had the advantage of personal acquaintance with him remember him for his integrity, for his lively imagination, touched often with characteristic Irish whimsicality, for his friendliness and helpfulness. He cared little for the ordinary attractions of a town. It was a delight to see hima in his country home, where he could indulge in his love for gardening and other outdoor pursuits. He took a keen interest in the athletic life of the College. His scientific friends will remember him in particular for his insight into the provisional character of all scientific theories and for his recognition of the importance of experimental research.

A. W. P.



X

JOHlN VAENN Kil3t-1_923.

JoHN VENN, M.A., Se.D., FR.S., F.S.A., logician an.d an1tiquary wa bo -i. August 4, 1834, and died April 4, 1923.

No one could have had a more uncormpromisinglyr clerical. ancestry and tip brilnging than had Venun. His five or six immediate ancestors, whose lives 'le gave in his notable book " The Annals of a Clerical Famlily," were vicars or rectors occupying positions of imiportance in the Church:.

His own upbringing was in3 the narrowest atmosphere of Low Church Evat-i gelicalismn, and, owving to this, .he cam-e to the University with so slight an acquiaintance xvith books of any kind that lie may be said to have begun themr his knowledge of literature.

Venn entered Glonville and Caius College from Islington Proprietary' School in 1853, and was sixth wrangler ini the Mathematical Tripos of 1857-a time' when a, mani's position in the list depended greatly utpon the coach with whonm he had read. He was elected Fellow of his college in the sanme year, took Priest's Orders in 1859, and was for a year curate at Mortlake.

He was drawn to the study of logic by readinio Mills, and in 1862, when -he returned to Cambridge as Lecturer in Moral Science to his college, he became, with Sidgwick and Marshall, one of the principal lecturers on the subjects of the Moral Sciences Tripos. At this period VeTun took a few private pupils, amongst themn being Lord Balfour, Sir Charles LDilke, Professor Maitland, and Doughty, the traveller in Arabia.

In 1869 Venun delivered the Hiulsean Lec-t-ures, his subject Jeing the "Charac- teristics of Belief." In 1870 he relinquished Joly Orders. In 1903 he was elected President of his college and held that office tcutil his death.

Venn's intellectual life falls in to two distinct periods; in the first he wvas student of logic, in the second an antiiquary. He achieved dist-inction in both. The close of the first periocd is m arked roughly by his election into outir Society in 1883. The second period ended only with his deatlh, for he was actively engaged on his great biographiical history of tlhe University of Camlbrid e to within a few days of that evenlt.

His "Logic of Chance " was publisshed int 1866 antd later e.ditions appeared HI 11876 and 1888. It was, according -to TDr. Keynies, " strikingly original aind consi.derably inifluenced the developm.ent , oft the teory ofs tatistics." " Probaby his most enduring work on logic "-I quote again froiu Dr. Keynes -vas the "Symbolic Logic" which appearedc in 1881, with t, second edition in 1894. " A great part of his treatment imust always remain of value."

" The Principles of Empirical or Inlduc tive Logic " appeared in 1889, in a second edition in 1907. " This followed on the general lines of Mills ' Logic,'



W^~~~~~~~'

J- ?



John Ven. ni

and although it contained independent departuires in many directions, it was,T less original than his other books."

That Venn should have become an antiquary was natural, since he was born-: in an antiquarian fanmilv aind reared in traditional meniories. His first important stndy in this direction was in the history of his owni college [Caius Coltege (College. Histories), 1901], and his second in the history of his own I family ("Annals of a Clerical Family," 1904).

