LIFE AND EXPERIENCES OF A BENGALI CHEMIST

PRAFULLA CHANDRA RAY~

CALCUTTA: CHUCKERVERTTY, CHATIERJEE & Co., LTo. 15, CoLLEGE SQUARE

LONDON: KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & Co., LTo.

1932 Published by R. C. CHAKRAVARTI, M.Sc., for CHUCKERVERTIY, CHATIERJEE & Co., LTT>., IS, College Square, Calcutta.

Printer: PRABHAT CHANDRA RAY, SRI GouRANGA PREss, 7I f I, Mirzaprtr Street, Calcutta. ilrqis uolume is aftedionaMg insrriheb in tqe qope tqat its perusal mag in some measure stintuhtfe tqem to adroities. " ...... nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice: ,_:_Othello. PREFACE

While a student at Edinburgh I found to my regret tha· every civilized country including Japan· was adding to thE world's stock of knowledge but that unhappy India wa! lagging behind. I dreamt a dream that, God willing, a timE would come when she too would contribute her quota. Half-a-century has since then rolled by. My dream I have now the gratification of finding fairly materialized. A new era has evidently dawned upon India. Her sons have taken kindly to the zealous pursuit of different branches of· Science. Ma~ the torch thus kindled burn with greater brilliance from generation to generation I The conditions and handicap under which this volume appears have been related in the concluding envoy of the book and need not be repeated here. In fact, I find to my dismay that this very year I have to tour some fifteen thousand miles across the length and breadth of this land in response to invitations from several Universities and organisations. In these days of awakened national consciousness, the life story of a Bengali chemist smacks rather of narrow pro­ vincialism. As there are two or three chapters which relate exclusively to Bengal, I have been reluctantly compelled to substitute Bengali for Indian. It will be found, however, that most part of the subject matter is applicable to India as a whole. Even the economic condition of Bengal applies mutatis mutandis to almost any province in India. A large mass of materials originally meant for this present volume has been left out, as it has already grown, I fear, to a disproportionate bulk. If circumstances prove favourable, a supplementary volume may come out later on. It is necessary to point out that the spellings of Indian names and places have been retained as given in the original sources. So dissimilarity is unavoidable. vi

I cannot conclude without expressing my deep debt of obligations to Mr. Hariprasad Bose who chivalrously took upon himself the task of revising the- Manuscript and seeing it through the press ; indeed, it is not too much to say that but for his unremitting and ungrudging labour the volume could scarcely have appeared in its present form. I have also to express my sincere thanks to Mr. G. C. Sen, the Local Trade Intelligence Officer, who has always with his unfailing courtesy supplied me with information whenever required.

P. C. R. October, 1932. UNIVERSITY COI.I.EGE OF SCIENCE AN~ TECHNOLOGY CALCUTTA. CONTENTS

PART I

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL.

CHAPTER I. Birth, Parental Home, Ancestry, Early environment CHAPTER II. Absentee Landlords-The Deserted Village-Water Famine- Villages Breeding Grounds of Cholera and Malaria 13 CHAPTER III. Education in Village-Removal to Calcutta-Description of Calcutta Past and Present 19 CHAPTER IV. Education at Calc11tta ... 26 CHAPTER V. Departure for Europe-Educational Career in England- "Essay on India"-Tour in the Highlands so CHAPTER VI. Returning Home-Professor at Presidency College ... 76 CHAPTER VII. Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works 92 CHAPTER VIII. New Chemical Laboratory-Mercurous Nitrite-History of Hindu Chemistry . .. 112 CHAPTER IX. Reminiscences of Gokhale and Gandhi 123 CHAPTER X. Second visit to Europe-Partition of Bengal-Impetus to Scientific Study I29 CHAPTER XI. Intellectual Renaissance in Bengal qo CHAPTER XII. Dawn of a New Era-Original Sdentific Researches in Bengal -Indians Debarred from Higher Educational Service 152 CHAPTER XIII. Original Research-Research Scholars-Indian School of Chemistry x6o INDEX INDEX

Absentee landlords, 16 et seq. Barnard, Sir Charles, 73·74· Academy of Sciences, I35· Bayley, Sir Stuart, 77· Acharyya, Prankrishna, Sg, 226. Bengal, partition of, 138-139; in tel·

