Mat 2, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



687 



Otto M. Smith: Concrete Analysis. 

 Chakles L. Parsons: Fuller's Earth — Its Occur- 

 rence, Mining, Preparation, Use and Mecovery. 

 Chaelks L. Paesons: The Uranium, Vanadium 



and SaMum Situation. 

 C. E. Waters: A Simple Gasoline Gas Generator 



for Sulphur Determinations. 

 E. S. McBride and E. K. Weaver: The Deter- 

 mination of Sulphate in Ammonium Sulphate 

 with Special Reference to the Determination of 

 Sulphur in Illuminating Gas. 

 Four methods for the determination of sulphate 

 in ammonium sulphate solutions such as are ob- 

 tained in testing of illuminating gas, have been 

 examined and the proper conditions for their use 

 are described. One volumetric and one turbi- 

 dlmetric procedure are given, both of these being 

 rapid and fairly precise methods suitable for gen- 

 eral use. It is suggested that the rapid turbi- 

 dimetric procedure may be used in cement, rubber, 

 iron and steel and other analytical work where an 

 accuracy of one per cent, of the sulphur present 

 is satisfactory. 



E. S. McBride and E. E. Weaver: The Deter- 

 mination of Sulphur in Illuminating Gas. 

 The several forms of apparatus commonly used 

 for the determination of sulphur in illuminating 

 gas have been tested, giving particular attention 

 to the Eeferees', the Hinman- Jenkins and the new 

 form Elliott apparatus. These three are all ca- 

 pable of giving satisfactory results if properly 

 operated, three important conditions for correct 

 results being: (1) a proper rate of burning the 

 gas, (2) a strongly alkaline atmosphere in the 

 condenser chamber and (3) the elimination of all 

 rubber connections between the burner and con- 

 denser. 



General Dismission of Industrial Problems 

 A general experience meeting was held on 

 Thursday morning in which members discussed 

 general industrial problems. 



DIVISION of fertilizer CHEMISTRY 



Paul Eudnick, chairman 

 J. E. Breckenridge, secretary 

 Andrew J. Patten and Wm. C. Marti : A Simple 

 Method for Preparing Neutral Ammonium Ci- 

 trate Solution. 

 This method is based upon the reaction observed 



^liiehig's Annalen der Chemie, 1901, 319, 76. 



by Schiflf' to take place between formaldehyde and 

 ammonium salts, resulting in the liberation of the 

 acid and the formation of hexamethylentetramin, 

 according to the following equation: 



4C„H,(NH,)30, + 18CH,0 = 



4C.H,0, -f 30H,Ni 4- 18H,0. 



It depends upon the determination of the exact 

 amount of ammonia and anhydrous citric in the 

 solution and establishes the ratio for the neutral 

 solution as 1 : 3.765. 

 J. W. TuRRENTiNE: A Survey of the Menhaden 



Industry. 



DIVISION OP PHYSICAL AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



S. L. Bigelow, chairman 

 E. C. Wells, secretary 



S. L. Bigelow : Some Surface Tension Phenomena. 

 0. F. Tower: The Oxygen Content of the Atmos- 

 phere. 

 D. A. MacInnes: The Eole of Adsorption in the 

 Catalysis of the Decomposition of Hydrogen 

 Peroxide by Colloidal Platinum. 

 0. L. Barnebey: Detection of Cyanides in the 

 Presence of Ferri-, Ferro- and Sulpho-Cyanides. 

 When hydrogen sulphide is passed into a dilute 

 ammoniacal copper solution a black precipitate of 

 copper sulphide or a brownish black coloration is 

 imparted to the solution, depending upon the 

 amount of copper present. A cyanide in am- 

 moniacal solution will bleach such a suspension or 

 coloration. By this bleaching a cyanide can be 

 detected. By the amount of standard copper 

 solution bleached an approximate determination of 

 cyanides can be made in the presence of ferri- 

 and sulpho-cyanides. Ferro-cyanides interfere 

 with estimation, but not detection. 



Albert P. Matthews: A Method for Determin- 

 ing the Number of Valences in Molecules, 

 O. L. Barnebey: The Permanganate Determina- 

 tion of Iron in the Presence of Chlorides. 

 The Eeinhardt-Zimmerman method for the de- 

 termination of iron gives the correct result. Sul- 

 phuric acid with manganese sulphate, strong solu- 

 tions of certain sulphates, certain phosphates with 

 phosphoric acid and cerium sulphate with sul- 

 phuric acid can be substituted for the usual 

 "manganese solution" employed to prevent the 

 action of hydrochloric acid during titration. 

 Theories proposed for the explanation of the rOle 

 of these "preventive solutions" are discussed. 



