33 REPORT — 1867. 



rated his objections to the system. 1st. That the assumption of the distiihutive 

 law of multiplication is unnecessary, and leads moreover to the anomalous result 

 that the same direct operation does not always produce equal results when per- 

 formed on the two sides of an equation, thus x+i/ = uy ; hut multiplying both 

 sides by x we get .r^ + xt/ and .r^i/, wliich are not equal. 2nd. That the assump- 

 tion (for Avhich no evidence is produced) that the unit of hydi-ogen is a simple 

 weight, leads to inconvenient formulte, the symbol a being used to express not 

 only the quantity of hydrogen in a substance, but also what those chemists, who 

 use atomic language, would call the number of perissad atoms. 3rd. That a system 

 of notation substantially the same in furm as that at present in use might be de- 

 duced from Sir Benjamin Brodie's principles, upon the more reasonable convention 

 that bodies hitherto uudecomposed ai-e not to be represented as compound. The 

 ordinary chemical symbols might therefore be used in a fimctional as well as in an 

 atomic sense. 



A Note on Messrs. WanMyn, Cha/nnan, and Sinith's mefJiod of determining 

 Nitroc/enoiis Organic Matters in Water. By Uugald Campbell, F.C.S. 



At the meeting of the Chemical Society on June 20, Messrs. Wanklyn, Chap- 

 man, and Smith proposed to determine the nature and amoimt of the nitrogenous 

 organic matters contained in di-inking waters by the anioimt of ammonia given oft' 

 wlien a given quantity of the water was distilled rapidly -^-ith the addition of cer- 

 tain weights of different reagents added at diflerent parts of the distillation, the 

 reagents being carbonate of soda, caustic potash, and permanganate of potash. 

 Their experiments lead to the conclusion that when a liti-e of water is distilled 

 •nith two gi-ammes of carbonate of soda, all the nitrogen of tlie m-ea existing in the 

 water will practically be found as ammonia in the first .300 c. c. distilled over, and 

 that none of the nitrogen existing in albumen or " albuminoid" matters, which may 

 be in the water, woiild be evolved as ammonia. 



Experiments were made with pure distilled water containing respectively ^V) 

 jV) iV> ^^^ To7 parts of a grain of urea in a gallon, and in every case nitrogen 

 remained in the water after distillation with the carbonate of soda, and was evolved 

 by other means and estimated; and it was only when the -^l-^ part of a giaiu of 

 urea, or less, was dissolved in a gallon of water that the urea was entii'ely decom- 

 posed by carbonate of soda and evolved as anmionia. 



Experiments were likewise made with white of new-laid egg equal to -^^, ^g, 

 JO! aud yjo part of a grain of dry albumen dissolved in a gallon of nure dis- 

 tilled water, distilling one litre of each solution vdih two gi-ammes of cai'oonate of 

 soda ; in eveiy case distinct quantities of ammonia were evolved and estimated, 

 and in the last experiment, with white of egg equal to the -^l-^ part of a grain 

 of diT albumen per gallon, practically, all the ammonia in the albumen was evolved, 

 there" being a loss of only 0000017 gi'ain, a quantity so small as ^o be attributable 

 to an error in obsei-vatiou or otherwise. 



In all the experiments the ammonia was estimated by Nessler's test. 



On the Synthesis of Formic Acid. By A. 11. Catton. 



On Loewig's Researches on the Action of Sodium Amalgam on Oxalic Ether, 



By A. E. Catton. 



On a New Polarizing Photometer. By "W. Ckookes, F.ll.S. 



On a Self-Registering Perpetual Aspirator. By A. E. Fletcilee, F.C.S. 



This instrument was contrived to assist in caiTying out the AlkiJi Act of 1863, 

 in cases where a continuous register is reqvured of the acidity of the air which 

 passes along a flue or chimney. It is a continuous and self-acting aspirator, which 

 draws a measured quantity of air from the flue or chimney through absorption- 

 bottles, and registers the amount so drawn. 



It consists, first, of a small fan three inches in diameter. This is placed in an 



