810 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Hie results show that the majority of the fatty acids in feces exist as stearin. 

 In tliese tests the total fat fluctuated between i:?.r) and 29.2 per cent, and the 

 neutral fat from 4.r> to 5.4 per cent. 



A clinical method for the quantitative determination of uric acid in blood, 

 P. RoETHLiSBERGER (MUncheti. Med. Wchnschr., 51 (1910), No. 7, pp. SU-Sl,!, 

 figs. Jf,- abs. in Chem. Ztg., 34 {1910), No. 59, Repert., p. 229). — Uric acid quicltly 

 reduces freshly prepared silver carbonate. The author utilized this reaction 

 and has perfected a method in which as little as 0.001 mg. can be detected in 

 blood serum. 



Methods for the examination of bituminous road materials, P. Hubbard 

 and C. S. liELVE (U. S. Dept. Agr., Office Pub. Roads Bui. .38, pp. .'i5, figs. 18).— 

 This bulletin has for its purpose the presentation of the testing methods in 

 use by the Office of Public Roads of this Department. 



The topics treatied include the classification of bituminous road materials, 

 the scheme of examination, specific gravity and specific viscosity determinations, 

 the float and penetration tests, melting point, flash and burning point deter- 

 minations, volatilization and distillation tests, determination of bitumen 

 soluble in carbon disulphid and insoluble in paraffin naphtha and in carbon 

 tetrachlorid, determination of fixed carbon and paraffin scale, extraction of 

 bituminous aggregates, grading the mineral aggregate, and determination of 

 voids in the mineral aggregate. An appendix enumerates laboratory equip- 

 ment, and presents metric conversion tables and similar data, and forms for 

 reporting tests. 



[Report of the department of chemistry], C. A. Jacobson (Nevada Sta. 

 Bui. 73*, pp. 41— 'f9). — In studies of the relation of the nitrogen to the organic 

 constituents in the alfalfa plant what appear to be 3 compounds have been iso- 

 lated from the alcoholic extract. One resembles a phosphatid, containing nitro- 

 gen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, another contains neither nitrogen nor 

 phosphorus, but carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and the third is soluble in water 

 and resembles a proteid. The distillate obtained from the dry distillation of 

 sagebrush by the Sparling process has been analyzed. 



Report of the chemist, W. A. Withers (North Carolina Sta. Rpt. 1910, pp. 

 11-21). — Observations are reported on the phenol-disulphonic acid method for 

 determining nitrates, the difficult solubility of nitrates in soils, tests of the 

 Tiemaun-Schulze method for nitrates and the Pickel condenser for ammonia, 

 and the diphenylamin test for nitrites and nitrates. 



Filtration of cloudy vinegars through infusorial earth, H. Wustenfeld 

 (Deut. Essigindus., 15 (1911). No. 29, p. 230). — The author recommends in- 

 fusorial earth (kieselguhr) as a filtering medium for cloudy vinegars. 



METEOROLOGY— WATER. 



The application of meteorological data in the study of physiological con- 

 stants, H. L. Price (Virginia Sta. Rpts. 1909-10, pp. 206-212, figs. 2).— The 

 purpose of this paper is " to call attention to the application of the law of 

 van't Hoff and Arrhenius to the changes involved in blooming phenomena and 

 to emphasize the need of recognizing this principle in the study of the problem 

 of physiological constants. While an arbitrary ' critical ' temperature of 32° or 

 43° F. and an arbitrary period of dormancy, as January 1, and a sum total of 

 positive temperature readings above the critical temperature selected may lead 

 to constants which are roughly approximate, yet this method is faulty and 

 can not be the means of establishing true physiological constants." 



Alaska's climate, C. C. Georgeson (Alaska Stas. Rpt. 1910, pp. 76-85). — 

 This is a summary in the usual form of observations on temperature, precipi- 



