SCIENCE 



Editorial Committbs : S. Newcomb, Mathematics ; E. S. Woodward, Mechanics ; E. C. Pickering 



Astronomy; T C. Mendenhall, Physics; E. H. Thurston, Engineering; Ira Eemsen, Chemistry; 



J. Le Conte, Geology; W. M. Davis, Physiography; O. C. Marsh, Paleontology; W. K. Brooks, 



C. Hart Merriam, Zoology; S. H. Scudder, Entomology; C. E. Bessey, N. L. Britton, 



Botany; Henry F. Osborn, General Biology; C. S. Minot, Embryology, Histology; 



H. P. BowDiTCH, Physiology; J. S. Billings, Hygiene; J. McKeen Cattell, 



Psychology; Daniel G. Beinton, J. W. Powell, Anthropology. 



Friday, March 10, 1899. 



CONTENTS: 



Explosions Caused iy Commonly Occurring Siib- 

 stances: Professor Charles E. Munroe 345 



The American IlorphologicaJ Society (II). Profes- 

 sor Bashford Dean 364 



Stalactites of Sand: J. S. Diller 371 



Scientific Books : — 



Talbot's Degeneracy: PROFESSOR G. T. W. 

 Patrick. Skinner's Synonymic Catalogue of 

 the Nonh American Bhopalocera : PROFESSOR T. 

 D. A. COCKERELL. Graffigny's Industrial Elec- 

 tricity: W. H. F. General. Books Received 372 



Scientific Journals and Articles : 375 



Societies and Academies : — 



Section of Anthropology and Psychology of the 

 New York Academy of Sciences : Dr. Chas. B. 

 Bliss. Onondaga Academy of Science : H. W. 

 Beitchee 376 



Discussioti and Correspondence : — 



What is the Cause of the so-called Tobacco For- 

 mation? De. Oscar Loew. The Aniesfhetic 

 Effects of a Sinusoidal Current of High Fre- 

 quency : Dr. E. W. Scripture 376 



Notes on Physics : — • 



The Metric System: T. C. M. The Electrolytic 

 Interrupter for the Induction Coil: W. S. F. 

 The Resistance of Carbon and Copper Brushes: 

 F. C. C 377 



Enzymes as Remedies in Infectious Diseases : B. T. 

 Galloway 379 



Scientific Notes and Ne^os 379 



University and Educational News 383 



MS9. intended for publication and books, etc., intended 

 for review should be sent to the responsible editor. Profes- 

 sor J. McKeen Cattell, fTarrison-on-Hudson N. Y. 



EXPLOSIONS CAUSED BY COMMONLY OC- 

 CURRING SUBS7ANCES.* 



On the sixth of November last the 

 country was startled by learning that an 

 explosion had occurred in the Capitol at 

 Washington whicli had caused extensive 

 damage to that magnificent and historic 

 building, and which, with the ensuing fire, 

 had destroyed some and jeopardized more 

 of the valuable archives with which the 

 building was stored. Occurrences of this 

 kind have long had a particular interest 

 for me, and I have found them to recur 

 with great frequency and to cause extensive 

 damage and destruction not only to prop- 

 erty but to person. Notwithstanding, there- 

 fore, that much that I have to say is well 

 known, it appears to be not inopportune to 

 address you on the subject of ' Explosions 

 Caused by Commonly Occui-riug Sub- 

 stances,' ommitting entirely from consid- 

 eration the substances commonly known 

 and used as explosives, and it is possible 

 that this repetition may serve to some ex- 

 tent in preventing these accidents by lead- 

 ing to greater precautions being taken. 



From the observations on the phenomena 

 accompanying the combustion of solids it 

 is well understood that the speed of the 

 combustion is greatly accelerated by com- 

 minuting the combustible and mixing it in- 



* Address of the President before The American 

 Chemical Society, New York Meeting, December, 

 1898. 



