PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1788, 6 November 1919, Page 2

PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

- ■ • ORDINARY MEETING. A meeting of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury was held last evening, there being a large attendance, over which Mr L. P. Symes presided. It was decided to write to the Otago Institute congratulating its members on the completion of 50 years of usefulness, and the support the institute has given in the advancement of science, and wishing the institute continued success. Mr A. V. Mountford, F.C.S., delivered an interesting address' on "Leather." Leather was chiefly made from animal skins, but sometimes the skins of birds, reptiles, and even fishes were availed of. Some millions of rat skins were tanned each year in India. In the course of his progress, man employed oils, fats and extracts of bark or other vegetable matter for tanning. Pliny mentioned the methods of tanning in the old Roman days, when a very durable leather was made. "With the fail of the Roman Empire the arts and industries were more or less lost, but the tanning extended to Europe and America. The methods of tanning today were the results of centuries of research, and the co-operation of science had never, been absent. Science had accomplished much through the work of Sir Humphry Davy and others who had worked indefatigably .in the matter of improving the methods of tanning. In the fields of botany, chemistry and physics much had been done. The vegetable method was still the chief on<s followed, though chrome was being more commonly adopted. The formula for chrome tanning. was prescribed by a Viennese doctor in 1858, but it

was not availed of till an American patented and used it in 1893. Mr Mountford was asked whether tanning- was done from New Zealand woods. The lecturer replied that birch bark had been used for upwards of 40 years. Birch, however, gave only from eight to 10 per cent, of liquors, whereas tho wattle bark of Australia gave 40 per cent. If, in the near future, New Zealand tanning materials were to be used, extracting plants would have to be established. When asked what was done with the bark of the wattles planted by the Government near Auckland for tanning purposes, Mr Mountford stated that the bark was used by the Auckland tanneries, but, for some unexplained reason, none came to Canterbury. Mr S. Page, B.Sc, then explained an exhibit featuring variation in the genus clematis. It was decided to ask Mr Page to write a paper on his observations regarding clematis. Both speakers were accorded a vote of thanks.