Albert Hall, 43; meeting, 127·28. lectual renaissance in, I4D-I441 I45· Albert School, congenial atmosphere, 151; early economic condition of, 39 ; influence of Brahmo teachers 395 et seq.; a creditor country, on Ray, 42-44. 428·432; economic conquest of, 440, Ali, Mohammed, 230. et seq.; eclipse of, 471-473; annual Allen, on Japan, 343, 353· economic drain of, 473-478; the America, shipping in, 354-355; co­ underdog, 478-484; effect o£ caste operation in, 416-417; U. S. A. system on, 5I9"52I· Government and unemployment Bengal Burma Navigation Co., 357· in, 379·385; genesis of, 5o6. Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical American Chemica! journal, II9. Works, 92-III, 124, 162, 318, 332· Andrews, C. F., on floods, 247-249. 333· Arabic literature, enrichment of, 144· Bengal Enamel Works Ltd., 345·347· I45· Bengal Relief Committee, the, 239" Arrhenius, 6g, 121, 172, I73· Asiatic Society of Bengal, 85, u7, 249· Bengal trade, non-Bengalis in, 451· 152, rs8. 456 ; Marwaris and, 445· Bengali brain an.d its misuse, I53· Bengali literature, poverty on the Baker, on China, 316, 323·324. scientific' side, 87, modern, 145· Balfour, Lord, 204. . Banerii, Chandi Charan, 42. 146. II :. D. c., 340. ' ' Bengali merchant princes, 20-21 ; " . 'K. M., 9. 38, I46. 464-465. Moheschandra, 28. Bengalis, failure of the 440 et seq.· Prafulla Chandra, 34. due to ineptitude, 440-447; due to s. c., 279· lack of versatility and adaptability, S. K., 207. 447-451; due to lack of industrious

11 Surendra Nath, 47, 123, 125, habits, 456-459; due to want of Partition and, 139; Ray enterprise and initiative, 459-466; on, 537·538. opinions on, 488-497. Bangiya. Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., Bentley, Dr., 237-238. J6o. Berthelot, M., II4; correspondence Bankura under British rule, 412; with Ray, II5-n6; encouragement decay of tanks and bunds, 414- from, II7·ll8; on History of Hindu 417; cup of misery of, 419-421. Chemistry, II9; Ray with, 135- Bardhan, jogendra Chandra, I93· 136; Ray on, 136·137; funeral, 137. LIFE AND EXPERIENCES

Bessemer, 277, 330. Bright, John, and Ray's essay, 64; Betelnut trade, 447-448. 266, 537· Beveridge, quoted, 398. Burke, on "Plassey drain", 232-233. Bhaduri, Chandra Bhusan, 83, 95, Butler, Dr., 176, 177. ¢, 102; for the new chemical laboratory of the Presidency College, II3; 182, 317-318. Calcutta, past and present, 2o-23 ; Bhaduri, Kulabhusan, ¢, 102. Ray removed to, 26; its changing Bhatnagar, Prof. S. S., 161, on population, 469-471. Physical Chemistry, 186-188, 194· Calcutta Pottery Works, the, 321, , Bhattacharyya, D. N., 345-346. its history, 337-342. Bhattacharyya, Dwijendra Nath, 345· Calcutta University, the jubilee, 163; Bhattacharyya, Kali Krishna,· 41. 173; College of Science, 1¢, 197; Biri manufacture and the Bengalis, Fuller affair, 198-199; Government 459·461. and Science College, 2oo-2o6, 207. Birla, G. D., 279, 527-529. Cambridge University, Ray's visit Bodhkhana, Ray Chaudhuris of, 2. to, q6-r77; Ray at the Congress Bombay's share in the economic of the Universities, 204-2o6. drain of Bengal, 478-483. · Bose, Amulya Charan, 77; and Capitalism cum Industrialism, 390- Bengal Chemical, 101-103; and in­ 391. digenous drugs, 104; ro8, 109; Carey, William, 145, 503. death, IIO. Carlyle, on student life at Edin­ Bose, Ananda Mohan, 123, 125; on burgh, 57-58; 209; on Cromwell, Educational service, 155·158; Ray 222; on true university, 301; on, 538. quoted, 529-530. Bose; D. M., 207. Carnegie, Andrew, on graduates and Bose, Jagadis Chandra, 53, 79, So, business, 272-273, 276, 333-334; his 129, 131 ; epoch-making researches, career, 277; ·advice to youngmen, 152-153 ; his achievements1 154; 477"478; 504, 524. 226; Mrs. Bose, So. Caste-system, its baneful effect on Bose, Jogendt'a Nath, 86. Hindu. society, 502 et seq.; res­ , Panchanan, 250. ponsible for the misfortune in , Prafulla Kumar, 193· Bengal, 519-521 ; stumbling block , Raj Narain, 30, 86, 142. in the growth of Indian nation· , Raj Shekhar, III; on the ality, 513; inter-marriage and failure of the Bengalis, 493· fusion of races impossible, 519. 497· Chakravarti, Gopal Chandra, I93· , Satyananda, 231. Charka, gospel of, 361 et seq.; spinn­ , Satyendra Nath, 167, 1¢. ing and weaving, their decline, , Subhas Chandra, 238-239, 241. 362-365 ; and agriculture, 375-376; Brahmo Samaj, infl.uence on Ray, lament of a spinner, 377-378. 30·31; 39; tenets of, 42; Brahma­ Chatterji, Aditya Kumar, 42. bandhu Sabha, 85; movement, I46- Chemical manufacture and modern I47· industry, 327-329. INDEX 549

