ASSOCIATION'S Foil ADVANCEMENT <>F SCIENCE, i AMKKICA.V) 



33 



mary of the inflvieti' theories in general 



upon the study of molecular dynamics. 



The following-named papers were read and dis- 



l In-fore the section: " Polarizai ion and In- 

 ternal Resistance of a (Jalvanic Cell." "The Lead 

 11." and "Visible Electric Waves." by 

 Burton I-'.. Moore; "Electrical Wave.- in LMII^ Par- 

 allel Wires." by Alfred D. Cole; "The Influ- 



of a Static Charge of Electricity on the Sur- 



Tensioii f Water." by Edward L. Nichols and 

 John A. (.'lark : " Determination of the Specific 

 Heats of Nitrogen by Adiabatic Expansion'' and 

 "A Theory of Galvanic Polarization." by William 

 S. Franklin and L. 15. Spinney: - On the Counter- 

 Electro-motive Force of the Electric Arc " and 



;e Points in the Mechanical Conception of the 

 Electro-magnetic Field," by William .S. Franklin : 

 11 ( )n the Compactness of a Beam of Light " and 

 "On the Element of Diffraction in Fresnel's Ex- 

 periments with Two Mirrors and with the Bi-prism." 

 by Krnest R. von Nardroff : u Segments! Vibrations 

 in Aluminum Violins." by Alfred Springer; "Pre- 

 liminary Note on a Proposed New Standard of 

 Light." by Clayton H. Sharp; "On the Rule for 



hynamo and Motor," by Alexander Mac far- 

 lane : " Note on the Effect of Odd Harmonics upon 

 the Virtual Values of periodically Varying Quanti- 

 ties," by Frederick Bedell and James E. Boyd : 

 " The Analysis of Vowel Sounds by Means of the 

 Sympathetic Vibrations of a Rigid Body." by L. B. 

 Spinney : " Polar and Interpolar Effects of the Gal- 

 vanic Current on Living Animal Tissues." by C. 

 Porter Hart: "Description and Exhibition of a 

 Portable Apparatus for recording Curves of Alter- 

 nating Currents and Electro-motive Force." by 

 Homer J. Hotchkiss ; Description and Exhibition 

 of a Convenient Form of the Interferential Com- 

 parer ' and of an Interferential Caliper Attachment 

 for Use in Physical Laboratories." " Description and 

 Exhibition of a Bench Comparator for General Use 

 in Physical Laboratories." "Experimental Deter- 

 mination of the Relative Amounts of Work done in 

 changing the Lengths of Two Metal Bars under 

 the Same Thermal Conditions by an Envelope of 

 Heated Air and by Pure Radiations in a Vacuum." 

 "An Experimental Method of finding the Value of 

 a Unit of Force in any System whatever." and " A 

 Photographic Study of the Roentgen Rays.'' by 

 William A. Rogers : " Note on the Duration of the 

 X-Ray Discharge in Crookes's Tubes." by Benjamin 

 F. Thomas : " Preliminary Communication concern- 

 ing the Anomalous Dispe'rsion of Quartz for Infra- 

 red Rays of Great Wave Length." by Ernest F. 

 Nichols; "An Experimental Study of the Charg- 

 ing and Discharging of Condensers." by F. E. Mil- 

 lis: " Notes on Certain Physical Difficulties in the 

 Construction of Modern Large Guns." by W. Le 

 Conte Stevens ; " On the Photographic Trace of the 

 Curves described by the Gyroscopic Pendulum " 

 and ' On the Distribution of High-Frequency Alter- 

 nating Currents throughout the Cross-section of a 

 Wire." by Ernest Merritt : "A New Alternating- 

 Current 'Curve Tracer." by Edward B. Rosa; 

 "Mechanical Models of the "Electric Circuit," by 

 Brown Ayres; and ''Graphical Treatment of Al- 

 ternating Currents in Branching Circuits,'' bv H. 

 T. Eddy. 



C. Chemistry. William A. Noyes, Professor of 

 Chemistry in Rose Polytechnic Institute, Terre 

 Haute, Ind.. was the presiding officer of this sec- 

 tion. His address treated of " The Achievements 

 of Physical Chemistry." He said: "The most im- 

 portant recent advances in physical chemistry have 

 been in the subject of solutions. Eleven years ago 

 the knowledge of this subject was almost entirely 

 empirical. In 1885 J. H. Van't Hoff proposed his 

 theory of osmotic pressure. According to this 

 VOL. xxxvi. 3 A 



theory, osmotic pressure is directly proportional to 

 the concentration and to the absolute temperature. 

