COMMITTEES ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT 311 
the same as modified by Squibb, Stillwell’s modification of the 
Flickiger-Squibb method, and the so-called ‘“ Helfenberg 
Method ” devised by Dietrich. Each of these methods is de- 
scribed in the report of the committee, and afterwards the results 
obtained from two or more analyses of the sample of opium 
received from the Treasury Department by the use of each 
method. The conclusion reached was that the Pharmacopeia 
method was far from accurate, while Stillwell’s method was in 
every way the most satisfactory. A modification of the latter 
was devised which shortened the time required for making the 
estimations. The opium, which was a thick, black, semi-liquid 
mass was found to contain an average amount of 12.16 per cent 
of morphine. The report was submitted on August 16, 1887, and 
was transmitted to the Secretary of the Treasury two days later.*” 
COMMITTEE TO FORMULATE A PLAN FOR A SYSTEMATIC 
SEARCH FOR THE MAGNETIC NORTH POLE. 1890 
The idea of organizing an expedition to search for the Mag- 
netic North Pole originated with Colonel W. H. Gilder, United 
States Army. Col. Gilder was a member of the expedition sent 
out by the American Geographical Society in 1879 to search for 
the papers of Sir John Franklin. In 1881 he was a volunteer 
on the ship Rodgers, which was sent out by the Government to 
search for the Jeannette. 
His suggestion of the desirability of sending out an expedition 
for the purpose of locating the Magnetic North Pole was made 
in 1890 to Professor T. C. Mendenhall, then Superintendent of 
the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, who put him into 
communication with Professor C. A. Schott. On May 28 
of the same year Professor Mendenhall addressed a letter to the 
Secretary of the Treasury in which he expressed the opinion that 
any properly-organized expedition for the purpose ought to 
receive the encouragement of the Government, and suggested 
*@ Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1887, pp. 31-35. 
*“ See Jour. Amer. Geogr. Soc., vol. 24, pp. 215-26r. 