Chemical Research in Bengal, x6o­ Das, B. !II., on the failure of the

x6x, 166-167, 1681 I6<}-I7J, 182· Bengalis, 489"491. 183, 19I-l95· Das, C. R., 231-233, 241; Ray's letter Chemical Service Committee, Ray's to Mrs. Das,. 232-233. note of dissent, 319. Das, S. R., 53· China, porcelain manufactory, 319- Das, Satyaranjan, 53· 321; Baker on, 323·324; machinery Das Gupta, J. M., 241. and unemployment in, 385-386; Das Gupta, Kshitis, 250, 253-254. modern, 516. Das Gupta, Satis, 241, 250, 253. Chinese, carpenters, 456-457; in Datta, Akshay Kumar, 30, 146. the shoe-trade of Calcutta, 458-459. 11 Dr. B. B., 207. Chowdhury, Prof. Niren, 242. , Madhusudan, x, 143-144. Clairvoyance and Ray, 76-77- P. N., 71. Clerkdom and failure of the Bengalis, Rashik Lal, 167, 182, 185. 466-469; merchant's clerk, 467, 469. 11 Srinath, 39. Cloth trade of Dacca, and the Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory, Bengalis, 440-441. Ray worked at, 131. Cohen, 132. Deb, Giris Chandra, 29. Cole brooke, 361; on charka, 362; on Deb, S., 338-340. early sugar industry in Bengal, Deodhar, G. K., 123. 400; quoted, 412. Deoghar, Ray at, 86-87. Dewar, Sir James, 13H32. Coleridge, his bitter experience, 210. College graduates in business, 333· Dey, Biman Behari, 171, 179. 336. 11 Kanailal, 105. College de France, 135. , Maniklat, 167, 182. 11 Rajendra Lal, 182, 193. Congress of the Universities of the , Tincory, 174. Empire at London, Ray delegate to, Ii3; 1i4·Ii6; at Cambridge, Dhar, Nil Ratan, 167, 171; and physi- cal chemistry, 173-174; 18 , . 204•200. 2 1s5 Dittmar, Prof., 69. Cordier, M. Palmyer, 136. Dixon, 132. Croft, Sir Alfred, 74, 75, 77, 8o-8r, Dobbin, Leonard, 6o. 112, 154· Durham University, and' Ray, 120. Crookes, x, 172.

Crum Brown, Prof., 59 1 6o, 68, 73.

IJI1 132, 195· Cumming, Sir John, 111. East India Company, 4, 78; and Cunningham, the young Irish pro­ Bengal marine, 349, 413 ; and In­ fessor, x6x-163. vestments from Bengal, 430-431. Curzon, Lord, and the partition of Eden Hostel, Ray and the brilliant Bengal, 138-139; on parliamentary group of students at, 167. eloquence, 269. Edinburgh, 56-58; life at, 56, 67, 68, 71; the Royal Society, 131-132. Edinburgh University, 59-61, 67; Dan, :\Iahendra Nath, 42. Chemical Society, Ray elected Darjeeling, Ray at, 77, 169. Vice-President, 68; Doctorate for 550 LIFE AND. EXPERIENCES

:Ray, 71; excursions, 93"94; ter· Gandhi, Mahatma, in loin cloth, 56; centenary, 538-539. Ray meets, 126·127; first appear· Education, insane craze for Univer· ance on the Calcutta platform and sity, 259, et seq; aim of, 303; and Ray, the Albert Hall meeting, 127· mother-tongue, 289-gL !28, his method, 222-~23 ; 361 ; Education Department, Bengal, 74, machinery and, 387-388, 392, and 79; Ray and, 8o-82 ; Indians and mill-owner, 48o; Rabindranath higher service, 78-79; "Reorgani­ on, 53I .. sation scheme" and Late A. M. Ganesh Prasad, 207.

