May 3^, 1886. 



President Nipher in the chair; nine members present. 



Dr. Wellington Adams made some remarks on the distribution 

 of power by electricity, pointing out the difficulties to be over- 

 come, and explaining the differences between the multiple and 

 series systems. He also exhibited a machine which he had de- 

 signed, constructed so as to automatically adjust the current used 

 to the work required of it, and thus avoid a waste of power. 



Prof. Nipher followed with calculations based upon conditions 

 existing in the proposed elevated railroad in St. Louis, of the eco- 

 nomical section of the conductor to be employed, when expense 

 due both to loss by heat and interest on capital invested is con- 

 sidered. A comparison of the multiple and series systems showed 

 the latter preferable for purposes of this kind. 



Mr. Heisler described the series system in use for incandescent 

 light in this city. 



May i7//z, 1886. 



President Nipher in the chair ; fifteen members present. 



Prof. Trelease spoke briefly of the sensitiveness of certain bac- 

 teria to the presence of very small quantities of oxygen in the fluid 

 containing them, and explained the experiments of Th. W. Engel- 

 mann on the assimilation of isolated cells, by the use of the bacte- 

 rial test for the liberation of oxygen. The Engelmann sub-stage 

 spectroscope for projecting a spectrum into the field of a micro- 

 scope was exhibited as attached to a Zeiss stand, and the in- 

 ventor's method of using it was explained. The speaker also out- 

 lined the investigations of De Vries on the tonoplasts or vacuole- 

 plastids of vegetable-cells which he had found readily demonstra- 

 ble by the use of plasmolytic reagents, one of the most convenient 

 being a ten per cent, solution of potassium nitrate faintly tinged 

 with eosine. The recent independent experiments of Myer, in 

 Germany, and Laurent, in Belgium, showing the power of certain 

 plants to form starch out of various organic substances, such as 

 sugar, glycerine, etc., independently of assimilation, were also 

 mentioned as important contributions to vegetable physiology. 



Dr. Todd gave a general description of the artesian wells at 



