120 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL VI. No. 1179 



were obtained in the oxidation of aoetaldehyde in 

 alkaline potassium permanganate solutions as are 

 described for ethyl alcohol in the previous ab- 

 stract. 



DIVISION OP ■WATEE, SEVTAGE AND SANITATION 



E. H. S. Bailey, Chairman 

 H. P. Corson, Secretary 



Seasonal distribution of soil and fecal strains of 

 the colon-aerogenes group in surface waters: 

 Mtetle Gbeenpield and W. N. Skourup. A sur- 

 vey was made of five surface water supplies, 

 equipped with rapid sand filters, with the object of 

 determining the variation of the organisms of the 

 colon-aerogenes group during wet and dry weather, 

 and their response to treatment. During rainy 

 weather, the soil strains of the colon-aerogenes 

 group predominated in raw water. During ex- 

 tremely dry weather, fecal strains of the colon- 

 aerogenes group predominated in raw water, par- 

 ticularly if there was much sewage pollution. 

 There seemed to be no difference between soil and 

 fecal strains isolated from raw water in their re- 

 sistence to treatment. 



Legal status and work of the water and sewage 

 laboratory of the state board of health: C. C. 

 Young. The laboratory was for many years de- 

 pendent for support upon direct appropriation to 

 the university by the legislature and there never 

 were adequate funds with which to do the work 

 demanded. The 1915 legislature passed a law re- 

 quiring annual analyses and inspections of water 

 supplies and providing for rules and regulations 

 to be drawn up by the State Board of Health and 

 fees to cover the cost of the work. There has been 

 practically no objection to the law, which has been 

 in operation since July 1, 1915. Six thousand 

 samples were examined last year and abundant data 

 have been collected on the operation of the purifica- 

 tion plants of the ground-water supplies. 



The problems of water supply of a great rail- 

 road system: Orton T. Bees. Railroads have to 

 deal with aU sorts of water conditions, dependent 

 upon the location of their lines. As the road de- 

 velops old sources of water supply become inade- 

 quate or are found harmful. Water surveys be- 

 come necessary in order to secure the best pos- 

 sible supplies. The relatively small number of suit- 

 able waters for boiler use make it necessary to 

 treat the greater number of waters in order to 

 render poor water supplies suitable for boOer use. 

 The extent of water treatment as practised by the 

 A. T. & S. F. By. system. The means employed 



to furnish pure drinking water to the traveling 

 public and the employes of the railroad system. 



Well waters of Chicago: Edward Bartow. An 

 investigation was made of the source, quality and 

 method of obtaining the thirty million gallons of 

 weU water used each day in Chicago and the effect 

 of removing this quantity of water. Water can be 

 obtained from wells in the Chicago area in suffi- 

 cient quantities for many manufacturing purposes. 

 Amounts of water up to 20 gallons per minute can 

 be obtained from wells less than 500 feet deep. 

 For larger amounts, weUs should be sunk to a 

 depth of 1,600 feet. Salt water is reached at 

 about 1,700 feet. Water from less than 500 feet 

 can be used satisfactorily in boilers, but the water 

 from the deeper wells can not be used without 

 softening. For cooling purposes water from 350 

 feet having a temperature of 52° Fahrenheit and 

 from 1,600 to 1,700 feet having a temperature of 

 57° Fahrenheit is available. Hydrogen sulfide is 

 found only in water from the Niagara limestone. 

 Water free from hydrogen sulfide can be obtained 

 by casing off the Niagara limestone, extending 

 the casing through the Maquoketa shale. 



The vertical distribution of dissolved oxygen 

 and the precipitation by salt water in certain tidal 

 areas: J. W. Sale and W. W. Skinner. It was 

 shown that the lower layers of certain tidal waters 

 under investigation contain less dissolved oxygen 

 than the upper layers. Evidence is presented to 

 show that this phenomenon is caused by the 

 stratification of the water due to the specific grav- 

 ity of the under-run of sea water which cuts off 

 vertical circulation, and to the subsequent de- 

 pletion of the oxygen in the lower layers by nat- 

 ural agencies. The depletion of oxygen is found 

 to be greatest in September. The precipitation 

 and sedimentation of matter in tidal areas by sea 

 water is presented in graphic form. Those data 

 are considered to be of particular interest from 

 the viewpoint of fish and shell fish life. 



division op pharmaceutical chemistry 



L. F. Kebler, Chairman 



George D. Beal, Secretary 



The volatile oil of Monarda fistulosa: Emer- 

 son E. Miller. In addition to the compounds 

 previously identified in this oil the presence of 

 d-a-pinene (nitrol benzylamine, m.p. 123°-124°) 

 has been proved and probably butyric and vaierio 

 aldehydes (p-nitrophenyl hydrazones). 



The volatile oil of Nepta cataria: Emerson E. 

 Miller. Two samples of this oil had the density 



