438 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1322 



hemoglobin fixes carbon monoxide and in all 

 probability a relatively large part of aerial CO 

 is disposed of in this way. The hemoglobin 

 binding CO is destroyed in the liver, the CO 

 probably remaining attached to the protein end 

 of the globin, and not to the biliary and uri- 

 nary pigment which result from the decompo- 

 sition of hemoglobin. The globin is excreted 

 as urea, ammonia, etc., while some may be re- 

 tained as amino-aeid, but doubtless the CO 

 globin is treated as foreign material and ex- 

 creted. Another method of disposal of aerial 

 carbon monoxide is the union in sunlight, with 

 the halogens, bromine, iodine, etc., of our 

 atmosphere and with the fluorine freed in the 

 mountainous districts during storms involving- 

 lightning. In such cases, the carbon monoxide 

 is converted to a carbonyl halide or to C0„, in 

 either case being capable of utilization by bac- 

 teria, plants with chlorophyll, etc. 



The above communication was written pre- 

 viously to the publication of Lamb, Bray and 

 Frazer's contribution from The Chemical 

 Warfare Service entitled " The removal of 

 carbon monoxide from the air " in the J. Ind. 

 and Engineering Chemistry, March 1920, Vol. 

 12, p. 213. W. M. 



THE ATTAINMENT OF HIGH LEVELS IN THE 

 ATMOSPHERE 



To THE Editor of Science: In the April 9, 

 1920, issue of Sciexce, Dr. J. G. Coffin, on be- 

 half of the Curtiss Aeronautical and Motor 

 Corporation, questions the record of Major 

 Schroeder, namely 36,020 feet, given in my 

 brief review of high level records, in Science, 

 March 19, 1920. 



So far as I can now ascertain. Dr. Coffin is 

 justified in questioning this particular record. 

 The director of the Bureau of Standards in- 

 forms me that the bureau has not yet deter- 

 mined the true altitude and that when deter- 

 mined it will be for the Air Service to make 

 proper announcement. With such imperfect 

 data, as I can now obtain, the approximate 

 values are: RohKs, 9880.5 meters (32,418 feet) ; 

 Schroeder, 9505.0 meters (31,184 feet). These 

 are the elevations corrected for mean air col- 

 umn temperature, vapor pressure, gravity, alti- 



tude and latitude. The main reduction factor 

 is of course the temperature. These results, 

 however, must not be accepted as final. Until 

 final and authentic data are forthcoming, the 

 justice of Dr. Coffin's criticism must be ad- 

 mitted. The words " The record now stands — 

 Schroeder, February 27, 1920, 10,979 meters" 

 in Science, No, 1316, p. 288, should be ac- 

 cepted with reservation. 



Let us hope, however, that before the end of 

 summer both of these plucky aviators will have 

 attained a true height of 10,000 meters. 



Alexander McAdie 



Blue Hill Observatoet, 

 April 22 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 

 Introduction to General Chemistry. By 



Herbert N. McCoy and Ethel M. Terry. 



Chicago, 111., 1919. Pp. viii + 605. 



The subject matter covered in the course in 

 chemistry given to the freshmen class at the 

 University of Chicago is the basis for this 

 text-book. It does not aim to include all the 

 material usually considered in a course in 

 descriptive inorganic chemistry; the facts of 

 the science are used primarily to illustrate 

 fundamental principles and laws. A brief 

 statement of the order in which the material 

 is treated will bring out the point of view 

 of the authors. The first chapter deals with 

 the measurement of gases. In the next four 

 chapters the fundamental concepts of the 

 science are developed; these include inde- 

 structibility of matter, a pure substance, an 

 element, analysis of substances, law of definite 

 composition derivation of formulae. Acids, 

 bases, and salts, water and solutions, the 

 kinetic theory and the atomic hypothesis are 

 next considered. A chapter on chlorine and 

 its compounds with hydrogen and metals is 

 followed by a consideration of chemical 

 equilibrium, oxidation and reduction, heat 

 and energy. Three chapters are devoted to 

 the ionic hypothesis and one to electro-chem- 

 istry. Nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and 

 carbon and their simple compounds are then 

 described. A rather long chapter on organic 

 chemistry in which structural formulae are 



