August 8, 190-'.j 



SCIENCE. 



215 



The Deportment of Pure Thorium and Al- 

 lied Elements with Organic Bases: Chas. 

 Baskeeville and F. H. Lemly. 

 Miss Jefferson (Doctorate Dissertation, 

 University of Penn., 1901) used acid- free 

 pure nitrate in her study of the effect of 

 certain organic bases on thorium salts. 

 This work was repeated, verified and new 

 observations made, namely, in certain cases 

 (phenyl-hydrazine for example) two dis- 

 tinct precipitates were obtained which, 

 mixed, corresponded with the results cited. 

 The work -was extended by the use of other 

 bases, including many alkaloids. The ac- 

 cepted pure thoriura nitrate, sulphate, and 

 oxychloride were tested side by side with 

 Baskerville 's repurified tetra-ehloride 

 (Journ. Am. Ch. Soc, 23, 761, 1901), and 

 the volatile chloride (Weisser dampf of 

 Berzelius, Pog. Am., 119-155, 1863). All 

 solutions were of known strength. The 

 sulphate was found to be most readily pre- 

 cipitated by organic bases and good quali- 

 tative reactions verifying former work on 

 the complexity of thorium were obtained. 



Rediscovery of a Process for Rendering 

 Phosphoric Acid Available: Chas. Bas- 

 kerville. 



In endeavoring to secure a mechanical 

 method for concentrating phosphatic peb- 

 ble overlaying the Eocene marl of the coast- 

 al plain region of North Carolina (Castle 

 Haynes Mines) the concentric structure of 

 many of the nodules was redetermined 

 (Penrose, Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey, 46, 71). 

 A number of analyses of carefully selected 

 pebbles were made and in no case, except 

 with the fossil teeth, which occur in the 

 deposit to a greater or less extent, could 

 samples be had which contained less than 

 fifteen or twenty per cent, each of silica 

 and limestone. 



The chemical methods for increasing the 

 content of phosphate were unsuccessful 

 from an economic point of view. Jigged 



material could be had which contained from 

 35 to 44 per cent, of tricalcium phosphate, 

 so methods of fusing with substances like 

 alkaline sulphates, sulphides, nitrates and 

 finally carbonates were tried. The last 

 was thoroughly successful, the nitrates giv- 

 ing the largest percentage of citrate solu- 

 ble phosphoric acid, but the expensive nit- 

 rogen was driven oft". Knoop {Bied. Centr., 

 B. 28, 576) heated phosphates, bones, etc., 

 with alkaline silicates and obtained a 99-. 

 per-cent. yield of 'available phosphoric 

 acid. ' 



G. A. Liebig (U. S. Patent 241,868, 1881) 

 heated the same materials with carbon and 

 Wiborgh (U. S. Patent 601,089, 1898) se- 

 cured the American rights for a process 

 the same as the author's, having preceded 

 him by a few months. The process is of 

 value in those countries where chamber 

 acid is dear (Sweden) and large deposits 

 similar to the North Carolina carbonaceous 

 and silicious phosphates are found as re- 

 cently noted in Japan. (Science, X., 900.) 



A Bath for Hot Precipitations : Chas. Bas- 

 kerville. 



A spiral of block tin passes through a 

 tall copper bath arranged to promote a con- 

 stant flow of hot oil. The clear solution en- 

 ters at the top and drops from the bottom 

 precipitated into a heated filtering appara- 

 tus. The suggestion was made to the au- 

 thor by Dr. H. S. Carbeth, of Cornell Uni- 

 versity. Drawing shown. 



A Platinum Air Bath : Chas. Baskerville. 

 A drawing was shown of this bath, used 

 by the designer in atomic weight work, ac- 

 cording to the' method of G. Kriiss. 



Black Rain in North Carolina: Chas. Bas- 

 kerville and H. R. Weller. 

 ' The famous black rain,' so-called by 

 natives, fell at Louisburg, N. C. 



A sample (through the kindness of Pro- 

 fessor M. S. Davis, of the Louisburg Female 

 College) came into the hands of the au^ 



