| RefNo | MS/603/2/141 |
| Previous numbers | 339 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from James Dewar, Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, to [Joseph] Larmor |
| Creator | Dewar; Sir James (1842-1923); British chemist and physicist |
| Recipient | Larmor; Sir Joseph (1857-1942); Irish theoretical physicist |
| Date | 17 November 1906 |
| Description | Dewar likes to agree with Larmor, but cannot accept his construction of the [Frederick] Soddy paper. The intention was to let Soddy down gently, otherwise Dewar was entitled to make far more pungent remarks. He queries an expression in the printed abstract, which he quotes, saying that no experimenter has ever put forth such a proposition. He refers to his own 1904 Proceedings paper and others, including by Sir William Ramsay, regarding the use of charcoal as a gas absorbent for helium and neon. He refers to what he considers objectionable, and supposes that Soddy and his pupil think that the method described in their addendum is new, whereas this was sonething described in 1893. He does not want credit, but thinks it erodes the Royal Society's high level of originality. He believes he told Larmnor that he handed over some research to Strutt; while using the charcoal method he has had to use the highest alloy of potassium and sodium as an agent. Dewar regrets that owing to his health he has been unable to put together material intended for the Royal Society, but he is gradually improving. |
| Extent | 4p. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA7894 | Larmor; Sir; Joseph (1857 - 1942); theoretical physicist | 1857 - 1942 |
| NA5870 | Dewar; Sir; James (1842 - 1923); chemist and physicist | 1842 - 1923 |