March 12, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



405 



to arrange its program so as to center round some 

 definite topic or group of topics, the choice and 

 treatment of which should preferably be such that 

 they prove interesting and useful, even to any one 

 not especially conversant with chemistry; and that 

 Section C favors the relegation to the Chemical 

 Society of unrelated papers of interest only to 

 chemists, though this would in no wise preclude the 

 holding of joint meetings with a local section of 

 the Chemical Society or with any other society. 



The following papers were read: 

 The Densities and Degrees of Dissociation of the 

 Saturated Vapors of the Ammonium Halides:''- 

 Alexander Smith and Egbert H. Lombard. 

 The Entropy of Vaporization of Normal Liquids: 



J. H. HiLDERBRAND. 



A discussion of the value of the quotient Q/T 

 {Q is the latent heat, T the temperature, of vapori- 

 zation) and of its variations. 

 Chemical Preservation of Manure : P. A. Maignen. 



A plea for the better conservation of the valu- 

 able material at present going largely to waste as 



Microorganisms in their Application to Agricul- 

 ture: C. E. Marshall. John Johnston, 



Secretary of Section C 



A Bapid Lime Bequirement Method for Soils with- 

 out the Use of a Factor: Thos. F. Manns. 

 A description of the method, Ulustrated by ex- 

 amples of the results attained. 

 On the Universal Application of the Molecular 

 Theory. A Question: H. E. Morrow. 

 Suggests the possibility of dispensing with the 

 conception of molecules in the case of complex col- 

 loids, such as proteins; that a conception of con- 

 tinuous atomic linkings serves to account for some 

 of the properties which such complex substances ex- 

 hibit. 



On the forenoon of January 1, in the laboratory 

 of hygiene of the University of Pennsylvania, Sec- 

 tion C held a joint session with Section K and 

 with the Society of American Bacteriologists, de- 

 voted to a symposium on "The Lower Organisms 

 in Relation to Man's Welfare." The attendance 

 was about 200. The list of speakers and titles fol- 

 lows; the papers will be published in full later. 

 Theories of Fermentation: C. L. Alsberg. 



The general mechanism of the action of fer- 

 ments. 

 Enzyme Action: C. S. Hudson. 



A discussion of the chemical changes involved 

 in the action of enzymes. 



Bole of Microorganisms in the Intestinal Canal : A. 

 I. Kendall. 

 1 See J. Am. Chem. Soc, 37 : 38, 1915. 



THE FEDEBATION OF AMEBICAN SO- 

 CIETIES FOB EXPEBIMENTAL 

 BIOLOGY 



The second annual meeting of the Federation, 

 comprising the American Physiological Society, 

 the American Society of Biological Chemists, the 

 American Society for Pharmacology and Experi- 

 mental Therapeutics, and the American Society for 

 Experimental Pathology, was held at St. Louis on 

 December 28, 29 and 30, 1914, in the laboratories 

 of the Washington University Medical School. 



Three joint sessions of all of the above societies 

 were held at which twenty-eight communications 

 were presented. The titles of these papers have 

 already appeared in the account of the meetings 

 of the Physiological Soeiety.i 



At the first session the following memorial ad- 

 dresses were delivered: 



' ' S. Weir Mitchell, " by E. T. Reichert, read by 

 W. B. Cannon. 



"C. S. Minot," by F. S. Lee. 



The following resolution was presented and 

 unanimously adopted: 



Whereas, various of the European nations with 

 which many of our members are related by birth, 

 descent or intellectual friendship are now at war, 



Besolved, that we extend to the scientific men 

 within these nations the hope of an early and en- 

 during peace, which will leave the nations with no 

 permanent cause of rancor towards each other, and 

 which will insure to each the glories of scientific 

 and humanitarian achievement in accordance with 

 its own conception of these ideals. 



Printed copies of this resolution, suitable for 

 mailing, have been prepared and may be obtained 

 from Professor Graham Lusk, Cornell Medical Col- 

 lege, New York City. It is hoped that members of 

 the Federation will send such copies with their 

 compliments to their scientific friends in the coun- 

 tries now at war. 



Executive Committee for the Year 1915. — Chair- 

 man, Torald SoUmann; Secretary, John Auer, for 

 the Pharmacological Society; W. B. Cannon, C. W. 

 Greene, the Physiological Society; Walter Jones, 

 P. A. Shaffer, the Biochemical Society; Theobald 

 Smith, Peyton Rous, the Pathological Society. 

 P. A. Shaffer, 

 Secretary of the Executive Committee, 1915 



Washington University Medical School, 

 February 9, 1915 



1 Science, January 22, 1915, p. 142. 



