February i, 1910.! 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



179 



rubber chemists who wish to co-operate with the committee in 

 obtaining standard methods. 



There is no question that there is the greatest need, at the 

 present time, for such work as this committee proposes to un- 

 dertake. The members of the committee need no introduction to 

 the rubber manufacturers, and consequently there need be no 

 hesitation on the part of the rubber men to give the committee 

 the fullest possible information. No public use will be made of 

 any such information obtained, without the express permission 

 of the sender. Thus it will not be possible to trace the source 

 of information, unless the sender so desires. 

 . Communications for the committee may be sent to Mr. Charles 

 C. Goodrich, No. 2 Rector street, New York ; Dr. Charles Knight, 

 Buchtel College, Akron, Ohio ; Frederick J. May wald, No. 89 

 Pine street, New York; or to any member of the committee. 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 



¥ N connection with the recognition of the rubber industry by the 

 * formation of rubber section by the American Chemical 

 Society at the annual meeting of the latter, held in Boston during 

 the closing week of last year, some account of the purposes and 

 history of the American Chemical Society doubtless will be of 

 interest to the readers of The India Rubber World. 



The history of the society has been one of steady growth and 

 advancement. It had its inception in 1874, when a representative 

 group of chemists met at Northumberland, Pennsylvania, to cele- 

 brate the centennial of the discovery of oxygen by Dr. Joseph 

 Priestly, and the other remarkable discoveries and achievements 

 which occurred in the year 1774. 



Out of this meeting grew the American Chemical Society, which 

 was started in New York City in 1876. Professor C. F. Chandler, 

 of Columbia University, took a leading part in the organization of 

 the society, and the late W. M. Habirshaw, well known through- 

 out the rubber trade, was a member of the committee on pre- 

 liminary organization. The first membership list contained the 

 names of 53 resident and 80 non-resident members, a total of 

 1 33- The present membership is about 4,800, making it one of 

 the largest scientific bodies in the world, and indicating a re- 

 markable growth. From its organization the leading chemists 

 of this country have been identified with the society, and it bears 

 on its roll of honorary members the names of those whose 

 achievements have made them famous throughout the world. 



The constitution of the society declares its object to be "the 

 advancement of chemistry and the promotion of chemical re- 

 search." Membership is not confined to professional chemists, 

 but is open to any person interested in the promotion of chem- 

 istry. There are also corporation members, which corporations 

 (or firms or association, as the case may be) have the privilege of 

 being represented by a delegate at meetings of the society, and of 

 receiving the publications of the society. 



For a number of years after the organization of the society, all 

 its meetings were held in New York City ; but it was found that 

 this led to a falling off of interest in the non-resident members, 

 and the policy was adopted of forming local sections. The society 

 now works under this plan. There are 32 local sections scat- 

 tered throughout the country, four new sections having been or- 

 ganized within the last year. 



The society has grown so large and covers so much ground that 

 it has now been organized into professional divisions and sec- 

 tions, such as the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 

 Division of Fertilizer Chemistry. Division of Industrial 

 Chemists and Chemical Engineers, etc. The Rubber Section is 

 the latest one of these sections to be organized, and expects be- 

 fore long to graduate into the division class, which is larger 

 than the section. 



The society holds two general meetings a year, each time in a 

 different place from that of the last meeting, and the local sec- 



tions hold frequent meetings, usually once a month. The next 

 general meeting will be held at San Francisco in the coming 

 summer. 



Three journals of great value are published by the society — 

 the Journal of the American Chemical Society, containing papers 

 of general interest contributed by members; Chemical Abstracts, 

 a compilation of abstracts from chemical publications, both 

 American and foreign ; and the Journal of Industrial and En- 

 gineering Chemistry, devoted to applied chemistry. These arc 

 sent to all members of the Society n good standing. The last 

 named publication was started only a year ago, but has already 

 proved of great value to the members ; likewise the Abstracts, 

 started in 1908. The Journal has been published from the first. 



The various local sections maintain reference libraries of 

 chemical literature, for the use of the members. 



The most rapid growth of the society has occurred in the last 

 few years, and is an indication of the remarkable increase of in- 

 terest in chemistry. The cooperation of such a large body of 

 members greatly broadens the field of usefulness of the society, 

 and enhances its value to the individual member. The benefits 

 of association with members of the same profession and of the 

 excellent journals provided by the society are of course manifest. 

 The stimulation given by research and the interchange of ideas 

 redounds to the benefit of the manufacturer, and it is a creditable 

 fact that manufacturers are realizing this more and more. 



The general officers of the society for the present year are : 

 Professor Wilder D. Bancroft, of Cornell University, president ; 

 Professor Charles L. Parsons. New Hampshire College. Durham, 

 New Hampshire, secretary ; Dr. Albert P. Hallock, of New York, 

 treasurer. 



RUBBER PEPARATION IN TOBAGO. 



TTO the Editor of The India Rubber World: Well may the 

 little island of Tobago rejoice in the' success of one of her 

 rubber planters, who has recently discovered and patented 

 a method of preparing rubber from fresh latex in sheets of 

 any given size by means of a few minutes' spin in a centifugal 

 specially adapted for the purpose. The sheets come away from 

 the machine perfectly coagulated, and only need the usual time 

 in the drying house. In the machine used, four sheets 10 x 6 

 inches are made at one spin, the thickness being regulated by 

 the amount of caoutchouc contained in the rubber fluids or latex. 

 The rubber is of excellent quality and both Castilloa and Hevea 

 can be treated. Fuller particulars with specifications will shortly 

 be available. Trie makers are the celebrated firm of Messrs. John 

 Gordon & Co., Fenchurch street, London, and the inventor is 

 Harry S. Smith, of Caledonia, Tobago, who is in a position to 

 cry "Eureka" (I have found it). As is the case with nearly all 

 useful inventions the principle is remarkably simple and the 

 wonder of those who have inspected it is that it was not dis- 

 covered long ago. The machines will shortly be put upon the 

 market in sizes to suit large and small proprietors. 



J. H. HART, F. L. S. 

 Trinidad, December 20, 1909. 



The tenth annual edition of "The India-Rubber, Gutta-Percha 

 and Electrical Trades Diary and Year Book," dated 1910, brought 

 out by The India-Rubber Journal, is based upon the same plan 

 as the preceding numbers of the series. The volume is larger, 

 however, on account of the various departments of information 

 suited for ready reference by rubber men having been enlarged. 

 The book includes the usual blank pages for daily memoranda 

 throughout the year. 



The gross product of The Meriden Rubber Planting Corpora- 

 tion at Tula de los Tuxtlas, Vera Cruz, Mexico — well dried 

 Castilloa — was sold about December 1, on the plantation, at 

 $1.50 per pound. J'T"*!! 