Bose's speech, 155·58. I Ganguly, Atul Chandra, x6o-16r. Elliott, Sir Charles, 8x, n2. Gay-Lussa·c, 134, x6s. Emerson, quoted, 84, 144, x85, 210, Ghosh, Atul Chandra, 161. 283·284, 310. Ghosh, Jnanendra Chandra, 167, 173, Erdman, 132. x82, x8s, r¢; Ghosh's Law, I97· Essay and Discourses, 225. Ghosh, Jyotish Chandra, 235· Essay on India, 61-67. Kunja Lal, 235· Expert knowledge 'VS. business, 329" , La! Mohon, 537· P. N., 207. 333· Ram Gopal, 2o-2r, 146. Rash Behari, 205-2o6; Ghose deed of gift, 196 ; second Faridpur, food deficit in Bengal, endowment, 203. 421; agricultural wealth of, 422; Sisir Kumar, 1, 86. economic condition of, 423-425. Gibson, Dr. John, 6o. Ferdandes, F. V., 182. Gilchrist Scholarship, and Ray, 48- Fischer Emil, I34· 49· Fishmongers' Company, Ray at the Gokhale, G. K., 123; Ray on 123· banquet, 178. 126; on Ray, 124; as fellow­ Ford, Henry, on mechanisation, passenger, 126, 127; 203 ; as 380-38I. speaker, 538. Foreign Degree, ~!amour of, 310, Goswami, Kshetramohan, 9· grave wastage, 3II ; and prestige, Guha, Bires Chandra, 194. 315; and · lb.dian University Guha, Prafulla Chandra, 182-183. alumni; 312-314. Gwynn, G. T., the special corres- Frankland, 132. pondent of the Manchester Guar­ Franklin, Benjamin, Ray's special dian, 242, 250. • · favourite, 30; his life and scheme, . 2II•2I2. Haldane, quote·d, 217, 541-542; a Fraser; Thomas, 6o. parallel case, 230. Fuller, Sir B., 162, 198-I99. Hankin, on America, 268, 277. Fusion of races and Hindu society, Hardy, Mrs., on modern civilisation, 517•529· 391•392· Hare School, 26, 28-29; relation with teachers, 41-42. G.; C', Ray. and Bros., Ray as book- Hartog Commission, Interim report ,, ~~teller, 535· : ' on education, 262-263. INDEX 55!

Hazlitt, quoted, 497· Indigenous drugs, an.d Bengal Healy, T. l\1., 537· Chemical, 104-105; Bose and Kar Helmholtz, 516, 539· for, 104. Heredity and environment, Industry, war· and, 316·319; modern, Eugenics, and Ray, 531-536. 327·329; chemistry and, 325-327; Hindu Orthodoxy, revival of, fatal and state, 344·344; Melcheltt on, to the progress of India, 529-531. 33I. Hindu society, Ray on, 31, 148-149; Industry precedes Technology, 316 caste system and, 502 et seq; et seq; case of China, 319-324. hereditary untouchables, 507; non· Institute of Science at Bangalore, co-operation with vengeance, 510; rgS, 2oo-202. exclusiveness and blindness of the Insurance Companies, drain of backward communities, 520-521. Bengal's wealth by, 483-487. History of Hindu Chemistry, 34, Investments, 430-431. II9; appreciations of, II9-122; 329. Irrigation, and the Mahomedan Second volume, 163·164. ·rulers, 418·419; excavation of Holland, Sir Thomas, n3. tanks, 14·16; and Bankura, 414. Hukumchand, Sir S., 278, 332. Hunter, W. W., on Bengal "the milch cow", 428, 431, 432. James, H. R., on Ray, 18o-r8r; Ray on, r83·r84; r85. Jack, quoted, 448. Japan, national government of, for Iddesleigh, Lord, 6r, 539· infant industries, 342-344; mer­ India, Government of, and Science cantile marine, 352-354; social College and, 199-2o6; caste-ridden, changes in, 5II·512. 502, 508·5II, 513. Jennings, Mr., 185. Indian Association for the Cultiva· Journal des Savants, Berthelot's tion of Science, and Dr. Sircar, 7i 1 article, II7·n8; on History of 149· Hindu Chemistry, 119-120. Indian Chemical Society, its genesis, Jute Industry, 401-402; effect of 188, 192; Ray and, 194-195. jute cultivation, 403-405. Indian l\Iedica! Congress, stall for the Bengal Chemical at, 105. Indian National Congress, 125; Kabibhusan, Pandit Navakanta, u8. resolution on Education Service Kar, R. G., 104, 155; Ray, ten minutes' presiden~ Kelly, Dr. and Mrs., Ray with at of, 230. Edinburgh, 67-68. Khadi Pratisthan, 376. Indian Scho:>l of Chemistry, evolu­ Khaira endowment, 203-204. tion of, r6g-7o, r85-r88; fresh K.hulna, 76; Famine and Ray, 234· recruits, 192-194· 235· Indian shipping, 3.55-356, 358; indi· Knowledge, on Ray, II9. genous ship-building, 359-300. Indian University alumni, 313•315. Indigenous Banking, and the Labour-saving devices, 384·387. Bengalis, 441-444. Lafont, Father, 149. 552 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES

