August 13, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



159 



solvent for many of the inorganic oxides which 

 are commonly considered to be very refractory 

 in character. Molybdenum trioxide, for example, 

 can be readily separated from the oxide of tungs- 

 ten. The solution of molybdenum trioxide in 

 selenium oxychloride shows a deep indigo blue 

 color when exposed to bright light, the solution 

 again becoming colorless when placed in the dark. 

 The reagent is an excellent solvent for unsatu- 

 rated organic substances. The unsaturated hydro- 

 carbons and aromatic hydrocarbons dissolve readily 

 in the solvent while the parafS.n hydrocarbons do 

 not. Bakelite, redmanol, the waterproof insoluble 

 casein glue used in airplane construction, pure rub- 

 ber, vulcanized rubber, asphalt and bitumen, dis- 

 solve with ease. The bituminous material can be 

 dissolved from soft coal, leaving a carbonaceous 

 residue. The vegetable oils mix readily with the 

 reagent while with raw linseed oil a rubber-like 

 mass is formed, quite similar to that produced by 

 the action of chloride of sulphur on certain oils. 

 The chemical behavior of the reagent is quite se- 

 lective. Many inorganic oxides are completely in- 

 soluble in it, while others dissolve with ease, ma- 

 king possible many separations. Metallic sodium 

 is not acted on by the reagent, even at 175° C, 

 while with metallic potassium a violent explosion 

 takes place. 



Studying plant distribution with liydrogen ion 

 indicators: E. T. Whekry. 



Adsorption of alkaloids: G. H. A. Clowes. 



The chemical resources of the St. Louis district : 



O. H. PlEKCE. 



DIVISION OF PHYSICAL AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



Wm. D. Harkins, chairman 



H. N. Holmes, secretary 



Wednesday and Thursday 



A new form of active nitrogen: Gerald L. 

 Wendt and A. C. Grubb. This form is produced 

 by the corona discharge at 20,000 volts from a fine 

 wire through pure nitrogen at atmospheric pres- 

 sure. Under most favorable circumstances as much 

 as four per cent, of the nitrogen is transformed 

 into an active form which reacts readily with hy- 

 drogen to form ammonia; with oxygen to form 

 oxides; and with lithium, sodium, potassium, mag- 

 nesium, aluminium, iron and zinc to form nitrides, 

 and with sulfur to form a sulfide. It is probably 

 different from Strutt's nitrogen in that the latter 

 gave neither ammonia nor oxides of nitrogen. 



Whether it is atomic or an ozone form has not 

 been determined, but on account of its extreme sta- 

 bility the latter is more probable. It forms very 

 slowly in the discharge and persists for hours 

 afterwards, unlike the ozone forms of oxygen and 

 hydrogen. It has a distinct odor resembling 

 formaldehyde. 



The oeone form of hydrogen at atmospheric pres- 

 sures — the formation of ammonia: Gerald L. 

 Wendt, A. C. Grubb and Robert S. Landauee. 

 The ozone form of hydrogen has now been pre- 

 pared by three methods — the action of alpha rays, 

 in the vacuum electrical discharge, and in the 

 corona at atmospheric pressure. Attempts to pro- 

 duce activation by means of Schumann light 

 failed. The ozone hydrogen, or hyzone, is extremely 

 unstable, reverting to the usual inactive form in 

 less than a minute. Figures are given in a de- 

 tailed study of the formation of ammonia from 

 the hyzone and nitrogen, activated nitrogen and 

 ordinary hydrogen, active nitrogen and hyzone, and 

 mixtures of the two plain gases activated together 

 and reacting in the corona. 



New determination of the absolute value of the 

 radium : uranium ratio : S. C. Lind and L. D. Rob- 

 erts. 



A general theory of chemical reactivity, calcu- 

 lations of reaction velocities, equilihriu/m constants 

 and vapor pressures: S. Dushman and Irving 

 Langmuir. 



The direct ccmibination of nitrogen and chlorine: 

 W. A. NoYES and George H. Coleman. 



The causes and prevention of after-corrosion on 

 the bores of firearms: Wilbert J. Huff. 



The binary system, Alcermanite-gehlenite (lime, 

 magnesia, alumina, silica) : J. B. Ferguson and A. 

 F. Buddington. 



The system Fe^O^-SO^-HX) : E. Posnjak and H. 

 E. Merwin. This paper treats the general equilib- 

 rium relations in this system from 50° to 200° and 

 comprises the determination of the compositions 

 and properties of the solid phases, as well as the 

 compositions of the solutions in equilibrium with 

 the various solid and vapor phases within the above 

 temperature range. 



The ionization of strong electrolytes: James 

 Kendall. 



Changes in the analytical ratios of sugars dw- 

 ing refining: A. P. Blake. The clerget sucrose 

 value for sugars, as pointed out by Browne at the 

 Cleveland meeting, normally exceeds the polariza- 

 tion by about one third the percentage of invert. 