In 1886 he published the " Adm issioins to Gonville and Cains College, 1558-- 1679," and in 1897 " The Biographical History of Gonville and Gainus College, 1349-1897." This great work, possibly the most detailed study of a social organisation ever made, would, if it stood alone, place Yenn in the front rank of antiquaries, btut it led to an even greater work, namuely, a similar study of the University. This is the " Alum:ni Cantbrigienses froin earliest timnes to 1900."5 (1922- ). in this immense work he was assisted by is son, and of it a brother antiquary writes :-_ I t is difficult for anyone who has not seen the work in its making to realise the ii mense amiount of research involved in this great undertaking. Take, for instainee, one section of the inquiries--a large one-- that of the Clergy. In most dioceses Dr. Venn ransacked tlie Bishop's Registers an-d Act Books, the volumes of 'Subscriptions for Orders,' the Episcopal Visitations, the Book of Institutions and of First Fruits at the Record Office. From such details let the reader judge his mlethods of of inquiry and research ! "'

All this research bore ftiuit other than the detailed records set out in the "Alumna," for Venn was keeiuly alive to the hu-rman and not infrequ ently humorous sides of his study. The result was not a few asides, always most interesting, on manners and people, vhich were ptublished for the most part in the Caitus College Magazine.

Venn had mechanical gifts ouit of the common, and was something of a c[afts- m-an. Later in his long life he tutrned this ability to curious use by devising and ,onstructing a machine for bowling, the efficieney of which was demonstrated at Feinners on the occasion of the visit of the Australian Team to Cambridge in 1909, when the redoubtable Victor Trumper was clean bowled by it four times I

A good field. botanist, a bit of a mountaineer, a craftsman, and with a gift of dry humour, Venn lived his long life to the full. Age treated him kindly --an active, spare man, he retained his sprightly walk and his interest in work and play unitil the enid.

A personal note, to whiich the present writer is greatly indebted, was contributed by the late D. T. Francis to the Cai-Ls Colle Magazine.

W. B. H.



x*i

JOHN YOUNG BUCHANAN-1844-1925. JOHN YOUNG BUCHANAN was born on February 20, 1844, the son of John Buchanan of Dowanhill. He was educated at Glasgow High School and University, and he subsequently studied at the Universities of Marbarg, Leipsic and Bonn and at the Ecole de Medecine, Paris. It was at these places that he acquired his unusual facility in German and French, and later he acquired a considerable knovledge of Spanish.

Buchanan was appointed, chemist to the " Challenger " and took a leading part 1n the inarine investigaltions carried out by tlhe most completely equipped vessel that has ever circurn-navigated the world. One of the most seiisational discoveries thought to have been nade by the expedition was that of Bathybius, a glairy, viscid, granular substiance which was constaRtly turnin-g up in the jars containing the zoological specimnens preserved in alcohol, collected by the zoologists. This was investigated by Huxley, who stood godfather X it. He regarded this as a forxn of primitive life which seemed to be spread all over the floor of tlhe deep sea. It was Buchanan, however, who exploded the idea and showed. that this substance was sone kind of amorphous form of sulphate of lime precipt-ated by the addition of sea water to the alcolhol in which marine organisms are preserved. It was characteristic of Huxley that he acknowledged his mistake and never men1tionied theic matter again. The chief contiibution of Buc.an4a to the scientific results of H.M.S. " Challenger" vas a section on the chemistry and physics of sea-water. He also contributed the narrative volumes and no doubt, aftr the death of Sir Wyville Thomson, he might have talke part in editing the voluines, but he preferred to devote himself to research.

The best known and probably the most i nportant part of Buchanian's work was that carried out during the voyage of the " Challenger," and after the return in working out the results incorporated in the ' Report' of the voyage. He also publislhed a large numnber of independent papers in various periodicals and n the jouar ials of learned societies. Many of these scattered contributions hla. e beeni brought together in twro volumes, entitled respectively Comuptes Rendus of Observat-ion and Reasoning,' 1917, and 'Accounts

Renderad of Work Done and Things Seen,' 1919. These cover a very wide range of subjects, niot only chemical, physical and oceanographical, but geo- graphical, zoological, astronomical, even accidents to ships, on railways, and to airships, tstifying to a great range of knowledge and.observation, as well as keenness of reasoning and inference. Besides all this, it is well known that ,Buchanan carried out, purely for his own satisfaction, a great amount of experimental work that was never published at all: when his own personal curiosity was satisfied he often let the suLbject drop, 'ing quite without any desire for personal " kudos " or self-advertsement.



