678 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 957 



pounding reservoir just before the water entered 

 a seven-mile conduit, in amounts of 1.0 part per 

 million available chlorin from January 1 to July 

 15, and 1.5 p.p.m. from January 15 to the end of 

 the year. 



Samples vrere taken daily from the untreated 

 water and from the treated water at the end of 

 the tunnel as well as' from the effluents of several 

 storage reservoirs. These samples were examined 

 for the bacterial count and members of the B. coU 

 group, and averaged by months, the B. coli organ- 

 isms being calculated to numbers per cubic centi- 

 meter by the use of portions of the samples vary- 

 ing by a multiple of ten from .01 to 100 c.c. 



The results of the treatment of this water sup- 

 ply have been reductions varying between 92 and 

 99 per cent, in the bacterial count and almost 

 entire elimination of members of the B. coli group, 

 the reductions in these organisms being between 

 92 and 100 per cent., with 99.99 per cent, reduc- 

 tions during five months and 100 per cent, during 

 two months of the year. 



The reduction in the number of cases of typhoid 

 fever occurring in Baltimore during 1912 is 31 

 per cent., compared with an average of the number 

 of cases occurring during the years from 1906 to 

 1910, and 24 per cent., compared with the eases 

 occurring during 1911, in the last six months of 

 ■which the water supply was treated. 

 J. E. Harris: Soil Acidity. 

 Edward Gudeman: Glucose Analyses. 



Determinations of the mineral constituents of 

 confectioner's glucose, representing over 1,000 

 samples examined during the years 1902 to 1913, 

 were submitted in chart form, the curves showing 

 the maxima, minima and averages of the total ash, 

 chlorides and sulphurous oxide. 



The results show that no fixed ratio exists be- 

 tween these ingredients. The chlorides approxi- 

 mate two thirds of the total ash, figured as sodium 

 chloride. The sulphurous oxide (SO-) seems to 

 vary inversely to the other ingredients. The fluc- 

 tuations in these ingredients are so great that 

 determinations of mineral matter in glucose give 

 no bases for judging the quality of the product. 



The table following shows the great variation in 

 the maxima, minima and averages for the years 

 1902 to 1913: 

 Total Ash: 



Parts Gl ueose 



(D.S.) 



Maxima : 84-158 parts to 10,000 



Minima : 30- 50 parts to 10,000 



Averages : 52- 82 parts to 10,000 



CMorides: 



(NaCl) Maxima : 68-92 parts to 10,000 

 Minima : 18-38 parts to 10,000 

 Averages : 36-82 parts to 10,000 

 Sulphurous Acid: 



(SO:) Maxima : 160-350 parts to 1,000,000 



Minima : 10-165 parts to 1,000,000 



Averages : 60-240 parts to 1,000,000 



DIVISION OP ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



Treat B. Johnson, chairman 



William J. Hale, vice-chairman and secretary 

 Lloyd M. Burghart and Ralph H. McKee: The 



Action of Cyanimido Ether on Esters of Amido 



A cids. 



It has previously been shown that cyanimido 

 ethyl ether gives with esters of authranilic acid 

 the oxygen ethers of benzoylen urea. The study 

 of the reaction has been continued, particularly 

 as to the character of the intermediate steps in 

 the reaction and also as to the possibility of form- 

 ing seven and eight atom rings containing either 

 the group — CO — NH — CO — NH — or the group 

 — CO— N=C0C.H5— NH— . 



The evidence obtained indicates that there is 

 first formed an open chain compound by the 

 elimination of prussie acid and that this is fol- 

 lowed by the elimination of alcohol with the con- 

 sequent formation of a ring of four carbon and 

 two nitrogen atoms. 



The authors were unable in any ease to bring 

 about the formation of a similar eight-atom ring, 

 though many trials were made using para amino- 

 benzoic ethyl ester as a starting material. 

 F. W. Heyl, F. E. Hepneb, S. K. Loy: Zyga- 



denine. The Crystalline Alkaloid of Zygadenus 



intermedins. 



Among the poisonous plants of the range death 

 camas is most abundant and is the cause of most 

 cattle poisoning in Wyoming. In the work which 

 has been taken up at the Wyoming Experiment 

 Station, upon the problem of poisonous plants, 

 this one has been examined first. 



A crystalline alkaloid melting at 200''-201'' and 

 having the formula G^ H53 N0i„ has been isolated 

 and its toxic effects studied. It was found to be 

 similar to veratrine. 



F. W. Heyl and F. E. Hepner; Some Constitu- 

 ents of the Leaves of Zygadenus intermedims. 



The study of this plant was continued and the 

 resin examined, as statements occur in the litera- 

 ture ascribing poisonous properties to this part of 

 the plant. 



The chemical and physiological study demon- 