Lahiri, Ramtanu, 2, 24. ' Marwaris, go, 463-464; and Bengal Prasanna Kumar, 47· trade, 444-446, 474, 476, 477; sepa­ Laski, H., quoted, 229, 299-301. rated from the Bengalis and their Lavoisier, 134, 218. social outlook, 519-520; misdirected Laws of health, Ray on, 37· ~harities, 521-522, 527-529. Levi, Sylvain, Ray with, 135-136; Masaryk, 287, 295; outlook on edu­ on Ray, '164. cation, 302-303; 3o6, 504. Lippman, Von, 122. Mass Production of graduates, 259- London, Ray at, 53·54, 131, 173-179; 263. Lord Mayor's banquet, 179. Mechanisation, Ford on, 381 ; mecha­ London Chemical Society, 122; Ray nical civilisation and China, 385 ; read a paper before, 173-174; 195, and U. S. A. 38g-3go. 317. Medium of instruction, 289, 290; London Times, on Bright's letter to bilingualism, 295-299. Ray, 64. Melchett, Lord, on modern industry, Lorenz, Prof. Richard, 134· 327, 331, 334; 518. Mercantile marine in Bengal, past and present, 347-358. Macaulay, his peroration, 78; Mercurous Nitrite, discovery of, II3· famous minute, 142, 292; 209-210; II4; first paper, 152. quoted, 264-265. Meston Award, and drain of the Macdonald, Ramsay, on Railways wealth of Bengal, 435-439. and Famine in India, 407-408; Metropolitan Institution, 46-48. 427; early life, 26g, 284-285. Meyer, Victor, 114. Machine, driving men out of work, Meyerhofer, 132. 381-384; curses of, 385-386; Gandhi Mitra, Digambar, 9, ro, rg. and, 387-388; superior tools and Peary Chand, 21, q6. starvation, 393· Prafulla Chandra, r8o, rg6, Maidan, walk, 167; club, 224, 226. 242. Maitra, Heramba Chandra, 86, 8g, , Rajendra Lal, 19, 146. 226. s. K., 207. Maitra, Pramatha Nath, 426. ., Susil Kumar, 194. Makers of Modern Chemistry, , Yadav Chandra, 95, 102. extracts from, 165-166. Monahan, F. J., 2g6. Manchester Guardian, the, the Monroe, on China, 386. special correspondent on the flood Modern civilisation, Howard on, ndief-work of 1922, 242-247; on 388 ; the underworld, 38g. the eclipse of Bengal, 471-473. Mossian, 136; 137. Manning, Miss E. A., 54· Muir, Sir W., 62; on Ray, 63; 73- Manual work held in contempt, a Mukherji, Asutosh, 154-155; letter great national danger, 282-288. to Ray and the Science College, Maritime Activity, and awakening 179-r8o; rg6; his desperate efforts of political consciousness, 513·517· to secure grant, 198·199, 203. Marshall, Hugh, 61; how became .Mukherji, Janendra Nath, 167; in famous, 70. Colloid Chemistry, 172; 173, 182, Ma,rtin, 158-159. xSs, 194, xg6. INDEX 553

