August 25, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



289 



verted and connected with the lower one with a 

 T-tube, which allows equalization of pressure in 

 both flasks, and a 3-way stopcock. By means of 

 the latter sulfuric acid may be dropped upon 

 sodium bicarbonate in water or the acid in the 

 upper chamber replenished or removed. 



The Relations in Composition of Petroleum, Coal 

 and Natural Asphalts: C. F. Mabeet. 

 I have distilled Palmyra, C, coal in vacuo to 

 compare the products with the constituents of 

 Mahone petroleum which is in the same section. 

 The distillates were composed of an oil heavier 

 than water which was composed to a considerable 

 extent of color substances which appeared during 

 purification of the hydrocarbons in various shades 

 of red, green, blue and violet. From the lighter 

 oil was separated a number of hydrocarbons of 

 the series C„H,, n , C„H 2 „_ 2 , CH.^, resembling the 

 hydrocarbons separated from Mahone petroleum, 

 three years ago. A considerable proportion of 

 solid hydrocarbons were separated, including some 

 of the higher paraflines. Acetic aldehyde ap- 

 peared in the lower distillates as it has been rec- 

 ognized in Mahone petroleum. I have also dis- 

 tilled Gilsonite in vacuo and obtained 56 per cent, 

 of a thin oil from which a series of hydrocarbons 

 similar to those in petroleum. Three classes of 

 products were separated; the last mentioned, that 

 evolve HBr copiously with bromine, forming a 

 substitution lighter than water, a second, closely 

 resembling hydrocarbons of a different character, 

 that I mentioned 25 years ago as separated from 

 acid sludge, and then alluded to as resembling the 

 terpenes, giving with bromine hydrobromie acid 

 and a product heavier than water, and a third 

 class, composed of nitrogen derivatives like those 

 I described 15 years ago as from California pe- 

 troleum and recently identified in other varieties, 

 especially in larger amount from Bussian (Baku) 

 petroleum. These products are at present under 

 examination. 



The Occurrence of Esdragol in Rosin: Charles H. 



Hertt and V. A. Coulter. 

 On the Phenolsulphonphthalein Dyes and the 



Quinonephenolate Theory of Indicators: E. C. 



"White, H. A. Lubs and S. F. Acree. 

 On the Use of Viscose as a Dialysis Membrane: 



H. A. Lewis and 8. F. Acree. 

 On the Tautomeric Reactions of the Silver and 



Mercury Salts of l-Phenyl-4, 5-dihydro-5-oxy-3- 



triazolyl Methyl Sulphone with Alhyl Bolides: 



E. H. Wight and S. F. Acree. 

 On the Reactions of Both the Ions and Molecules 



of Acids, Bases and Salts: The Inversion of 



Menthone by Sodium, Potassium and Lithium 



Ethylates: W. A. Gruse and S. F. Acree. 

 The Galactan of Larix occidentalis: B. W. 



Schorger and D. F. Smith. 

 Further Evidence for the Electronic Formula of 



Benzene and the Substitution Rule: H. S. Fry. 

 Reactions in Non-aqueous Solvents: Chromyl 



Chloride and Phosphorus Halides: H. S. Fry 



and J. L. Donnelly. 

 Electronic Tautomerism: The Existence of Elec- 

 trometers in Dynamic Equilibrium: H. S. Fry. 

 Partial Eydrogenation of Cotton-seed Oil: Ben 



H. Nicolet. 

 The Reaction between Alcohols and Hydrochloric 



and Hydrobromie Acids: James F. Norris. 

 The Nitro Phenyl Ethers: Hilton Ira Jones and 



Alfred N. Cook. 



The ortho and para nitro phenyl ethers have 

 been studied and numerous errors corrected. 

 Eighteen sulphonic acid salts have been prepared 

 and seventy-two new phenyl ether dyes, several of 

 which are of brilliant shade and have commercial 

 possibilities. These are equally divided between 

 the ortho and para ethers of the sulphonated and 

 unsulphonated series. A new method has been de- 

 vised for the preparation of potassium phenolate 

 to all non-nitro phenols. The effects of the posi- 

 tions of the groups upon the properties of the 

 compounds and colors of the dyes have been care- 

 fully studied and various interesting facts ob- 

 served. 



The Relations in Composition of Coal, Petroleum 

 and the Natural Asphalts: C. F. Mabery. 

 In distilling Deerfield, O., coal in vacuo, and 

 gilsonite, it is found that the distillates contain 

 petroleum hydrocarbons of the series Cn'B.at-i, solid 

 paraffines, the series C n H» H -» and nitrogen com- 

 pounds resembling those which have been sepa- 

 rated from California, Russian and other pe- 

 troleums. Intense colors appeared in some dis- 

 tillates. A series of terpenes appeared resembling 

 those extracted by acid from petroleum. Naph- 

 thene acids were recognized. These products and 

 also a new series of petroleum hydrocarbons, prob- 

 ably terpenes, separated twenty years ago in large 

 quantity with the sulphur compounds, are under 

 examination. 



Esterification of Acids by Isomeric Mercaptans: 

 J. W. Kimball and E. Emmet Reid. 

 It has long been known that alcohols of differ- 

 ent structure show different velocities and limits 

 of esterfication, these values being much lower for 

 secondary than for primary alcohols. It has also 



