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Cordial relations were maintained with Government departments, research
organisations and scientific societies. These contacts were most valuable in enabling the
Chemical Branch to have access to the most up-to-date and authoritative information
on many specialised subjects.
Officers of the Branch are members of a number of scientific societies and during the
year these included the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Chemical Society, the Society
of Chemical Industry, Society of Public Analysts and other Analytical Chemists,
Institute of Petroleum, Institute of Sewage Purification, Oil and Colour Chemists
Association, Royal Sanitary Institute and Royal Society of Arts.
Publications and lectures
Publications and lectures by members of the staff during the year were :
'Air Pollution '—C.J. Regan (Chadwick Lecture).
'The Chemist in Local Government Service'—C. J. Regan.
'Investigation into Detergency in Kitchens and Laundries'—S. G. Burgess and
D. Burns, in collaboration with C. W. Tidy of the Chief Engineer's Department.
'Paint in the Public Service '—S. G. Burgess and C. A. Chaplin.
'Swimming Bath Water Treatment'—S. G. Burgess and D. Burns, in collaboration
with C. W. Tidy of the Chief Engineer's Department.
'Recent Research Work at the Northern Outfall Works of the London County
Council'—G. S. Clements and R. J. Stephenson, in collaboration with A. Bruce
of the Chief Engineer's Department.
'The Thiocyanate Determination of Iron with Hydrogen Peroxide'—J. E.
Houlihan and P. E. L. Farina.
Library
With the rapid development of scientific knowledge and the wide range of problems
referred to the branch for investigation, it is essential to have up-to-date information
on a variety of subjects. Hence the Reference Library, which continued to grow during
the year and now comprises over 2,000 books, reports, pamphlets and specifications, as
well as sets of over 300 technical journals and periodicals, has become an essential
feature of the equipment of the branch.
During the year help on specialised subjects was received from other libraries and
acknowledgments of this are due to the libraries of the Public Health and Education
Officer's Departments, H.M. Patent Office, the Science Museum, the Chemical Society,
and other scientific societies.
Staff
The staff of the branch numbered 54, which included 27 professionally qualified
chemists, 23 ancillary staff and 4 in the clerical section attached to it.
In concluding this report on the year's work I should like to express my appreciation
of the loyal and whole-hearted efforts of the whole staff, without which it would have
been impossible to carry out the great amount of work which was dealt with during
the year.