ASSOCIATIONS FOR ADVANCEMENT OP SCIENCE. (AMERICAN.) 



2? 



to explain the peculiar fact that substances of 

 the same chemical constitution may present 

 quite different physical properties. The expla- 

 nation may be found in variations in the attach- 

 ments which the bonds of one atom form, under 

 varying conditions, with the bonds of another 

 atom. Thus, if bonds a, J, and c of an atom 

 unite with bonds d, e, and / of another, a mole- 

 cule of certain properties is formed. But should 

 bond a unite with bond /, a molecule of quite 

 different properties might be the result. Thus 

 may perhaps be explained, for example, the dif- 

 ferent forms, with different properties, under 

 which pure carbon is met. Gradually the truth 

 is being brought to light. Part of the theory is 

 already quite established, and- the hope begins 

 that in time the mystery may be entirely re- 

 moved." The following-named papers were read : 



"Preliminary Study of the Ptomaines from the 

 Culture Liquids of the Hog Cholera Germ," u Study 

 of the Composition of Osage Orange Leaves," and 

 " A New Ptomaine," by Emil A. Von Schweinitz ; 

 " The Occurrence of the Pentaglucoscs," " The Re- 

 duction of Fehling's Solution by Arabinose," and 

 " The Quantitative Estimation of the Pentaglucoses 

 in the Presence of Other Carbohydrates," by Win- 

 throp E. Stone ; " The Action of Alcohol upon Alde- 

 hydes," by Spencer B. New bury ; " Some Thoughts 

 on Electromotive Force," by Clarence L. Speyers ; 

 " Mucilaginous, Nitrogenous, and Dysmorphous Car- 

 bohydrate Bodies in the Sorghum Plant," oy Harvey 



perdon Fusillume " and " Notes on Certain Eeactions 

 for Tyrotoxicon," by Henry A. Huston : " Determi- 

 nation of the Volumetric Composition of Water" and 

 " Eatio of the Density of Oxygen and Hydrogen," by 

 Edward W. Morley ; "The Atomic Weight of Oxy- 

 gen i> and ; ' The Unit for the Atomic Weights," by 

 William A. Noyes ; " The New Chemical Laboratory 

 of Cornell University," by Spencer B. Newbury ; 

 " Knorr's Extraction Apparatus," "Pine Tree Honey 

 Dew and Pine Tree Honey," " Pine Tree Sugar 

 (Pinus Lambertiana)," " Some New Forms of Appa- 

 ratus for drying Substances in an Atmosphere of 

 Hydrogen," and "Apparatus for recovering highly 

 Volatile Solvents," by Harvey W.Wiley; "Appa- 

 ratus for evaporating in Vacuo " and "The Estima- 

 tion of Theine in Teas," by Guilford L. Spencer; 

 "Apparatus for determining Solubilities," by A. E. 

 Knorr ; " On Che mis m an Inquiry into the Condi- 

 tions which underlie Chemical Reactions," by Amos 

 E. Dolbear ; " The Proper Standard of the Atomic 

 Weights," by Frank P. Venable ; " Improved Forms 

 of Gas Generators," " A Constant and easily Regu- 

 lated Chlorine Generator," "Derivatives of Dinitro 

 a Naphtol," " Soluble Compound of Hydrastine with 

 Mono-calcium-phosphate," " Application of the Po- 

 tassium Chlorate Method for the Determination of Sul- 

 phur to the Analysis of Horn," " On a New Method of 

 preparing Benzine-Sulfonic Bromide and on Some New 

 Salts of Benzine-Sulfcnic Acid," by Thomas II. Nor- 

 ton ; " An Inquiry into the Conditions which under- 

 lie Chemical Reactions," by Amos E. Dolbear; " On 

 the Alkaloidal Principles present in the Seed Berries 

 of Caly can thus Glaucus," by Harvey W. Wiley and 

 H. E. L. Horton ; " Experiments on the Chemical 

 Constitution of the Silicates," by Frank W. Clarke ; 

