526 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1884. 



natiag currents a solution of carbamate of ammonium. The electrolysis 

 of phenol gives rise to ;/-diphenol, brenzcatechin, hydrochinon, formic 

 acid, normal valerianic acid, oxalic acid, succinic acid, malonic acid, and 

 other bodies not yet examined. {Journ. prakt. Ghemie, xxix,'229.) 



Prof. Harvey W. Wiley, chemist to the Bureau of Agriculture, has 

 devised optical methods of determining lactose in milks, which give ex- 

 cellent results. Details will be found in Am. Gliem. Journ., vi, 289. 



Antonio Longi recommends paratoluidin sulphate as a delicate test 

 for nitric acid; the latter gives rise to a red color, slowly changing to 

 yellow. If chlorates, chromates, &c., are present, an intense blue color 

 results; -^^ho^ P^rt of nitric acid can be recognized. Diphenylamiu 

 sulphate, which yields an intense blue color, is even more sensitive, 

 surpassing brucine in this respect. 



Prof. C. L. Bloxam reports a boiler incrustation containing 0.73 per 

 cent, of strontia. The water used in the boiler was from a deep well in 

 the chalk at Harrow, England. Owing to an increasing demand for 

 strontia, the author suggests chemists should be on the lookout for it. 

 {Chem. News, XLix, 3.) 



In both Germany and France attention is called by chemists to a 

 fraudulent tartar emetic feund in the market, in which oxalic acid takes 

 the place of tartaric. The true emetic contains 43.70 per cent, of oxide 

 of antimony, while the false emetic contains only 23.67 per cent., and 

 dyers are defrauded in proportion. {Bull. soc. cMm., XLI, 105.) 



A detailed and interesting description of the manufacture of vermil- 

 ion in China will be found in Chem. News, L, 77. 



The International Congress of Metric Weights and Measures has 

 adopted the following abbreviations, which are recommended for gen- 

 eral use : 



1. Measures of length: Kilometer, Tcm', meter, m; decimeter, dm-, 

 centimeter, cm ; millimeter, mm. 



2. Surface measures: Square kilometer, Tcm^) square meter, m^; 

 square decimeter, <?w^ ; square centimeter, cm^ ; square millimeter, mm^ ; 

 hectare, ha; are, a. 



3. Measures of volume: Cubic kilometer, fcm^; cubic meter, w^; 

 cubic decimeter, dm^ ; cubic centimeter, cm^ ; cubic millimeter, rnrn^. 



4. Measures of capacity: Hectoliter, hi-, liter, I; deciliter, dl; centi- 

 liter, cl. 



5. Measures of weight: Ton of 1,000 kilograms, t] metrical quintal of 

 100 kilograms, q; kilogram. Teg; gram, g; decigram, dg; centigram, eg; 

 milligram, mg. 



For the abbreviations italic letters are to be used ; these are not to 

 be followed by a dot on their right, and should be written on the same 

 line as the figures, arid after the last of them, whether the number be 

 entire or decimal. 



At the meeting of the chemical section of the Association of German 

 Naturalists and Physicians held in September at Magdeburg, Dr. Frank, 



