160 



SCIENCE 



[N. 8. Vol. LII. No. 1337 



This is true of raw sugars as shown by numerous 

 analyses, but in the products of a refinery, soft 

 sugars and syrup, the value of the ratio SP/I is 

 very low. Analyses of sugars at all intermediary 

 stages of refining are given, in order to determine 

 where the changes takes place. It is concluded 

 that some change takes place during defecation and 

 filtration of low test material and in the handling 

 of the muds and scums, but that by all means the 

 principal cause of the reduction of the value of 

 this ratio is boneblack filtration. The factor is 

 strongly negative for the first material coming off 

 the boneblack, but increases in follGwing portions 

 until in the last portions it is about equal or 

 slightly exceeds material going on. The average 

 of all material going on is much higher than the 

 average coming off. Since boneblack absorbs in- 

 vert from first material and gives it up to later 

 material it is supposed that by selective action it 

 might absorb more levulose than dextrose. This 

 is proved by tests on invert sugar. A high value 

 of the ratio in refined products indicates inversion 

 during refining. Losses of sucrose figured upon 

 clerget values exceed those figured on polarization. 



Seats of vaporization: J. H. Mathews. 



Vapor pressure of lithium nitrate-ammonia sys- 

 tem: E. O. E. Davis, L. B. Olmstead and F. O. 

 Ltjndsteum. a number of substances known to be 

 soluble in liquid ammonia were subjected to the 

 action of a stream of dry ammonia gas, and sev- 

 eral were found to liquefy and form a solution. 

 This property is well known for ammonium nitrate 

 and ammonium thiocyanate, but has not been here- 

 tofore reported for several here recorded. Lithium 

 nitrate is one of these. The vapor pressure of so- 

 lutions of different concentrations of ammonia, 

 lithium nitrate and water were determined. As the 

 solution is non-corrosive to iron and has a low vapor 

 pressure around zero and over an atmosphere at 

 about thirty-five degrees, it is suggested that it 

 may be utilized for absorption of ammonia from 

 a mixture of gases and the subsequent recovery of 

 the pure ammonia. 



Vapor pressure of ammonia-calcium nitrate sys- 

 tem: E. 0. E. Davis, L. B. Olmstead and F. 0. 

 LuNDSTRUM. Calcium nitrate forms a solution 

 with ammonia similar to that formed by lithiiun 

 nitrate. The vapor pressure is somewhat lower and 

 . the ammonia absorbed is not quite so great. This 

 solution is also non-corrosive, but becomes corrosive 

 as carbon dioxide is dissolved in it. 



Magnetic properties of dilute solutions of certain 

 metallic oxides in silicate glasses: E. B. Sosman 

 and H. S. Eobekts. 



Pressure measurements of corrosive gases. The 

 vapor pressure of nitrogen pentoxide: Eareington 

 Daniels and Arthur C. Bright. A new all-glass 

 manometer is described in which a platinized glass 

 diaphragm is arranged to close an electrical indi- 

 cating circuit. A measured air pressure is thus 

 balanced against the unknown pressure without the 

 aid of optical systems. A convenient method for 

 preparing pure nitrogen pentoxide is given. De- 

 terminations of the vapor pressure of nitrogen pen- 

 toxide up to an atmosphere are presented. They 

 were obtained by a static method in which correc- 

 tions were made for the decomposition occurring 

 in the gaseous phase. 



The formation of ozone anM, nitric acid from air 

 in the high frequency corona: F. O. Andeeegg. 



Electrometrio titration of iodides and a practical 

 potentiometer for such xoorh: W. S. Hendrixson. 

 Hydrogen iodide is titrated in 2-normal sulfuric 

 acid with standard permanganate. Sharp end 

 points are obtained and the method seems accurate. 

 Other oxidizing substances and also interfering 

 substances are discussed, and further work is in 

 progress. The potentiometer is a long tube-form 

 rheostat, contact wound with oxidized resistance 

 wire. The beam carrying the slide contact is grad- 

 uated in millimeters; the instrument has been cali- 

 brated, and measurements with it and with a stand- 

 ard potentiometer show practically identical re- 

 sults. 



The existence of the nucleus of the meta-hy- 

 drogen, the possible presence of meta-hydrogen in 

 hydrogen, and the evidence which indicates that the 

 elements magnesium, silicon, nickel, copper, zinc, 

 and other elements of the atomic numbers from $8 

 to 80 {mercury), are mixtures. The function of 

 iinding and cementing electrons: William D. 

 Haskins. 



Welding thermo-couples in the electric arc: 

 James C. McCullough. Base metal thermo- 

 couples may be welded in a 15 ampere electric arc 

 providing oxidation of the wires is prevented by 

 directing a stream of illuminating gas against the 

 arc. 



The solubility of helium: Hamilton P. Cadt, 

 Howard McKee Elset, Emily V. Beegee. The 

 authors found the absorption coefficient of helium 

 to decrease steadily with rising temperature from 

 0.00938 at 2° to 0.00836 at 30°. The only previ- 

 ous series of measurements was made by Es- 

 treicher, who found a minimum at 30°, but An- 

 thropoff showed that Estreicher had omitted a cor- 

 rection which changed his solubility nearly 100 



