234 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 293. 



cells of the mesocarp in particular, during the 

 activity of the protoplasm and not on account 

 of the degeneration of the latter. The malic 

 acid in the berries of Sippophse rhamnoides is 

 identical with the acid in Pyrus aucuparia. 

 Greshoflfhas investigated the Pisang wax, the 

 product of an unknown plant of Lower India. 

 The carbohydrates of Tragacanth have been re- 

 investigated by Widstoc and Tollens. Xylose 

 was obtained from the white and arabinose from 

 the brown varieties respectively. Dulcite and 

 not mannite has been found by Hoehnel in 

 Euonymus atropurpureiis. The same carbohy- 

 drate is present in E. Europseus. 



According to the investigations of J. Griiss, 

 the enzyme in Penicillium glauciim acts less 

 powerfully on starch or^ reserve cellulose, but 

 more energetically on cane sugar, than malt 

 diastase. Semnase, the ferment in leguminous 

 seeds possessing a horny albumin, differs from 

 malt diastase in that its action is less active on 

 starch, but more active on the albumin of the 

 locust bean than diastase. An enzyme (hadro- 

 mase) has been found by Marshall Ward in the 

 fungi {Pleurotus pulmonarius and Merulius lach- 

 rymans) which destroys the lignified cells Of 

 timbers. 



Heney Keaemee. 



Philadelphia College of Phaemaoy. 



TffE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS BEFORE TEE 

 SOCIETY OF CBE3IICAL INDUSTRY. 



The annual general meeting of the Society 

 of Chemical Industry took place on July 18th 

 in the lecture theater of the Royal Institution, 

 London. After the transaction of some formal 

 business, including the presentation of the 

 council's report, which showed that the society 

 has now 3459 members, the president, Pro- 

 fesssor C. F. Chandler, of Columbia University, 

 delivered his address. According to the ab- 

 stract in the London Times he said that on 

 looking over the addresses of past presidents he 

 found that almost every chemical topic — theo- 

 retical, practical and historical — had already 

 been dealt with, and his only hope of being 

 able to say anything that was not already 

 thoroughly familiar rested in the presentation 

 of matters purely American. Treating, first, of 

 chemical and technical education in the United 



States, he described its beginnings and develop- 

 ment, paying special attention to the Columbia 

 School of Mines, afterwards merged in the 

 Columbia University. He ascribed the prompt 

 success of this school to the fact that a fixed 

 and definite progressive course of study was 

 offered for each profession, from which no de- 

 viation was allowed. The faculty decided what 

 subjects were necessary for a student to pursue 

 in order to qualify him for his profession, and 

 did not permit him to select the studies which he 

 happened to find most interesting. While Co- 

 lumbia was developing her system of professional 

 education in the applied sciences many other 

 institutions were doing the same. The most 

 striking feature of the American system of 

 higher and technical education was to be found 

 in the fact that most of the institutions had 

 been founded and maintained by liberal gifts 

 of money from wealthy citizens, in many cases 

 made during the donor's lifetime, and that only 

 a small number had been endowed or supported 

 by the public funds. Thus in 1899 over 33 

 million dollars were given in this way, the 

 largest sum being the 15 million dollars given 

 by Mrs. Leland Stanford, together with large 

 tracts of land, to which as yet no precise value 

 could be attached, to complete the endowment 

 of the Leland Stanford Junior University. There 

 were in all 174 donors, averaging $190,000 

 each. 



Schools of chemistry were now so numerous in 

 the United States that it was almost impossible 

 to state their exact number, but he was safe in 

 saying it was more than 100. In all there 

 were 480 universities and colleges, and 43 tech- 

 nical schools not included in this list. In 1899 

 it was stated that there were 9784 students pur 

 suing professional courses in the schools of 

 engineering, while 1487 graduated that year, 

 receiving the degree of civil, mechanical, elec- 

 trical or mining engineer. No one could esti- 

 mate the value to the industi'ial development of 

 the United States of such an army of thoroughly 

 trained engineers and chemists. Professor 

 Chandler next referred to what had been done 

 by the chemical societies in benefiting and con- 

 solidating the profession in America, and went 

 on to speak about the original investigation 

 carried on by American chemists. He said he 



