CHEMISTRY. iy2 ( 



of CharloUenburg, read a paper on the technical developiuent of the, 

 alkali industry io Stassfurt, and stated that in July, 1882, 20,000,000 

 cwts. of carnallite were consumed in the i)reparatiou of chloride of po- 

 tassium. 



Tlie sessions of the chemical section of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science at Philadelphia in September were more 

 largely attended than at any time during tlie last eight years. Several 

 eminent chemists from Great Britain were preseit,t. A new feature was 

 the discussion of topics previously announced in a circular issued by 

 the chairman. The section was presided over by Prof. J. W. Langley, 

 of Ann Arbor, wlio made an address on chemical affinity, of great in- 

 terest and value. 



At the Philadelphia meeting of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science, Prof. W. O. Atwater read a paper on the chem- 

 istry of fish. This embraced the results of an investigation into the 

 economic and nutritive. value of iish, and a study of the chemical con- 

 stitution of the tlesh of fishes and invertebrates. The flounder was 

 found to be the least nutritive of fishes, while the salmon, when fat, was 

 the most nutritive. Among the invertebrates the crab is the most nu- 

 tritious, while the oyster is least. Speaking of oysters, the author said 

 that those from Northern waters' were more nutritious than those from 

 the South ; and the amount of nutriment in the oyster was about the 

 same as that in milk. Digestive ferments (as pepsin, &c.) act upon the 

 flesh of fish in the same manner as upon that of vertebrates, about 98 

 per cent, of the albuminoids being digested in both cases. 



Prof. F. W. Clarke, chief chemist to the United States Geological 

 Survey, has issued a report of work done in the Washington Labora- 

 tory during the fiscal year 1883-'84. The report gives results of the 

 analyses of twenty-two rocks, minerals, and ores, and of twenty three 

 water analyses. The latter include waters from Montana, the Utah 

 Hot Springs, and the Virginia Hot Springs. The water of Mono Lake, 

 California, contains 51.85 grams to the liter total solids; that of the 

 larger Soda Lake, near Ragtown, Nev., contains no less than 125.13 

 gi-ams to the liter, the solids consisting chiefly of sodium carbonate, 

 ehloride, and sulphate. Lake Tahoe, California, sustains its reputation 

 for purity, the water containing only 0.073 gram total solids per liter. 



According to the annual report for 1884 of the Russian Chemical and 

 Physical Society, situated in St. Petersburg, the chemical section had 

 1G2 members, its income, including several grants, reached 5,734 rubles 

 (about $2,750), and its capital amounted to 13,932 rubles. 



At the regular meeting of the Societe cMmique de Paris held May 23, 

 1884, it was voted, 30 to 12, to adopt a resolution looking to a change in 

 the name of the society by substituting "France" for "Paris" in its 

 title. A committee was appointed to carry the change into effect in a 

 legal manner. The society numbers 468 members, and had an income 

 in 1883 of 20,000 francs. 



