COMMITTEES ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT 309 



strength of sugars whereby its classification for duty is made, be tested with a view 

 to ascertain their exact measurement, angle, and ray. I will thank you to inform 

 me if the necessary test can be made by your Academy, and, if so, upon receipt of 

 your reply, the plates will be forwarded to such address as you may indicate. 



" Respectfully, yours, 



" C. S. FAIRCHILD, 



" Secretary. 

 " The National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C." 



The President appointed as a committee, Arthur W. Wright, 

 Edward S. Dana and Charles S. Hastings, requesting them not 

 only to examine the plates but " to bring out the scientific prin- 

 ciples involved, as a basis for future work." Three plates were 

 received for examination from the Treasury Department in June, 

 1887, and three more in September of the same year. The report 

 of the committee, which was submitted on December 29, 1887, 

 contains, in addition to a technical statement regarding the 

 methods pursued, and the quality and value of each plate 

 examined, a brief summary of the principles on which the 

 saccharimeter is based. 159 



COMMITTEES ON THE MORPHINE CONTENT OF OPIUM. 



1886 AND 1887 



It seems rather singular that the Treasury Department should 

 have thought it fitting to send samples of opium to the Academy 

 for the simple purpose of ascertaining what percentage of 

 morphine they contained. Nevertheless, this was done on two 

 occasions; first in 1886 and again in 1887. The Acting Sec- 

 retary, C. S. Fairchild, seems to have given a literal interpreta- 

 tion to the section of the charter of the Academy which provides 

 that it shall examine or investigate any subject of science or art 

 when called upon by the Government to do so. 



The opium in question was part of two lots seized on account 

 of having been smuggled into the country. The first request for 

 an analysis was received from the Acting Secretary of the 



158 Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1887, p. 37. 



158 For the full report and correspondence, see Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1887, pp. 37-45. 



