January 24, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



127 



system of weights and measures in all the 

 departments except the Land Office. As is 

 well known, its use is now optional, but 

 outside of the scientific departments it is 

 little used. In the Post Office and Treas- 

 ury Departments its use is particularly de- 

 sirable. 



The remainder of the forenoon and the 

 next morning were devoted to the reading 

 of papers. The time for this was unfortu- 

 nately so limited that hardly more than 

 half of those on the program could find a 

 place, and many of these were given only in 

 abstract. The most interesting paper was 

 of the nature of a lecture by Dr. Charles F. 

 Chandler, of New York, on the ' Electro- 

 chemical Industries at Niagara Falls.' 

 This was illustrated by a copious supply of 

 specimens of the products of these indus- 

 tries, a very considerable portion of which 

 was afterward presented to the museum of 

 the chemical department of the University 

 of Pennsylvania. Another paper which at- 

 tracted much attention was by Professor 

 Louis Kahlenberg, of the University of 

 "Wisconsin, on ' Instantaneous Chemical Re- 

 actions, and the Theory of Electrolytic 

 Dissociation,' with experiments. The ex- 

 periments illustrated facts brought to light 

 by Dr. Kahlenberg which seem to contro- 

 vert the ordinarily accepted theory of elec- 

 trolytic dissociation, and no little interest 

 was aroused by them. A list of the papers 

 read is appended to this report. 



At the close of each morning session a 

 boiuitiful lunch was provided by the uni- 

 versity authorities, after which the time till 

 dark was occupied by excursions to various 

 places of interest to chemists. There is no 

 city in the coimtry where there are so many 

 industries in which chemistry plays an im- 

 portant part, and the time was weU used 

 by the visiting chemists. Indeed there was 

 such a superfluity of trips that the mem- 

 bers had to be grouped in six or seven sec- 

 tions each afternoon. The following list 



of places visited gives an idea of the wealth 

 of opportunities for the study of industrial 

 chemistry : 



Baldwin Locomotive Works. 



United States Mint. 



City Filtration Experiment Station. 



Bergner & Engel's Brewery. 



Midvale Steel Company's Works. 



Barrett Manufacturing Co., Working up of 

 Coal-tar Oils. 



United States Arsenal, Special Laboratory 

 Equipment and Testing House. 



John B. Stetson Company, Manufacturers of 

 Hats. 



Dungan & Hood, Glazed Ead and Morocco 

 Works. 



C. H. Masland & Sons, Carpet Mills. 



Cramp's Shipyard. 



Harrison Bros. & Company, Inc., Manufacturers 

 of Chemicals and Paints, Electrolytic Method for 

 the Production of Sodium. 



Philadelphia Navy Yard. 



United Gas Improvement Co., Works, Point 

 Breeze. 



Gillinder & Sons, Glass Works. 



Quaker City Dye Works. 



Wetherill & Bro., White Lead. 



J. Eavenson & Son, Soap Works. 



Girard College. 



On Monday evening the address of the 

 retiring president. Dr. F. W. Clarke, of 

 Washington, was delivered at the rooms of 

 the Acorn Club. His subject was ' The De- 

 velopment of Chemistry.' A rapid and 

 graphic review of the past of chemistry 

 gave indications of the lines along which 

 chemistry may be expected to progress in 

 the immediate future. The speaker dwelt 

 particularly upon the desirability of co- 

 operation in chemical research, rather than 

 the present plan where every chemist 

 works in his own field independent of the 

 work of all others. Especially in inorganic 

 chemistry are there many problems, too 

 large for solution by single workers, which 

 might be successfully attacked by the co- 

 operative efi'orts of a number of chemists. 

 Dr. Clarke also caUed attention to the mu- 

 tual benefits accruing between technical 



