January 31, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



193 



an elaborate series of measurements on the 

 electromotive forces produced by the accelera- 

 tion of electrolytes, varying the nature of the 

 solutions used, the magnitude of the accelera- 

 tion, and the distance between the front and 

 rear electrodes, and is now preparing for pub- 

 lication a description of the work. The ex- 

 periments were performed, however, primarily 

 as a preliminary to similar work with metals 

 in order to test the quantitative theory as to 

 the magnitude of the efEeot which would be 

 much larger in electrolytes than in metals, 

 and in order to determine the most suitable 

 form of apparatus for the work. Mr. Osgerby 

 and the writer did, however, carry out some 

 experiments with metallic conductors, but at 

 the time were unable to detect any effect, as 

 further modification of the apparatus is neces- 

 sary before it will be sensitive enough for 

 metals. 



In a recent number of Science (November 1, 

 1912) the writer was surprised to observe that 

 Professor Daniel E. Comstock, of the Massa- 

 chusetts Institute of Technology, has not only 

 apparently attempted to reserve this field of 

 experimental investigation, but to put forward 

 as a new discovery the probability that such 

 electromotive forces would be produced by the 

 acceleration of metallic conductors. The possi- 

 bility of such electromotive forces has cer- 

 tainly been recognized since the time of Max- 

 well. In electrolytic conductors their actual 

 presence has been shown by the experiments 

 of Colley, and the similar electromotive forces 

 which arise from the action of centrifugal 

 force on electrolytic conductors were demon- 

 strated by Des Coudres' and have been thor- 

 oughly investigated by the present writer.* In 

 another, to obtain eileets dependent on the 

 metallic conductors Maxwell," Lodge,' and 

 Nichols' have all attempted, by one method or 



«Des Coudres, Wied. Ann., 49, p. 284, 1893; 

 iUd., 57, p. 232, 1896. 



^Tolman, Froc. Amer. Acad., 46, p. 109, 1910; 

 J. Amer. Chem. Sac, 33, p. 121, 1911. 



° Maxwell, loo. cit. 



' Lodge, ' ' Modern Views of Electricity, ' ' 3d 

 edition (1907), p. 89. 



'Nichols, Fhysik. Z., 7, p. 640, 1906. 



another, to obtain effects dependent on the 

 " mechanical momentum " accompanying the 

 passage of electricity, but have failed, owing to 

 the lack of sensitiveness of their apparatus. 

 That the conception of " free electrons " neces- 

 sarily includes the production of an electromo- 

 tive force in accelerated metals is certainly 

 the common knowledge of physicists who are 

 familiar with the work of the above investiga- 

 tors. 



The writer has no desire to reserve a field 

 which is the property of all physicists, but at 

 the present time wishes to report that his ex- 

 periments are sufficient to show, as would be 

 expected, that the electromotive force produced 

 in accelerated metals is certainly much 

 smaller than that produced in accelerated 

 electrolytes, and to state that the apparatus is 

 now being improved with the hope of detecting 

 the effect in metals. Rjchard C. Tolman 



University of California, 

 November 9, 1912 



THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOB FHABMA- 



COLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL 



TSEEAFEUTICS 



The fourth annual meeting of the society was 

 held in Cleveland on December 30 and 31. There 

 were two executive and three scientific sessions. 



The most important outcome of the Cleveland 

 meeting, as far as the Pharmacological, Physiolog- 

 ical and Biochemical Societies are concerned, was 

 the formation of a federation designed to knit 

 these societies more closely together, while yet 

 jealously preserving the individuality of each com- 

 ponent. The meeting of delegates with full power 

 to act from each of the three societies, took place 

 during the last informal dinner and smoker at the 

 Colonial Hotel on December 31. The delegates 

 from the Physiological Society were Drs. Meltzer, 

 Lee and Cannon; from the Biochemical Society, 

 Drs. Lusk and Wells; from the Pharmacological 

 Society, Drs. Sollmann, Loevenhart and Auer. 



Dr. Meltzer was elected temporary chairman and 

 Dr. Cannon temporary secretary. The outcome of 

 the proceedings of this conference committee will 

 be best shown by a transcript of its minutes: 



' ' The following motions were voted unan- 

 imously : 



' ' That a federation of the three societies be 

 hereby established. 



