THE importance of an accurate study
of the actions, equilibria,
and structures which occur at .the interfaces between homo￾geneous phases of matter is widely recognised
at the present
time.
Thus a knowledge of these matters is required
for a proper
under￾standing of adsorption, the formation and stability of disperse or
micro-heterogeneous systems (colloid
sols and gels), catalysis, enzyme
actions, etc., whilst the progress
of research shows more and more
clearly that the phenomena of life, i.e. the behaviour of cells and
tissues, are intimately concerned with the actions occurring
at
surfaces, and that the effects produced by drugs, disinfectants, and
other substances which profoundly affect the operation
of cells and
micro-organisms are largely due to surface actions.