100 YEARS AGO It seems but the other day I saw London in a blaze of illumination to celebrate Her Majesty's happy accession to the throne. As in a few days the whole empire will be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of our Queen, who will then have reigned over her multitudinous subjects for sixty years, what more suitable topic can I bring before you than that of diamonds! One often hears the question asked: “Why Diamond Jubilee?” I suppose it is a symbol intended to give a faint notion of the pure brilliancy and durability of the Queen's reign; and in thus associating Her Majesty with the precious diamond, to convey an idea of those noble qualities, public and private, which have earned for her the love, fealty, and reverence of her subjects. From the earliest times the diamond has occupied men's minds. … The philosopher Steffans is accredited with the dictum that “Diamond is quartz which has arrived at self-consciousness!” and an eminent geologist has parodied this metaphysical definition, saying, “Quartz is diamond which has become insane!”.

‘Diamonds’ — William Crookes, F.R.S.

From Nature 5 August 1897.

50 YEARS AGO The “Oxford Dictionary” defines ‘dialysate’ as that portion of a mixture that remains after dialysis, and quotes Attfield's “Text-book of Chemistry” (1885). The quotation shows that the part that fails to pass through the membrane is referred to. From the point of view of the lexicographer, this is perfectly satisfactory; there seems to have been no earlier use of the word in print. … Present-day usage does not agree with the “Oxford Dictionary”. Nearly all the biochemists that I have consulted have understood by dialysate the more diffusible part of the system. At present, therefore, the word is ambiguous unless the context makes the meaning clear. Many authors and editors have not read Attfield, and some of those who have may question his authority in the matter. The popular meaning has probably been adopted because of the analogy with filtrate, distillate, sublimate, etc.; in each case the mobile part of the system is referred to. The continuing existence of this analogy will make it difficult to get universal acceptance of the dictionary meaning of dialysate.

From Nature 9 August 1947.