SEPTEJraEE 20, 1895.] 



SGIENGK 



357 



a paper on the Major Premise in Pliysical 

 Chemistry. The tendency of chemical pro- 

 gress is to place more emphasis on physical 

 methods and the mathematical deductions 

 of therm odj'namics. The aid of lAysicists 

 and mathematicians would be desirable in 

 obtaining rational instead of empirical for- 

 mulas. 



Prof. C. L. Jackson, of Cambridge, gave 

 an interesting account of the order which 

 he follows in instruction in general chem- 

 istry. 



Prof. T. H. Norton spoke of laboratory 

 construction and equipment. 



Prof. J. L. Howe, of Lexington, Va., 

 spoke of the relative order of theory and 

 description in the teaching in general chem- 

 istry. For college students a course of in- 

 struction in which theoretical considerations 

 appear early and are used constantly in the 

 development of the work was advocated. 

 The paper was discussed by P. C. Freer, T. 

 H. Norton and C. H. Herty. 



A paper by H. W. Wiley, of Washington, 

 on quantitative experiments in general 

 chemistry was read. 



A paper by Prof. G. C. Caldwell, of Ith- 

 aca, on instruction in quantitative analysis, 

 was also read. 



TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 3. 



Prof. Norton read a paper by Dr. H. C. 

 Bolton, of New York, on 'Bibliography as a 

 Feature of the Chemical Curriculum.' The 

 author urged that more bibliographic work 

 should be done in our colleges and univer- 

 sities. Prof. W. A. Noyes spoke of the 

 preparation of papers on special topics by 

 students and of journal reviews. The 

 topic was discussed by H. P. Talbot and 

 W. O. Atwater. A paper by P. T. Austen 

 on 'Chemistry as a Liberal Ediication' was 

 omitted, in the absence of the author, for 

 lack of time. Dr. E. E. Smith, of New 

 York, read a paper on 'A Specific Form of 

 Cell Metabolism.' The paper described the 



composition of the cell and relation of 

 chemical composition to the structural ele- 

 ments. Reference was then made to the 

 decomposition products of the nucleins and 

 the relation of these to uric acid brought 

 out. It was then explained why uric acid 

 excretion, when the ratio to the amount of 

 urea is considered, becomes an index to the 

 existence of nutritional disturbances, par- 

 ticularly of a class whose symptoms are 

 largely subjective. A paper by E. A. de 

 Schweinitz upon ' Products of Pathogenic 

 Bacteria ' was read by title, as Dr. de 

 Schweinitz was unable to be present. 



The paper of Prof. W. O. Atwater, upon 

 ' Some Points connected with the Chemistry 

 and Physics of Metabolism,' was not read, 

 but was summarized by him as follows : The 

 physiologist must either become a chemist 

 or turn over the products of his work to a 

 chemist for examination. Experimentation 

 must be based upon income and outgo of 

 matter in the body in terms of energy. 

 This has only been done recently, as the ap- 

 paratus has been wanting. 



A new field for the chemist is thus opened 

 up which is fully as important as any other. 

 The value of the basal calorimeter for the 

 determination of the heating value of foods 

 was spoken of. Discussion was partici- 

 pated in by Prof A. B. Prescott. 



' Record of Progress in Agricultural 

 Chemistry,' by H. W. Wiley, was read by 

 title by Prof. Atwater. 



The author dwelled upon the recent ad- 

 vances in agricultural science and the in- 

 creased facilities which have been provided 

 for its study at the larger colleges and uni- 

 versities. 



One of the chief difficulties encountered 

 by agricultural chemists has been found in 

 the selection of accurate methods for the 

 analysis of the constituents of plants, and 

 certain classes of these constituents are as 

 yet little understood. Great progress is 

 being made, however, in their investigation. 



