NOTES. 397 



study, made jointly with W. C. Taylor, was presented on the Estimation of 

 Caffetannic Acid and Caffein in Cofifee. 



An unusual amount of attention was devoted by the association to the subject 

 of medicinal plants and drugs. L. F. Kebler made an extended report as referee, 

 followed by a paper by B. J. Howard, discussing INIicrochemical Methods for the 

 Identification of Alkaloids in Drugs, and W. O. Emery outlined methods for 

 the separation of caffein, acetanilid, and sodium bicarbonate. A paper on 

 riiarmalogical Investigations on Effects of Drugs was presented by W. Salant, 

 and Dr. H. H. Rusby gave an illustrated lecture on simple methods of detecting 

 common drug adulterants. 



The work of the year on meat proteids, presented by P. F. Trowbridge, took 

 the form of the preparation and analysis of cold water extracts from different 

 wholesale cuts of fresh beef from steers slaughtered in connection with feeding 

 investigations at the Missouri Station. L. L. Van Slj'ke, referee, submitted a 

 report on the separation of nitrogenous bodies (milk and cheese proteids), 

 presenting cooperative work on a volumetric method of determining milk 

 casein. 



The referee on nitrogen, C. L. Penny, reported cooperative work on the 

 determination of nitrate nitrogen. The report of the referee on inorganic 

 plant constituents, H. D. Haskins, dealt with the development of a method for 

 the determination of iron and aluminum in ash. C. C. McDonnell reported on 

 insecticides and fungicides. 



S. D. Averitt. referee on soils, reported cooperative work with reference to 

 the determination of total potash and phosphorus, and J. G. Lipman, associate 

 referee, submitted a report on the determination of calcium carbonate in 

 soils. The work on potash reported by B. B. Ross, referee, included cooperative 

 tests of the official method in comparison with the phospho-molybdic volumetric 

 method with some cooperative work on special methods. 



J. 'SI. McCandless, referee on potash, reported cooperative work on the exami- 

 nation of basic slag, the determination of iron and aluminum in rock phosphate, 

 and an examination of ammonium citrate solutions as to neutrality. Papers 

 were submitted by J. B. Lindsey on Thomas slag, and by H. D. Haskins on The 

 Valuation of Phosphoric Acid in Basic Slag, the latter recommending a study 

 of Wagner's method. 



The work on dairy products reported by the referee, J. ;M. Bartlett. was in 

 continuation of that of the previous year on analytical methods of condensed 

 milks. E. B. Holland submitted a paper on a Standard for Babcock Glassware, 

 noted on p. 374 of this issue. F. W. Morse, associate referee on cattle 

 foods, reported a study of a modification of Ellefs method for methyl pentosan. 

 A paper was read by J. P. Street on The Determination of Acidity in Cattle 

 Feeds, in which the need for further study of acidity, especially that due to 

 protein bodies, was pointed out, and T. B. Wagner discussed the processes of 

 manufacture of gluten feed with particular reference to color and acidity. 



The work on sugar was reported by A. H. Bryan, referee, and Fritz Zerban, 

 associate referee. Cooperative studies wei'e presented on methods of moisture 

 determination and the effect of clarifying agents on the polarization. The 

 referee also submitted a subreport on The Use of the Refractometer in Deter- 

 mining Dry Substances, and papers on the detection of small quantities of 

 glucose in sirups and honey and The Determination of Total Sulphur Dioxid in 

 Molasses. 



An innovation in the meetings was the setting aside of the final day of the con- 

 vention for the reading of special papers and their discussion. The following 

 papers were presented : Methods Relating to the Rate of Decomposition of 



