Chemistry 627 



ward chemistry, and in his Report for 1891 he announced that 

 a sum of $600 had been placed at the disposal of Edward W. 

 Morley, to procure a special apparatus for determinations of 

 the density of oxygen and hydrogen, which he properly desig- 

 nates as "an investigation requiring extreme precision and 

 delicacy of manipulation, and promising results of wide appli- 

 cation," In the same Report mention is made of the grant 

 of $200 to Wolcott Gibbs, to aid in the completion of his 

 investigations of the physiological action of chemical com- 

 pounds. Doctor Gibbs subsequently published his results in 

 the American Cke?nicaL Jotcrnal. 



The last item to be chronicled in this necessarily brief his- 

 tory of the relation of the Smithsonian Institution to chemis- 

 try was the purchase of a balance — more delicate than any 

 in the United States — which was loaned to Edward W. 

 Morley for use in his masterly redetermination of certain 

 physical constants of oxygen and hydrogen, concerning which 

 it has been well said that " the classical researches of Reg- 

 nault are far excelled by the investigations so far made by 

 Morley." The Smithsonian Institution has also published 

 Professor Morley's results " On the Density of Oxygen and 

 Hydrogen and on the Relation of their Atomic Weights," on 

 the recommendation of Frank W. Clarke and Carl Barus. It 

 contains 109 pages, and is included in Volume xxix of the 

 " Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge." 



No more conspicuous illustrations of the perfect operation 

 of the exact wording of the will of James Smithson could be 

 shown than those just mentioned. Knowledge — and that of 

 the very best kind — has been increased by the promotion 

 of the research conducted by Professor Morley, and knowledge 

 has been diffused by the publication of his results, which con- 

 stitute, indeed, the finest physico-chemical investigation ever 

 undertaken and completed in this country. 