 It is also the same as if the dissolved substan 

 isted as a gas within the same space. By pointing 

 out that the concentration of a solution by evapora- 

 tion or freezing of the solvent, or by other iii 

 is a reversible process, and hence subject to the sec- 

 ond law of thermodynamics* he connected the low- 

 ering of the vapor procure and the lowering of the 

 freezing point of solutions with their osmotic pres- 

 sure ; and. as a result, many indirect means of deter- 

 niiir'ng the latter have been developed. In 1887 

 Arrhenius proposed his theory of electrolytic d 

 ciation. On the chemical side this theory has led 

 clearer understanding of the distinction be- 

 tween ionic and nonionic reactions, and it is espe- 

 cially valuable in its bearing on the problems of 

 analytical chemistry. It has given for the first 

 time a satisfactory theoretical explanation of the 

 conduct of the various indicators used in acidiru- 

 etry. On the physical side it formed the basis 

 for the theory developed by Nernst, which ac- 

 counts for the electro-motive force of batteries as 

 due largely to the solution pressure of the metals 

 used, and enables the physicist to calculate the 

 electro-motive force that will be developed by vari- 

 ous combinations. It seems to be almost certain 

 that physical chemistry has already made clear the 

 principles by which a transformation of the chem- 

 ical energy of coal into electrical energy may be 

 secured. It is at least possible that a practical 

 method of securing such a transformation will be 

 discovered in the near future." 



The following-named papers were read and dis- 

 cussed before the section: Physical Chemistry, 

 Dr. Arthur A. Noyes, leader. " Determination 

 of Osmotic Pressure from Vapor-Pressure Meas- 

 urements." by Arthur A. Noyes and G. C. Abbott; 

 "Distillation with Vapor." by W. D. Bancroft; 

 " A Physico-Chemical Study of Water Solutions of 

 Some of the Alums," by II. C. Jones; "The Hydrol- 

 y>is of the Sulphonic Ethers," by J. H. Kastle; 

 ' On the Nature of Isomorphous Mixtures." by 

 C. E. Linebarger : "The Hydrolysis of Ferric Chlo- 

 ride," by II. M. Goodwin; "The Viscosity of Mer- 

 cury Vapor," by Arthur A. Noyes and H. M. Good- 

 win; "A Modified Form of the Ebullioscope," by 

 Harvey W. Wiley ; and "A Discussion of Lichty's 

 Experiments on the Speed of Esterification," by 

 Robert B. Warder. Inorganic Chemistry, Prof. 

 Frank W.Clarke, leader. "Some Points in No- 

 menclature with Regard to Analysis of Mineral 

 Water." by Frank W. Clarke: "the Alkali Tri- 

 halides." by Charles H. Herty and II. V. Black: 

 "The Metamorphosis of Fossil Bone into a Min- 

 eral"," by E. Goldsmith ; " A Bibliography of the 

 Metals of the Platinum Group" and "Examination 

 of Water and Deposits from a Lake in Yucatan." 

 by James L. Howe ; " A Revision of the Atomic 

 Weight of Magnesium," by T. W. Richards and 

 H. G. Parker. Organic Chemistry, Prof. Paul C. 

 Freer, leader. " Hydrazones of Quinones," by 

 William McPherson ; " Synthesis of Diethyl-Hexa- 

 methylene Ether and other Ethers from Trimethyl- 

 ene Glycol." by Arthur A. Noyes; - Formation 'of 

 Diacetylenyl (Butadiine) from' Copper Acetylene," 

 by Arthur A. Noyes and C. W. Tucker ; 1, "A Com- 

 plete Mineral Analysis of Phytolacca Decandra." 

 0. " The Crystallized' Salts of Phytolacca Decandra," 

 and 3, " The By-products formed in the Conversion 

 of Narcotine into Narceine." by George B. Frank- 

 forter; "Camphoric Acid," by William A. Noyes: 

 "Introduction of Alkyl Iodides into Phosphines by 

 means of Ethers." by Peter Fireman ; " Dipyridine 

 Methylene Iodide and the Nonformation of Cor- 

 responding Monopyridine Products " and " Alkyl 

 Ammonium Iodides in Reaction with Bismuth 



