RECENT WORK IX AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



CHEMISTRY. 



The development of chemistry, F. W. Clarke {Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 24 

 {1902), Xo. J, pp. 117-lSS). — The presidential address delivered before the meeting 

 of the American Chemical Society at I'hiladelphia, December 30, 1901. 



Report on progress in agricultural chemistry, A. Hebebraxd {Chem. Ztg., 25 

 {1901), No. 92, j}p. 1024-1027). — A 1)rief review of progress in this field with numer- 

 ous references to literature. 



The status of agricultural chemistry at the beginning of the twentieth 

 century, T. Pfeiffer {Chem. Zt.^chr., 1 {1901), Ao-s. 1, pp. 10-12; 2, jyp. 28-30).— A 

 brief review of what are considered the most important recent developments along 

 the line of plant and animal production. 



Annual report on the progress in animal chemistry, M. vox Xencki and E. 

 Andreasch (Jahresher. Thier. Chem., 30 {1900), pp. 1139). — This volume contains 

 abstracts of the literature of animal chemistry, physiological and pathological, for 

 1900, with a subject and author index. The abstracts are arranged in chapters deal- 

 ing with proteids, fats, carbohydrates, miscellaneous substances, blood, milk, urine 

 and perspiration, digestion, liver and gall, bones and cartilage, muscles and nerves, 

 other organs, lower animals, oxidation and respiration, metabolism, pathological 

 chemistry, enzyms and other ferments, and bacterial products. 



A few of the recent advances in biochemistry, A. Kossel {Chem. Ztschr., 1 

 {1901), Xo. 'J, pp. 149-151). 



Text-book of agricultural chemistry, A. Mayer {Lehrhuch der Agriknllurchemie. 

 Heidelbenj: Carl Winters, 1901, -5. rer. eel., vol. 1, pp. 16+442, pi. 1, .figs. 35; vol. 2, pt. 

 1, ]>p. 6-\-174,fifj». 6). — A tifth revised edition of this well-known work. 



Methods of standardizing acid solutions, C. G. Hopkixs {Jour. Amer. Chem. 

 Soc, 23 {1901), Xo. 10, pp. 727-740).— The author made a study of 6 methods of 

 standardizing acid solutions, which are designated as follows: The silver chlorid, the 

 ammonium sulphate, the sodium, the borax, the copper sulphate, and the iron i^er- 

 manganate methods. The following conclusions were reached: A skilled analyst can 

 easily and quickly make determinations of hydrochloric acid by the silver chlorid 

 method, within a limit of error of 0.5 mg. of silver chlorid on 2 gm. of jirecipitate. 

 The ammonium sulphate method of standardizing sulphuric acid is exceedingly 

 accurate, while simple and rapid. The results obtained by the sodium method were 

 higher than those by the two previous methods, this being due, the author states, to 

 impurities of carbon and iron in the sodium. The results, however, agree closely 

 with those obtained by the ammonium sulphate and the silver chlorid methods. 

 With the borax method the results ol)tained at the same time agree within them- 

 selves, T>ut the indications are that the borax is not constant. The copper sulphate 

 method gives fairly satisfactory results, but it is considered inferior to the silver 

 chlorid method and the ammonium sulphate method in accuracy. The iron per- 

 manganate method gave fairly accurate results in standardizing oxalic acid and it is 

 no less ai'curate than the c()i)i>er sulphate lucthod. From the results of his work the 



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