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John Young Buchanan. xiii

Perhaps the most remarkable features of Buchanan's varied work, were its thoroughness, its accuracy and the ingenuity displayed in the devising of methods and the construction of efficient apparatus, often out of the most homely materials. It should also be remembered that much of his experimental work was done out of doors, not only in tropical seas, but in the discomfort of the Antarctic and among the glaciers of the High Alps. All this adds very greatly to its value, as well as affording an instructive side-light on the man and his mental outlook.*

Buchanan's family were comparatively wealthy. His mother, a most vigorous and radical old lady, had a fine house in Moray Place, Edinburgh. She was a very ardent Liberal and used to entertain Parnell and other advanced politicians. When they were there, Buchanan, who was an equally convinced Tory, was not.

His researches cover a wide field. From 1889 to 1903 he was lecturer in Geography at the University of Cambridge and, owing to his friendship with Prof. iRoberton Smith he joined Christ's College, where he continued to reside in ample rooms for some 20 years. He was a brilliant lker, and when he left Ca:nbridge the Corabination Room of his College suffered a great loss. Owing to his intimate friendship wth the late Prince of Monaco, the Duke Karl Theodor of Bavaria, and his acquaintance with the ex-Kaiser, he had unusual opportunities to observe the trend of European politics. He was convinced war was coming and he took the gloomiest views as to its outome. So de- pressed was he that at the outbreak of war he went to Cuba and resided in Havana for the winter of 1914-15. Afterwards he took rooms in an hotel in Boston and remained there till the Armistice was declared. Before the war he had a conmfortable house in Park Lalne, but he sold all his possessions, and on returning to England lived in a couple of rooms in a West End hotel, though he occasionally went long voyages and spent some time in Glasgow. He had all the sailor's dislike for " gear," and long before he died he had reduced his worldly possessions to what could be held in a couple of trunks.

He was an extremely generous man and was always willing to help any deserving case of poverty, and he would give costly books and other objects to the College. He was always a very true and genuine friend. His fine presence and handsome face, tinged with melancholy, have been recorded in a picture now hanging in the Master's Lodge at Christ's College, by Louis Tinayre, brother of the well-known French novelist, Marcelle Tinayre. He was not a man who made friends very readily, and he certainly did not wear his heart on his sleeve. But once a friend you were always a friend, for he was a man whose quality of heart equalled the quality of his brain.

A. E. S. For the two preceding paragraphs I am indebted to Dr. R. H. Rastall.



O) LJ \E?R HEAVTISIDE- 850-1 925.

OLIVER HEAVISDE was born in London on hMay 1.3 1850. lIe was t( ephew of Sir Charles WVheatstone. After 1eavi ig school hle was appointed to a post With the Great Northern Telegraph Company at Newcastle3on1-Tyne In 1874, itn). consequence of increasing deafness, he retre;d froi-a bu1siness I.-Ife and went to live in Devon. Between. te years 1873 ar(l 18t92 he co:i nuiLicated a nunmber of papers, soime of great importance, to various societies and joirnals. Their valu7e, however, -was noLt at first reeognised. rin sone respects his mnathematical mrLethods were novel ; in coI)nseqience 1he frequently. lh0t d difficulty in getting his work published, an-cd the rejection ot son)e of it- bh he Society of Telegraph Engineers was for long a souree of hitter grief.

