DECEMBER 29, 1899. ] 
Dr. F. W. Clarke and was entitled, ‘The Ac- 
tion of Ammonium Chlorid upon certain Sili- 
cates,’ by F. W. Clarke and George Steiger. 
The authors described a series of experiments 
in which various silicates were heated in a sealed 
tube to 350° C. with dry ammonium chlorid. 
After leaching out the contents of the tube with 
water it was found that alkalies were removed 
as chlorids and replaced by ammonia, analcite 
and leucite are thus transformed into an am- 
monium leucite: 
NH,ALSi,0, 
which is perfectly stable at 300° and only 
begins to decompose when heated in the open 
air to 350°. 
Some eight other silicates were given prelim- 
inary study and the reaction was found to be 
fairly general. The product from natrolite con- 
tained 8.3 per cent. of ammonia and other 
zeolites took up from four to six per cent. The 
investigation is to be continued. 
The fourth paper was read by Dr. F. K. 
Cameron and was entitled, ‘ Hydrochloric Acid 
and Aqueous Phenol,’ by F. K. Cameron and 
J. A. Emory. 
The authors determined the freezing-point 
curve for hydrochloric acid solutions, saturated 
_ with respect to phenol. Each independently 
determined the concentrations of the various 
solutions and their freezing-points for inter- 
comparison. The curve was found to be a 
straight line, parallel to the curve for water 
and hydrochloric acid alone, from which it 
would seem that the solubility of phenol is 
practically constant through the range of tem- 
perature involved, and the lowering of the 
freezing-point of the solvent is a purely additive 
effect of the two solutes. 
The fifth paper was read by Dr. F. K. Cameron 
and was entitled, ‘The System Water, Hydro- 
chloric Acid and Phenol,’ by F. K. Cameron 
and W. H. Krug. 
On lowering the temperature of the system, 
solid phenol separates. But if the initial mass 
of water be relatively large its concentration 
with respect to hydrochloric acid is practically 
unaffected, while the solid phenol is separating 
and consequently the temperature of the phenol 
remains very constant. The freezing-point 
SCIENCE. 
971 
curve for phenol in contact with aqueous solu- 
tions of hydrochloric acid of various concentra- 
tions was determined. Its practical value for 
a rapid determination of the approximate 
strength of hydrochloric acid solutions was 
indicated. WILLIAM H. Kruve, 
Secretary. 
NEW YORK SECTION OF THE AMERICAN 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 
THE regular meeting of the New York Sec- 
tion of the American Chemical Society was held 
on Friday evening, the 5th inst., at the Chem- 
ists’ Club, and was well attended, over sixty 
members and their friends being present. Dr. 
C. F. McKenna occupied the chair, calling the 
meeting to order at 8:30 p. m. 
After electing four delegates to represent the 
Section in the Council, the following papers 
were read : 
(1) ‘The Importance and Trend of Recent 
Work on the Chemistry of Life and the Pro- 
ducts of Life,’ by Jerome Alexander. 
(2) ‘A Preliminary Study of the Cobalti- 
Cyanides,’ by E. H. Miller and J. A. Mathews. 
(3) ‘The Chemistry of Corn Oil. First 
Paper: Determination of the Constants,’ by 
Herman T. Vulté and Harriet W. Gibson. 
(4) ‘A Practical Electric Furnace,’ by A. J. 
Rossi. 
Mr. Rossi exhibited a practical and easily 
constructed electric furnace with which he has 
prepared some very rich Titanium alloys, a 
specimen of which was exhibited with an invi- 
tation to break off pieces as samples. Although 
a sledge hammer was supplied no samples were 
taken. Arrangements are progressing toward 
the preparation of these alloys on a large scale 
for the steel trade. DURAND WoopMAN, 
Secretary. 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB. 
AT the meeting on November 29th, the scien- 
tific program consisted of a paper by Dr. C. C. 
Curtis, on Seaweeds, with lantern views illus- 
trating the chief families and with a condensed 
summary of the modes of reproduction and 
other characteristics of each. Dr. Curtis also 
gave brief directions respecting methods of col- 
lecting and preserving the marine alge, urging 
the collector to make microscopic study of all 