~Iukherji, Jogesh Chandra, on the Fedler, Sir Alexander, 47, 77, 78,

failure of the Bengalis, 491-493. 83-84 1 II2-II3 1 129-130. ~Iukherji, Sir R. N., 278. Perkin, 132. ~Iuslim Pirs, 3· Physical Chemistry, pioneers of, 6g; ~Iussolini, on state schools, 281-282; Dhar, Mukherji, Ghosh in, 172· life, 286-287; on rniversity, 301. 173; Bhatnagar on the researches :Mysore Convocation Address, by of, r86-r88. Ray, 307-309· Plassey Drain, 432-435. Playfair, Lord, 73, I95· Primer of Zoology in Bengali, Sg. Nandy, Manindra, 1¢; in "Pottery Presidency College, 47, 77; Ray at, Works", 337, 340. So; new chemical laboratory, II2- Nature, II9; on Ray's paper, 174; Il3 ; brilliant group of students, on the Indian School of Chemistry, r67; chemical research at, 16o-r73, x8s-x86; on Ray's life-work, 225; 182-183; retirement from, 188; on Berthelot's funeral, 137. 304, 317•318. Nature Club, Sg. Porcelain manufactory, 319-321. Nature Study, Ray in, 87-89. Prohibition of sea-voyage-its re­ Neogi, Panchanan, 160. percussion on Hindu India, 513, Xewmann, Cardinal, 300-301. 517. Xitrite, Ray's paper on, read before Public Service Commission, recom­ Lon d. Chemical Society, 173-174· mendations of, 79, 81. !\on-Bengali immigrants in Bengal, 463. North Bengal Flood, the, 2o8, 238; Quasi-political Activity, Ray in, 227· Bengal Relief Committee's Work, 233· 239"242. Railway embankments and floods, 236-238; Bentley on, 237. Organic Chemistry, Ray on, I7I·J72. Rakshit, Jitendra !\'ath, 167-170. Ostwald, 6g, 172. Raman, C. V., 202, 207. Over-production and consequent un­ Ramsay, William, 131, 132, 174, 184. employment, 379-381. Raruli, I, 10; village school, 19. Ray, Ananda La!, grandfather, 6; his sradh ceremony, 25. Pakrasi, Ayodhyanatb, 30. Ray, B. B., 207. Pal, Bholanath, 29. Ray Chowhuris of Bodhkana, 2 • ., Bhutnath, of Butto Kristo Paul Ray, D. N., so-sr. & Co., 93, 106. Ray, Haris Chandra, father, I, 2; Palit, Tarak Xath, 199, 205·2o6. intellectual equipment, 8-g; fond Palit Trust Deed, 1¢. of music, 9; acquaintances, 9; his Paris, Ray at, 134-137. income, Io-II; loan office, n; for Pasteur, quoted, 70; 538·539. widow-remarriage movement, 24· Peasantry, of Bengal, . 403, 425; 25; cordial relation with his sons, ruinous craze of the 40~-4o6 · 27-28; pecuniary embarrassment, indebtedness of the, 4o;. ' ' 45-46; his death, xog. - 554 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES

R~y, J. N., 193. Tour in the Highlands, 7I·7J. R~y, Jatin, 241. Home coming, 75; meets Ray, l\Ianik Lal, the great-grand­ mother, 76; dream at Edin­ father, wealth, 6-7; culture, 9. burgh, Clairvoyance, 76-77. R~y, Prafulla Chandra,­ Hospitable roof of Dr. and Mrs. Early life and education :- Bose, 8o. Birth, 1; family history, 2-4; Career as Professor :- mother, 8, 46, 49, 76; ancestral Appointment at the Presidency house, 8, II·I2; village school, College, So; making of a 19; his first impressions of teacher, 82-84; way of his Calcutta, and his removal, lecturing, 83, 304, 305. 19-20, 26; relation with his Research on food-staffs, a paper father, 27·28; his intellectual published, 84-85. equipment, 27-28; . faith and Insomnia and change at Dec­ Brahmo Samaj, 3o-31. ghar, 85-87. Hare School, 26, 28-29; the Nature Study and Nature Club, teachers, 41-42 ; attack of 87-89; wrote Primer of Zoology dysentery and eventful year in Bengali, Sg. of his life, 31-38; passion for Pharmaceutical preparations and study and learning new lan­ the Bengal Chemical Works, guages, 33·38, 305. 92-III; purchase of Sodepur Albert School, 39; influence of Acid Works, 102. Brahmo teachers, 42-44; his Death of his father, 109. love of English literature and The new chemical laboratory, Krishna Behari Sen, 44· II2-II3 j Metropolitan Institution, 46-48; Discovery of mercurous nitrite, external,student at the Presi­ IIJ-II4; analysis of minerals, dency College, 47; blow-pipe II3. incident, 48; Gilchrist scholar· Researches in the history of ship, 48·49. Hindu Chemistry, ns, n8- Departure for Enrope, 5o-54; at Il9; correspondence with I,ondon, 53-54; "Indian robe" Berthelot and the article in incident, 55, 68. Journal des Savants, IIS·Il8. Edinburgh, life at, 56-57, 6i, History of Hindu Chemistry and 68, 71. its appreciations, ng-122. Edinburgh University, 5g-61; Hony. D.Sc. of Durham Univer­ Essay competition. 61 ; his sity, I2Q-I2L Essay on India, 61-67; L011don Meeting with Gokhale, 123-126; Times and Bright's letter to, with Gandhi, 124; responsible 64; Thesis for doctorate, Hope for Gandhi's first appearance prize, 68; elected Vice-Presi­ on a Calcutta platform, the dent of Chemical Society, 68; Albert Hall Meeting, 127-128. Doctorate in Inorganic Che­ Second visit to Europe, 129-131 ; mistry, 71; teaching and labo­ at Davy-Faraday Research ratory work, 7o-71 ; tercente­ Laboratory, 131; visit to re· nary, 538-539. search laboratories of Europe, INDEX 555