In 1892 he collected these papeis ito two VoU0mes; they beaae~ e readily- accessible, and the fact that the reader co:ald study hiis inlrestigations in a connected form led to a fLuller appreciation of their valle. His paper Oi l Duplex Telegraphly " (vol. i, p. 18) was originally published in the h Philoso-

phical Magazine' for June, 1873. In it h1e shows for the first tlin 1e that qluad- r-uplex tlegraphy is practicable, and conisiders it hi hly proba1te that multiplex telegraphy wxill come into everydav y-use. In 1881] he com3B-Lini- cated a paper to the Society of Telegraph Engineers (now thle Institution of Electrical Engineers) oni the theory of the electrostatic and electcrmagnetic induction between parallel wires. Tlhis paper hIas recently conie into importL-

ance in connection with the i-mt erferen:ee produtced by induction. UIbetween electric railway lines and telephonie circuits.

Heaviside was the first (1884) to solve the problemn1 of the highdi4-frteency resistance and inductance of a concentric niala. It Aras hardly knownY until Kelvin gaye some of hlis resuilts in hlis Presidential Address to th,e n1}stitution of Electrical Engineers in 1889. Kn the t-wo volumes of "' Elecrica I Papers," Heaviside's most iml-portant practical worlc was laying the foundsation of the mnodern theory of telephorde transmission, at theory which has provred of the utmost value to the telephonist. He poin:ts out that thte difficulties wlii eb -arise i) telephony are due to the different attenuations and the different 'velocities of the various component waves which carry the Inecessary cutrrei ts. His theory of the distorsionless circuit (vol. ii, pp. 123-455) shows Ciearly the method on which long-distanice telephony ca, be developed. Working on. similar lines some ten years later, Professor Mlihael Pupini, i:t the U i ed States, developed his Joa ing coils (a method Nvhi:ch Heaviside also invented) and long-distance telephony becanme practicable. (Continuous loading of t,e cable was subsequently introduted, and IHeaviisicde's simlple thleory becan-me imnmedi- ately applicable.



Oliver Heaviside. xv

All his work proves conclusively the value of a knowledge of physics, and particularly of mathematical theory to the electrical inldustry. His methods of using a differential galvanometer and also of measuring mutual inductance are of great value in themselves. Like most of his work, also, they have been} mnost fruitfuil in suggesting similar methods to others.

After the publication of ' Electrical Papers ' in 1892, the importance of his work was recognised by electrical engineers. In the following year, 1893, the first volume of his ' Electromagnetic Theory' appeared, to be followed by a second in 1899. The third and concluding volume was published in 1912. Trlle contents of this work are a sufficient indication of his contributions to electrical science.

Heaviside was the first to give the theory of tlhe steady rectilinear motion of an electric charge through the ether, a theory which has been developed by others with important results. He was one of the first to predict the increase of mass of a moving charge whern its speed becomes very great. In June, 1902, Heaviside wrote the article on thie " Theory of the Electric Telegraph," in the ' Encyclopsedia Britannica.' It is reprinted in ' Electro- magnetic Theory,' vol. iii, p. 331. He gives a radiational theory founded on Maxwell's theory of light, and points out that experiment has verified all its essential points. Some of the theorems given in this article have been frequent.ly quoted by the writers of text-books. In particular, his suggestion of a con ducting layer in the upper atmosphere, by means of which electromagnetic waves are bent round. the earth, is now well known and generally accepted.

He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1891; in 1908 he was elected. an Honorary Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, and when the Faraday Medal of the Institution was founded in 1921., he was the first recipient. He died at Torquay on February 5, 1925.

A. R.



xv'

ANDREW GRAY-1847-1925.

ANDREw GRAY was born at Lochoellv in Fifeshire in 1847. HTis ed ucation was tlhe usual education of a Scottish boy who is the son of parents of limited means. The niaster at the village selhool he at-tended laid stress on the practical importance of mathematics, and taught the boys thle elements of survey- ing. In particuilar, he slhowed themi how to measuire the distance of conspicuous objects out of doors by neans of a measured base line. In this way Gray, when a boy, measured the distance of Nelson's monument on the Calton Hill, the ligihthouse on the island of Inchkeith, the Martello tower at Leith Harbour, North. Berwick Law, and. other objects that can be seen from Buirntisland. The practical nature of the teaching intensely interested the boys. In later life Gray always tried to mnake the problems he set the students as practical and as humanly interesting as possible.

