Januaet 14, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



49 



Anthem. An address of welcome was given 

 in English by Sr. Esquival, a response by 

 Dr. Hewett, a welcome by the president of the 

 Chamber of Commerce of Juarez, an address 

 in Spanish by Sr. Ignaeio Salas, special repre- 

 sentative of the Mexican government, read- 

 ing of papers, a response to the address of Sr. 

 Salas, by Dr. D. T. MacDougal, closing with 

 " America " given by the military band. 

 The members visited the Agricultural College 

 in Juarez, the old church and other points of 

 interest. 



The papers presented at the El Paso meet- 

 ing occupied four sessions and were given in 

 three sections, Hiunan Science, Biological 

 Science and Physical Science. The subjects 

 specially dealt with were Psychology, Archae- 

 ology, Education, Forestry, Ecology, Bacteri- 

 ology, Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry and 

 Medicine. Besides these a half day was de- 

 voted to a Symposiiun upon Southwestern 

 problems. Dr. MacDougal of the Carnegie 

 Institution spoke on Organization of Scien- 

 tific Interests; Dr. Coan of the University of 

 New Mexico, on Salient Historical Features; 

 Dr. Shreve of the Desert Botanical Labora- 

 tory, Tucson, on Plant Distribution in the 

 Mountains, Dean Working, of the University 

 of Arizona, on support of Agricultural Ee- 

 search, Mr. Lawson of the U. S. Eeclamation 

 Service, on Reclamation Problems, Dean 

 Butler, of the University of Arizona, on 

 Mining Industry and Dr. Prentiss of El Paso, 

 on Special Features of Medical work in the 

 southwest. The presidential address by Dr. 

 Edgar L. Hewett given Thursday evening in 

 the auditorium of Temple Mount Sinai, was 

 entitled " The Southwest — Yesterday and To- 

 morrow." It dealt with anthropological lines 

 closely related to the subject of the Sym- 

 posium. The chief address at the opening 

 meeting on Thursday was by Dr. David 

 Spence Hill, President of the University of 

 New Mexico, on Basic Principles of Research. 



In the final business session, a new Ex- 

 ecutive Committee was elected, consisting of 

 Dr. Edgar L. Hewett, Santa Fe, Dr. John D. 

 Clark, Albuquerque, Dr. V. M. Slipher, Flag- 

 staff, Mr. A. L. Flagg, Phoenix and Pro- 



fessor Eomulo Escobar, Juarez, Resolutions 

 of thanks and of appreciation of Mexican 

 cooperation were passed. In a meeting of the 

 executive committee. Dr. A. E. Douglass of 

 the University of Arizona, was elected presi- 

 dent and Dr. E. C. Prentiss, of El Paso was 

 elected vice-president and chairman of the 

 executive committee. The secretary-treasurer 

 for the year 1921 will be Mr. Howard W. 

 Estill of the chemistry department of the 

 University of Arizona. 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 



(Continued) 

 The use of platinum crucibles in electro analysis. 

 Copper determination: Harold Van Doren and 

 J'ames B. Witheow; and The use of platinum 

 crucibles in electro analysis. Rapid Copper de- 

 terminations: EuFus D. Eeed and James B. 

 WiTHROW. We have found that platinum crucibles 

 can be used with proper precautions as readily as 

 platinum dishes and more satisfactorily than flag 

 electrodes for this purpose. Early workers in 

 electro analysis naturally used platinum crucibles 

 but the development of this application of chem- 

 istry brought in a variety of other forms, losing 

 sight of the simpler form whose use is now made 

 imperative for economical reasons. The a/pplica- 

 tion of the ideas of Bichards and Bisby for 

 crowding the current density in a smaU volume 

 between two platinum crucibles within each other 

 has been tried out and found with slight modifica- 

 tion to be eminently satisfactory. Toluene has 

 been found more satisfactory to prevent spraying 

 than kerosene which can be used and which was 

 suggested by Bichards and Bisby. 



■ Preparation of manganates and permanganates : 

 H. McCoemack. This paper embodies a short de- 

 scription of the customary method for the pro- 

 duction of sodium and potassium permanganate 

 and indicates some of the complications in this 

 process and the desirability of avoiding such diffi- 

 culties by the modification of the process. The 

 modification suggested consists in the crystalliza- 

 tion of the sodium or potassium manganate, 

 formed in the reaction between alkaline hydroxide 

 and manganese dioxide, from alkaline solution. 

 The permanganate is then formed by dissolving 

 the manganate crystals in water and oxidizing by 

 some suitable oxidizing agent. The method of 

 oxidation recommended is electrolytic, using an 



