Manrox 8, 1912] 
The following papers were presented before the 
various divisional meetings: 
DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 
H. E. Barnard, chairman. 
B. EH. Curry, secretary. 
H. E. Barnarp (chairman’s address): A Study 
of the Pollution of the Ohio River Bordering 
Indiana. 
During the summer of 1911, the Indiana State 
Board of Health made a comprehensive study of 
the condition of the Ohio River bordering Indiana, 
A chemical and bacterial laboratory was fitted up 
in a house boat in which samples taken each mile 
were analyzed. The chemical analysis included 
the estimation of nitrates, the estimation of 
nitrites, the estimation of chlorine, of oxygen 
consumed, the estimation of dissolved oxygen, the 
estimation of alkalinity and turbidity. The bac- 
terial analyses: an estimation of the number of 
bacteria; the presumptive test for B. Colt and the 
differential test for B. Coli on every tenth sample. 
The work, which extended over three months, 
established new data on the purification of flow- 
ing streams and is a valuable contribution to the 
knowledge of the character of the Ohio River. ~ 
The report will not be completed for publication 
until the spring of 1912. 
W. A. WITHERS and F. W. SHERWooD: A Modifi- 
cation of the Tiemann-Schulze Method. 
B. L. Murray: Determination of Small Amounts 
of Caffeine—A Comparison of Methods. 
The author has compared the results obtained 
by the method of Goérter and by that of Lendrich 
and Nottbohm, using coffee and coffee prepara- 
tions as samples. It is shown that when only 
small amounts of caffeine, particularly when less 
than 0.5 per cent., are present the Gérter method 
yields results 50 to 100 per cent. higher than 
those of the Lendrich and Nottbohm. The author 
believes the Lendrich and Nottbohm method pref- 
erable. About fifty analyses are tabulated, each 
with duplicate results. 
W. H. Ross and Raymond C. BENNER: The Filtra- 
tion of Soil Solutions. A New Filter for This 
and Similar Purposes. 
FERNAND BRUNSCHWIG: The Presence of Lead 
and Copper in Cream of Tartar and Tartaric 
Acid. Technical Methods to Purify these 
Products. 
J. B. BatHer: The Forms of Phosphorus in Cot- 
ton-seed Meal. 
SCIENCE 
379 
J. F. SNewL: An Electrical Conductivity Test for 
Purity of Maple Syrup. 
The syrup is diluted with two volumes of water 
and the electrical conductivity measured at 25° C., 
with a Wheatstone bridge and telephone in the 
customary manner. The specific conductivity 
multiplied by 100,000 gives the ‘‘ conductivity 
value.’’? The test is simple and rapid. 
Among 57 samples of genuine syrups from 
Quebec, Ontario and Vermont, only two samples 
(these two not market syrups) give conductivity 
values over 200. The minimum value found was 
110, the syrup giving this being the one prepared 
under the supervision of the Vermont Agricultural 
Experiment Station, under such conditions as to 
give the malate of lime every opportunity to 
settle out. Values less than 120 were given by 
only 3 samples—all very light colored, high- 
quality goods. Genuine syrups may, therefore, be 
expected to give values between 100 and 200— 
Canadian syrups ordinarily between 120 and 200. 
Syrups compounded of maple syrup with over 
50 per cent. of its weight of an equally dense 
syrup made from granulated cane sugar give 
values below 100. Imitation syrups made from 
granulated sugar and artificial maple flavors give 
still lower values. Such gross adulterations with 
refined cane sugar are immediately indicated by 
this test. 
JOHN Stewart: A Brief Study of the Phosphorus 
Associated with the Matiére Noire. 
This paper attempts to answer the question: Is 
the phosphorus in the Matiére Notre organic or 
inorganic? ‘Treatment of the soil with NH,OH 
fails to extract any phosphorus. Partial removal 
of acid soluble phosphorus and complete removal 
of acid soluble phosphorus, followed in each case 
with NH,OH extraction, gives ammoniacal solu- 
tions with practically identical phosphorus con- 
tent; viz., approximately 0.0103 per cent. on soil. 
The conclusion is that all the phosphorus associ- 
ated with the Matiére Noire is organically com- 
bined. Practically all the iron and aluminum 
present in the Matiére Notre are organic. Hydrol- 
ysis takes place during extraction with alkali and 
a large part of the phosphorus and some iron and 
aluminum are converted into inorganic forms. 
Several precipitating reagents for separating 
inorganic phosphorus from organic were tried; 
but results were unsatisfactory. 
EmMa CRANDAL: The Composition of Free Oyster 
Liquid. 
Present data on the composition of the oyster 
is meager. The author has endeavored, by a 