At Glasgow Universitv he gained imany prizes and graduated M.A., with honours in Mathematics and Natural 'Philosophy.

His University distinctions, however, inadequately represented his attain- nments. On. more than one occasion, when a student, he had to leave the University a few we1eks before the end of the Session in order to assist in farmiing operationis at home. In the opinion of Dr. Lushington, this once lost hiim the gold medal which is given to the best student in the Senior Greek class. Most students would have beei grievously disappointed at losing eagerly coveted honours, but Gray ever puit duty before personal ambition, and did nzot seem to mind. To the end of his life he remained an excellenit classical scholar, and had a keen appreciation of Creek and Latin poetry. IHis Greek Testament was his constant companiion, and in his letters he not infrequently made apt quotations from it. Like his friend, Professor Chrystal, he was an admrairer of Schiller's poenis, and knew many of them by heart.

Fronri 1875-80 he was private secretary to Sir William Thomson, and from 1880-84 he was his official assistait. Thomsona did not spare his assistants, and CGray had no easy task. About this time electrical engineering was making great strides and Thomson had a devoted band of workers in Es laboratorv. Gray took a leading part in the testing of dynamos, at one time in conjunction with Dr. John Hopkinsoni, and in the testing of accumulators anid of electric lamps.

In 1881-82 he attended Sir Wlliam Thomso 's Senior Natural Philosophy Class. He corrected the examination papers of the class at the end of the termii, and returned them. to the studen1ts, of whom the writer was one. The writer found that not only had he written out the solutions of those questions





Andrewv Gray. xvii

which had been answered incorrectly, but he had also written out complete solutions of all those which he had not attempted. It must have taken him several hours, and shows the interest which he took in students and how he liked to help them.

In 1884 Gray was appointed to the Chair of Physics in the newly-founded University College of North Wales at Bangor. He had as colleagues two other old Glasgow students: Henry Jones, the distinguished philosopher, subsequently Sir Heniry Jones, Professor of Moral Philosophy, and Gray's colleague at Glasgow UJniversity; and James J. -Dobbie, afterwards Sir J. J. Dobbie, the Principal of the Government Laboratory. In 1896 he was miade a Fellow of the Royal Society, and received the Hon. Degree of LL.D. from Glasgow University. While in W ales, he championed the cause of the higher education of women, and took a leading part in the foundation of the County School for Girls in Bangor. At this time he was also an enthusiastic mount;aineer, and made weekly excursions with some of his colleagues into the Welsh hills. He was a strong swimmer, and rarely missed his morning bathe in the Menai Straits.

In 1899 he was installed Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow Univer- sity, a post which he resigned in 1924. During this period his strong personality, ability as a teacher and unwearyinig patience in explaining difficulties endeared hlis memory to many thousands of students. On the death of Lord Kelvin in 1907, Gray delivered an eloquent oration in his miemory. He later expanded this into a book called ' The Scientific WVork of Lord Kelvin.' It gives an excellent account of the life anid activities of his famous predecessor.

Gray planned the present Natural Philosophy Institute of the University of Glasgow, a task which absorbed all his energies for several years. It was opened 18 years ago by the King and Queen, then Prince and Princess of Wales. He made special arrangements for the comfort of the students-in particular, the methods of ventilating and keeping at an ecuable temperature the large lecture rooms and laboratories are admirable. He also arranged an historical collection of Kelvin's apparatus in the Institute, but he felt that much of the interest of this collection would soon pass away, as the coming generation would not be able to picture the exciting times there had been when each improvement in the apparatus was perfected by Kelvin.

