144 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL VI. No. 1180 



The new zinc fields of Kansas and Oklahoma : "W. 

 P. Haynes. a visit to the new zlqc fields south of 

 Baxter Springs, Kansas, and to Picher and Ad- 

 miralty, Oklahoma, shows the great strides in pro- 

 duction which this district is making. Small driU- 

 ing rigs dotting the prairie mark the advance 

 guard, prospecting to determine the value and ex- 

 tent of the ore bodies. Concentrating mills follow 

 closely and give the appearance of a large city. 

 The ore minerals in this new district are chiefly 

 sphalerite with some galena and variable amounts 

 of pyrite and mareosite. This ore is much richer 

 than in the older Galena-Joplin district and fre- 

 quently contains over 20 per cent, of sphalerite. 

 The origin of the ores of this district is still some- 

 what in doubt, but the most recent researches by 

 Siebenthal have led him to conclude that they have 

 been produced from the disseminated sulphide min- 

 erals scattered thi-ough the Cambro-Ordovician 

 limestones, by artesian waters transporting them 

 in solution and ascending and depositing them in 

 the open spaces of the cherty members (Grand 

 Falls chert) of the Boone formation (Burlington 

 or Mississipian limestone) , which is the productive 

 horizon in this region. 



Recent investigations on the smelter smoTce prob- 

 lem: A. E. Wells. At most smelters where large 

 quantities of sulphide ores are being handled, seri- 

 ous efforts are being made to utilize through the 

 manufacture of sulphuric acid, liquid dioxide or 

 elemental sulphur, the sulphur dioxide which re- 

 sults from the roasting and smelting of these ores. 

 However, at plants situated at a considerable dis- 

 tance from markets for these products, only a 

 comparatively small amount of the sulphur can be 

 so utilized. It is recognized that although the 

 amount of the smelter waste sulphur gases that 

 will be utilized in commercial products will be in- 

 creased steadily, yet, for many years to come, 

 these smelters will be obliged to waste large vol- 

 umes of sulphur dioxide daily into the atmosphere. 

 Therefore, efforts are being made to determine 

 how, under different climatic and topographic con- 

 ditions, these large volumes of sulphur dioxide can 

 be discharged into the atmosphere without doing 

 injury to vegetation in the surrounding country. 

 In this paper the development of the methods for 

 conducting these investigations were discussed 

 briefly. 



Notes upon the hydro-metallurgical and electro- 

 lytic treatment of zinc ore: E. E. Watts. After 

 briefly discussing the treatment of zinc ore, the 



paper related the writer's experimental work upon 

 the ore of the Sullivan Mine of Kimberly, B. C. 

 This work served to develop a process that involved 

 a sulphurous acid leaching of the ore, and further 

 experimental work developed the Watts Process. 

 By this process, zinc oxide obtained by any suit- 

 able means is treated in specially constructed 

 electrolytic tanks for the recovery of zinc. The 

 work done in the experimental plant of the Electro 

 Zino Company at WeUand, Out., was discussed. 



Chemical examination of indiistrial brines: O. B. 

 Sweeney and James E. Withrow. The value of 

 chemical examination, from the manufacturer's 

 standpoint, was discussed. The errors resulting 

 from improper sampling were shown, and a sugges- 

 tion for a standard method given. The constituents 

 which it was thought should be determined were 

 given; together with the form in which they should 

 be reported. A standard procedure for determin- 

 ing the density was given and the best tempera- 

 ture to use was discussed. Suggestions for deter- 

 mining total solids from the author's experiences 

 were given. Procedures for silica, iron and 

 aluminum were given and shorter methods for cal- 

 cium and magnesium in mineral waters. Barium, 

 strontium, sodium, potassium and sulfuric acid 

 procedures were given, also modifications of the 

 methods for bromine determination. 



Contribution to the industrial chemistry of 

 chicle and chewing gum: Eeederic Dannerth. 

 The author presents methods for the valuation of 

 commercial block chicle by determining moisture, 

 viscosity, resins, proteins and carbohydrates and 

 mineral matter. Twenty problems relating to the 

 chewing gum industry are presented. The total 

 exports of finished chewing gum, amounted in 

 1916 to $574,400, equivalent to approximately 

 718,000 pounds. This represents crude chicle 

 equal to at least 179,000 pounds. The amount of 

 chicle imported, manufactured and consumed in 

 the United States in 1916 was approximately 

 7,031,000 pounds equivalent to 28,124,000 poimds 

 of chewing gum. Researches are at present being 

 carried out on the constituent elements of chicle — 

 alpha chicl-alban; beta chicl-alban; gamma chicl- 

 alban; chicl-fiuavil, and ehicl-gutta. These sub- 

 stances have been investigated by Tschirseh and 

 later by Bosz and Cohen. The latter investigators 

 have not entirely agreed with the results published 

 by Tschirseh. 



Apparatus for determining the specific gravity of 

 natural gas: Chas. K. Francis. The apparatus 

 is to be used according to the method proposed by 