131-137; dinner at the Royal Ray on the "State and the Uni­ Society, Edinburgh, 131·I32. versity" at 3rd Congress of the Return to Calcutta, 137; "Parti­ Universities, 204-2o6; 207. tion" and awakening of Quasi-political activity, 228-233. Social Service Activity:- Bengal, 138·139· 1 "Reorganisation Scheme" and Khulna Famine and Relief in the proper grade, rs8; Work, 234-235. 2 offered Principalship of Raj­ Bengal Relief Committee and shahi College, his refusal, rs8- the North Bengal Flood of I59· 1922; 236-242; Mane/tester Cunningham incident, r6r-r63. Guardian and Andrews ·on, Second volume of History of 242•249· Hindu Chemistry, 163·164. The Sanlwt Tran Samity, and Chemical research in Bengal, the recent floods, 249-254. · x6o,r6r,. r67·I73; the brilliant His daily routine, 213-216. group of students, x66-r67. Active period of his life, 223·~226. Delegate to the First Congress l\Iaidan Club, 167, 224, 22.6: of the Universities o£ ·Empire Men he has seen and heard·, at London, 173·174, 175·176; 537•539· paper on ammonium nitrite, IndustriaL enterprises :- read before the Chemical Bengal Chemical· and Pharma- Society; Ramsay, Veley, ceutical Works, 92, et seq. Roscoe and Nature on the Sodepur Sulphuric Works, 102. paper, 173-174; visit to Cam­ Calcutta Pottery Works, 337-342. bridge and Sheffield Univer­ Bengal Enamel Works, 345·347· sities, 176-IiS; anniversary of Bangiya Steam Navigation Co., the Royal Society and other 300, I functions, 178-179; Asutosh G. C. Ray & Tiros;, Publishers Mukherji 's letter, 179·r8o; "at and Book-sellers, 535· · home'' on his return, r8o-x8r. Ray, P. K., so. Indian School of Chemistry, Ray, Priyadaranjan, 192-193· slow evolution, r6g-170; Nature Ray, Ram Mohan, 55, 78; spirited on, r8s-r86; Dr. Watson and letter to Lord Amherst, I40·l4I, his pupils, 191·192; fresh re­ 294; maker of modern Bengal, i42 ; cruits, 192-194· ISO, 532· Indian Chemical Society, form­ Ray, Taraprasanna, 149. ed, 194-195· Reorganisation scheme and the edu­ cation service, 155, 158. Retirement from the Presidency College, x88-19I. Research scholarships, x6o, 184-185; scholars, 16o-x6x, r67·I7I 1 173, re­ Vniversity College of Science, cognition abroad, 182-183. rg6; poor equipment and Asu­ Richardson, D. L., 2, 29. tosh's efforts, 1¢.197, 203 ; River-borne trade in Bengal, 397- Ghose, Palit and Khaira 3g8. endowments; Government's Roscoe, n4, 174. attitude, 198·¥>3· Rosebery, Lord, 175, 537· 556 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES

Rowlatt Act, agitation, 23o-232. Sen, Mon Mohan, 194· Royal Institute of Science, Bombay, , N. R., 207. 202-203. , Nagendra Nath, 235· Royal Society, Ray attends the 250th , Narendra Nath, 43, 127. anniversary, 179. ,. Pares Nath, 226. Rungpur, economic condition, 426- , Ramdas, 34· 427. Sharp, Sir· Henry, 198, and Science College, 199. Sheffield University, Ray's visit to, Saba, Megh Nad, 167, 182, rg6; Ii7•Ij8. Saha's equation, 197·198; on Bangalore Institute, 201·202; and Sinha, Col. N. P. & Lord, 53· floods, 242, 249· Satishchandra, 107·ro8. Samachar Darpan, 9; lament of the Singh, B. K., 192. spinner, 3i7"378: I Sircar, Mahendra Lal, 77, 149; on Sankat Tran Samlty, the, and recent History Of Hindu Chemistry, 120. floods, 249-255. Smith, Alexander, 6o-6r. Sanyal, ~a~brahma: 89. Smithells, 132. Sarkar, ~~p~n. Beha~t, 89. Social Service Activity, Ray in, 234- • Naltm RanJan, 279· 250 Nilratan, 89, 104, 123, r69, . Spencer, Herbert, and books, 217, 226 , Peary Charan, 28. 518; quoted, 303- Pulin Behari, 167, 193. Sugar Industry in Bengal, 399-401, Sarvadhikary, D., so; delegate to 482; Colebrooke and Westland on, the Congress of Universities of the 399-400. Empire, 173, 175-176. · Sukkur Barrage Scheme, 415. Sarvadhikary, Suresh Prasad, 104. Sulphuric Acid Works, Sodepur, 95· Sastri, Rt. Hon. Srinivas, 125. g6; purchase by Ray, 102; IQ9-III. Scheele, quoted, 114. "Sunst:t Law", 5, 21, 414. Schelenz, Herman, 121. Sutcliffe, James, 29. Scindia Steam Navigation Co., 351, 353. 355· Seal, B. N., 163.

Secondary Education, defects in, Tagore, Devendra Nath, 91 30, 142. 289. Jatindra :Mohan, 9· Sen, Baikuntba Nath, 337, 342. Rabindra Nath, 33; on , Hemendra Kumar, 170-171, I94· Gandhi & Hindu Society, , Hemendra Nath, 337, 342. 53 I. , Indra Narayan, 241. Sourindra 1\Iohan, 9· ,. Jatindra Nath, 16o. Tanks, excavation of, 14-16. Sen, Keshab Chandra, 19, 30, in­ Tata Iron Works, 318, 328-329; and fluence on Ray, 31; 39, 43; Ray protection, 480·482. on, 538. Sen, Krishna Behari, 35, 39-41, 43; Tata, J. N., x98, 328, 525. his influence on Ray, 44· I Tawney, Charles H., 74, So, nz. INDEX 557

Technische Hochschule, Ray's visit Vidyabagis, Mohanlal, 24. to, 132, 332. Vidyasagar, Iswar Chandra, 9, 46; Technology before Industry, 316, for modem Bengali literature, case of China, 319, 322·324; in 145•146. India, 329, 331-333; 335· Village life, early, 409-4h. Thenard, 134, 164. Volhard, 114. Thomson, Sir Joseph, 175. Thrope, Sir Edward, 225. Time, use and misuse of, 208 et seq. Waldie & Co., D., 94"95· Travers, uo·III, 131. Walker, James, 6o, 68, 132. Troost, President M., I35·IJ6. Watson, Prof., 182, his pupils, 191. Trusts and Dumping, 325·327. West, M., on bilingualism, 292, 295· 2cp. Western civilisation and our ruin, University, the true functions of a, '370•374· 299•309· Westland, quoted, 14-15; on sugar University College of Science, r¢ industry of Bengal, 399· et seq. Whiteman's Burden, 254, 416, University education, insane craze Willcocks, W., on Bankura, 417-418. fot, 259 et seq.; a handk.ap to Windsor Palace, reception at, 179· success in business, 271·282. Wynne, Prof., 195· University graduates v. self-taught men, 264-271. Young, Captain of S. S. California, 50-52· Van't Hoff, 69; Ray with, 132-133; 172· Zeitschrift fiir anorganische, 134. Veley, V. H., I74· Zurich polytechnic, Ray's visit to, Vernacular, neglect of, 292·294. IJ4.