Abstract
THE Colwyn Gold Medal of the Institution of the Rubber Industry has been awarded to Dr. O. de Vries, until 1930, director of the Rubber Station, Buitenzorg, for scientific work in connexion with the production,of raw rubber. The medal was presented to Dr. de Tries by Sir George Beharrell, president of the Institution, on the occasion of the twelfth annual general meeting of the Institution held on January 12. Dr. O. de Vries has devoted the best part of two decades to the investigation of plantation rubber problems. His work at the Buitenzorg Testing Station in Java brought world wide fame not only to the Testing Station but also to himself. It covered a large number of problems of various types which arise between the growing of the tree and the eventual vulcanisation of the rubber in the distant factories. He cleared up many obscure plantation practices, indicating the reason, if any, for their existence. Dr. de Vries overhauled and set new standards in methods for testing plantation rubber. His investigations contributed to the further standardisation of plantation rubber and its characteristics in respect to vulcanisation and mechanical qualities. The principal aspect of Dr. de Vries's work has been his desire to ensure its availability throughout the world. The result of his investigations were published in Dutch, but with a generous disregard for the labour entailed, the publication of each investigation was accompanied by a version in English. Similarly in 1920 he produced an English translation of his well-known book on “Estate Rubber”, the original Dutch version of which appeared in the following year. This book is a lasting monument to his activities.
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Colwyn Gold Medal of the Institution of the Rubber Industry. Nature 133, 93 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/133093d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/133093d0