Gray wrote many books, published several addresses and communicated many papers to the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh. His first book, entitled 'Absolute Measurements in Electricity and Magnetisni,' was published in 1883. It deals almost exclusively with work of a fundamental character which was being carried out at that time by workers assisting Sir William Thomson. The first volume of an expansion of this work appeared in 1888 and a second volume in 1893. These works proved most helpful to physicists in National Laboratories when determining ouLr electrical standards. In 1921



viiin Obituary iNrotices qf _Fellows dece sed.

a finIal edition of 'Absolute Measurements' appeared. He once said, that the writing of this book was difficutlt owi:ng to----if not the discouraging--at least the Laodicean attitude of scientis-ts to absolute measurements. In 1895 he puiblished, in. conjunction with George B1allard Mathewrs, a 'Treatise on Bessel Functions.' In this book practical applications are alw ays kept in view. The treatise, -hich became a classic, was revisedl by P.rof. Cray and Dr. T. M. MacRobert in 1922.

In 1898 appeared a treatise on 'Mz agnetismlr and Electricity,' a id in 1901 a vol-Oime on ' Dynamies and Properties of Afatter.' n 11911, in conjuntior. wvith his son, Prof. J. G. Cray, he p-utblisl,,d a treatise on ' D1ynamnics.' This book ras vwritten for s-t,udents of phlysices und engineerInOY and coiitans a very large number of interesting exa r ples co(0plete solutions of .xia ny of wshich are given. In 1919 appeare 'A. Tre tWise o- ( lvrostati s and Rotational M>otion.' This book is a monurnentt to thle. vigo-Li azad i-nduLstry of -the author,, a-, well aS to dis thorough knowledge of the sutbject.

It. 1912 the writer had occasion to write to Cray to aseertain his opinron o r the proposed use of the word "CC eivin " to dsnote the unit of electrical energy. In particular, he asked him ha t he -t1hought Lord Kelvin's feeling- woculd be likely to be if he were alive. He replied I have no hesitation. in saying that I thiink the idea would not be dilstlasteful to him, but the contrary, Trhat View I base on nmy general reading of Lord Kelvin's character and disposition. He certainly did like recognition and appreciation (no blale to him for that !), and I amn sure that any legitimate m-ode of perpetuating hiis name and fatnee vzrhich his colleague-workers in electrical science had insisted on inaugurating wouLld have been gr'atefully received dluring his lifeti ne." Personally, however, Cray wa s strongly opposed to the giving of the narmes of eminent scientific m1eni, nomina clara et venerabillia, as designations for practical electrical units. On another occasion, when criticisinig parts of 'Thomson- and Tait' he wrote: You will understand that I yield to no one in respect for the genius and

memory of my great teachber and predecessor." He was very interested in Einstein's Thleory anid had intended to give lectures

onr the subject. He thouglht it a pity that it was generally presented in the formt of the " theory of tensors."' In. a letter written in 1.923 he says: "Some of the conclusions of the Theory-e.g., as to the magnitude of the universe-are h ardly translatable out of the non-Euclidean geometry without a dislocation of our reason. I cannot follow the conclusions . . . by tlle methods of common sense, if such methocds be applicable. They almost seem to outrage all our old ideas." The Einsteinians were very sane people, but it was difficult to reconcile some of their results with sanity. I1 don't know what to think."

Prof. Gray was very happy in his home life. He is survived by his widow, three sons and four daughters. There was an interesting family gathering warhen hie and his wife celebrated their golden wedd.ing five years ago. He was



Andrew Gray. xix

glad whe r his second so11 Jaines gave up engineering and followed in his footsteps-,a decision which has since been justified by the excellent work he has done in gyrostatics and his appointment as Professor of Applied Physics in the Uniiversity of Glasgow. In his later years he loved to spend his vacations in the Perthshire Highlands, where golden eagles are still to be seen. The reinembrarce of his happy, kindly and active life will be treasured by his maTnv old pupils,

A. Rl.



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Obituary Notices of Fellows Deceased

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