362 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1001 



sion of calcium and magnesium carbonates 

 into silicates in soils lias been due entirely to 

 replacement of sodium and potassium and 

 other bases in polysilicates. The writer and 

 associates will shortly present in bulletin 

 form conclusive evidence that magnesium car- 

 bonate reacts with and is fixed by silica 

 (SiOj), and that calcium to a less degTee acts 

 in the same manner. 



Titanium oxide, which chemically is closely 

 allied to silica and which is usually present 

 in soils, was found to bring about the same 

 decomposition as silica. The evidence secured 

 points strongly to the nonexistence of mag- 

 nesium in the form of carbonate in soils of 

 humid climates. 



It is believed that this research will throw 

 considerable light upon the use of dolomite 

 in farm practise. 



W. H. McIntire 



Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 University op Tennessee, Knoxville, 

 Febraaiy 16, 1914 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOE THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



SECTION C—CHEMISTBT 



On the forenoon of "Wednesday, December 31, 

 joint sessions of Sections B and C were held in the 

 Georgia School of Technology, with Vice-president 

 Cole, of Section B, in the chair. The purpose of 

 the meeting was a discussion of geochemical and 

 geophysical topics; it is referred to further in the 

 report of Section B. 



The main sessions of Section C were held at the 

 Winecoff Hotel on Thursday, January 1, with Dr. 

 C. L. Alsberg, vice-president of the section, in the 

 chair. This was a joint meeting with the Georgia 

 Section of the American Chemical Society, the sec- 

 retary of which had assisted in arranging the 

 program. There was an attendance of between 

 fifty and sixty, and considerable interest was 

 evinced in all of the papers presented. In the 

 evening a smoker — which indeed partook rather 

 of the nature of a dinner — was tendered to the 

 visiting chemists by the Georgia Section of the 

 American Chemical Society; a number of topical 

 verses and songs were sung and the whole affair 

 was most enjoyable. The secretary desires to re- 

 cord here on behalf of the visiting chemists their 

 appreciation of the hospitality of the Georgia 



Section and to express thanks to it and to its 

 secretary, Mr. J. S. Brogdon, for contributing so 

 much towards the success of the meeting. 



A brief account of the proceedings is appended. 



The following resolution, presented by Professor 

 Charles E. Munroe, was carried unanimously: 



Whereas the Committee of this Section on 

 Nomenclature and Notation presented at the 

 Indianapolis meeting a report through its chair- 

 man. Dr. J. Lewis Howe, affirming the validity of 

 the name and symbol columbium, Cb; and. 



Whereas this report was accepted and adopted 

 by this section ; and. 



Whereas the Committee on Inorganic Nomen- 

 clature of the International Association of Chem- 

 ical Societies has reported on September 22, 1913, 

 favoring the name and symbol niobium, Nb, for 

 the element which was named columbium by its 

 discoverer; and. 



Whereas a later detailed investigation of the 

 historical record by Dr. F. W. Clarke, a copy of 

 the results of which is filed herewith,i finds no valid 

 reason for the use of the name niobium; 



Therefore be it resolved that we reaffirm our 

 endorsement of the report of the committee of this 

 section and view with regret this action of the 

 committee of the International Association nf 

 Chemical Societies in advocating the use of the 

 later name, thus introducing confusion where 

 simplicity is sought. 



Following this a vote of thanks, proposed by 

 Professor Brackett and carried unanimously was 

 accorded to the authorities of the University of 

 Virginia, and in particular to Professor F. P. 

 Dunnington, for their courtesy in allowing samp- 

 les from their collection of the explosive materials 

 used by the Confederacy during the War to be 

 forwarded to Atlanta for use as illustrative ma- 

 terial for Professor Munroe 's lecture. 

 The Cause of Osmotic Pressure: W. V. Metcalp. 



After summarizing the different theories which 

 have been advanced, the author presented a state- 

 ment and defense of Le Blanc 's theory, which, 

 though the best explanation yet offered, has up to 

 this time not attracted as much general attention 

 as it deserves. On this theory osmosis is consid- 

 ered to result from the different internal pres- 

 sures of solution and solvent, the internal pressure 

 being the resultant of the normal components of 

 the unbalanced molecular attractions at the free 

 surface of the liquid. 

 Some Possibilities of Georgia Clays: Charles L. 



Parsons'. 



In the state of Georgia all kinds of clays are 

 to be found, so that there is no reason why all 

 sorts of clay products should not be manufactured 



1 This has already appeared in Science, 39, 139- 

 140 (1914). 



