proceedings: chemical society 295 



sources of the material, and method of preparation and classification 

 were discussed, and the general plan and scope of the work were ex- 

 plained in detail. 



W. W. Stockberger, Corresponding Secretary. 



CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A special meeting was held at the Cosmos Club Friday, March 1. 

 Dr. R. B. Moore of the Bureau of Soils gave a lecture on Radioactivity , 

 illustrated by diagrams, specimens, experiments with the electroscope, 

 and demonstration of spectra of the rare gases. 



The 214th regular meeting was held at the Cosmos Club on March 

 14. The following papers were read: 



Relations of the two sulfides of zinc: J. L. Crenshaw, Geophysical 

 Laboratory. Discussion bj^ Allen. 



Beet sugar manufacture: W. L. Badger, Bureau of Standards. Illus- 

 trated with lantern slides and specimens. Discussion by Franklin. 



A note was presented by Dr. Blum of Bureau of Standards on Per- 

 manency of oxalate standards. His experiments with coarse and fine 

 samples snowed a maximum absorption of 0.04 per cent of moisture 

 under the most unfavorable conditions. 



A special meeting was held at the Cosmos Club, March 22. Dr. A. 

 M. Comet, director of the Eastern Laboratory of the E. I. duPont de 

 Nemours Powder Company at Chester, Pa., delivered an illustrated 

 lecture on The testing of high explosives. A smoker followed the meeting. 



The 215th regular meeting was held on April 11. The following- 

 papers were read : 



Relation of the chemical and physical properties of the alkali feldspars: H. 

 E. Merwin, Geophysical Laboratory. Discussion by Allen, who called 

 attention to the usefulness of the petrographic microscope to the 

 chemist. 



The thermal expansion of graphite: R. B. Sosman, Geophysical Labora- 

 tory. Discussion: Hillebrand inquired as to the purity of the natural 

 graphites; Wells inquired as to the effect of gases on the expansion coeffi- 

 cient. 



Benzoic acid as an acidimetric standard: G. W. Morey, Geophysical 

 Laboratory. Discussion : Seidell inquired as to availability of purchas- 

 able benzoic acid for analytical use. Mr. Morey replied that high grade 

 commercial acid should not vary more than 0.1 per cent from the pure 

 acid, and that this variation disappears after one crystallization. 



J. Johnston and L. H. Adams exhibited crystals of calcium hydroxide 

 and barium sulfate. Dr. Johnston explained the diffusion method for 

 obtaining such crystals. 