 " On a Constant Ratio between a Reducing Sugar and 

 the Amount of Copper set free, determined Gravi- 

 metrically," by J. L. Fuelling ; " On the Preservation 

 of Sugar Solutions and Influence of Basic and Nor- 

 mal Lead Acetate on Analysis thereof," by Hubert 

 Ed*on ; " Study of Fehling's Solution in Estimation 

 of Sugars," by H. E. L. Horton ; " Action of Ammo- 

 nium Citrate on High-Grade Aluminium Phosphate," 

 by Henry A. Huston ; " On the Minerals constitut- 



ing a Meteorite found in Kiowa County, Kansas," by 

 E. H. S. Bailey; ''Constitution of BenzoquLnone, 5 ' 

 by J. U. Net"; " The Action of Sodium on Acetone 

 and the Constitution of Aliphatic Ketones," by Paul 

 C. Freer ; " On the Method of Estimation of the Fatty 

 Bodies in Vegetable Organism and the Behavior of 

 the Glycerides and Lecithines during Germination" 

 and " On the Nitrogenous Elements present in Cattle 

 Food prepared from the Cotton-Seed Meal " bv 

 Walter Maxwell. 



Besides these papers, there was presented be- 

 fore the chemical section a report on the pronun- 

 ciation and spelling of chemical terms, which 

 was referred back to the committee, who are to 

 condense the results of the year's work, agree 

 upon a standard, and report at the next year's 

 meeting. The report of the committee on infor- 

 mation concerning the formation of a National 

 Chemical Society provoked considerable discus- 

 sion, and the committee was instructed to join 

 with other bodies for a conference and to re- 

 port next year. The committee on teaching the 

 metric system presented a circular, by way of 

 a report, which they were issuing to physicians, 

 pharmacists, and teachers of materia medica and 

 therapeutics in medical and pharmaceutical col- 

 leges, urging them to follow the new " United 

 States Pharmacopoeia," and use exclusively the 

 metric system after 1890. 



D. Mechanical Science and Engineering. 

 James E. Denton, of Stevens Institute of Tech- 

 nology, presided over this section, and delivered 

 an address on " Mechanical Tests of Lubricants," 

 in which he told how experiments to determine 

 the coefficient of friction between lubricated rub- 

 bing surfaces had been prosecuted for two hun- 

 dred years, resulting in the existence of many 

 forms of satisfactory apparatus for such meas- 

 urement known as oil-testing machines. He ex- 

 plained how such machine's are used and the ex- 

 periments performed with them for the Standard 

 Oil Company. His address was illustrated by 

 lantern views of various new devices for testing 

 lubricants-under the actual conditions of service, 

 and also by samples of bearings that had been 

 in service under various conditions representing 

 unsatisfactory lubrication. Explanations were 

 also offered of the paradoxical fact that over- 

 heating is often relieved by supplying sand or 

 emery to bearings. For example, a hot journal 

 on a car is cooled off by ramming some mud 

 or weeds into the box. The sand grains make 

 grooves around the wearing parts, and as a re- 

 sult the oil is uniformly distributed and the hot 

 box cools down to the limit of safety. The main 

 thing in lubricating is uniformity of feed. What- 

 ever insures this secures smooth running and en- 

 hances the force of the machine. The following- 

 named papers were read before the section : 



"A New Transmission Dvnamometer," "Prelirni- 



sistance of Cutting Tools," by Thomas Gray " Con- 

 struction of a Precision Screw Eight Feet in Length " 

 and " A Simple Method ot subdividing Index Wheels 

 into 1,000 Parts," by William A Rogers ; u A Stand- 

 ard Formula for Efficiency of Steam Engines," by 

 William Kent ; " New Principlps of Mechanism shown 

 by Experiment with Spiral Gears," by Oscar J. Beale ; 

 " Efficiency of Locomotive Link Motion compared to 

 Automatic Cut-Off Valve Gear of Modern High-Speed 



