December 6, 1007] 



SCIENCE 



793 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY NEW YORK 



SECTION 



The second regular meeting of the session 

 of 1906-7 was held at the Chemists' Club, 

 108 West 55th Street, on November 8. 



The following resolutions respecting the 

 proper intei-pretation of the measures enacted 

 in the federal pure food and drug law were 

 adopted : 



Whereas: The Food and Drugs Act of June 30, 

 1906, is generally approved, and in the opinion of 

 the New York Section of the American Chemical 

 Society it is one of the most important measures 

 which has been taken for the protection of the 

 public; and 



Whereas, on the other hand, we can not but 

 feel that tlie rules and regulations published from 

 time to time by the Department of Agriculture, 

 for carrying out the provisions of this act are not 

 in full accord with the knowledge and experience 

 of some of the members of this section, who are 

 experts in these matters, and inasmuch as there 

 is a conscientious difference of opinion concerning 

 the same, therefore be it 



Resolved, That we respectfully request the hon- 

 orable Secretaries of Agriculture, the Treasury 

 and Commerce and Labor, who are given the au- 

 thority to administer this law, to suspend the 

 publication of these decisions temporarily, and 

 before taking further steps in this direction to 

 consult with a carefully-selected committee of 

 experienced chemical manufacturers and scientists, 

 recognized as authorities in these fields. 



The following papers were read: 



The Atomic Weight of Chlorine: W. A. ISToYES 

 and H. C. P. Weber. 



The Effect of Coal Gas on the Corrosion of 



Wrought-iron Pipe buried in the Earth: 



W. L. Dudley. 



This investigation was undertaken in con- 

 nection with a study of the conditions causing 

 the corrosion of pipe laid under the streets of 

 Nashville. 



Five samples of earth were collected as rep- 

 resentative of the various types of earth in 

 which the pipes are laid. The samples were 

 analyzed for chlorin, nitrogen as nitrates, 

 nitrites and ammonia, alkalinity and humus. 

 Each sample was put in a separate wooden 



box. Five pieces of wrought-iron pipe were 

 cleaned by immersing in a warm ammoniacal 

 solution of ammonium citrate, washed in 

 water, dried and weighed. Each piece was 

 tightly plugged at one end and thrust into a 

 box of earth. The pipes were left in contact 

 with the earth for twelve months, during 

 which time water was occasionally added in 

 equal amoimt to ea^h box. At the end of this 

 time the pipes were removed, cleaned as before 

 and weighed. A similar set of boxes and 

 pipes were left for twelve months, during 

 which time one half cubic foot of coal gas 

 was admitted to each box daily. Each box of 

 this set was moistened daily with 50 c.c. of 

 water, the boxes being covered with canvas to 

 prevent evaporation. 



The loss of weight of the set of pipes in 

 contact with coal gas was found to be about 

 one half as great as in the case of the pipes 

 immersed in the earth alone. In both cases 

 the loss was greater in the earth containing 

 the greater chlorine content. 



Chemical Examination of Micromeria Cham- 



issonis {Yerha Buena) : F. B. Powers and 



A. H. Salway. 



When the entire air-dried plant was dis- 

 tilled with steam, 0.16 per cent, essential oil 

 and a little palmitic acid passed over. The 

 oil had a mint-like odor, sp.g. 0.9244 at 20°, 

 [a]^= — 22°48'. 



The concentrated alcoholic extract of the 

 plant, a thick, green oil, was distilled with 

 steam. The distillate contained traces of 

 formic, acetic and butyric acids and an essen- 

 tial oil: B.P.^ 80-160°, sp.g. =0.9450 at 20°, 

 [a]^ = — 26°44'. The residue in the still 

 separated into a red aqueous liquid and a soft 

 resin. From the -aqueous liquid were obtained 

 a new alcohol, xanthomicrol, Cj^Hj^O,, yellow 

 needles, m. 225°, with phenolic properties, and 

 i-glucose. A petrol-ether extract of the resin 

 gave a paraiEne CjiH,,,, a phytosterol C„,H„0 

 and behenic, arachidic and palmitic acids. 

 From the ether extract of the resin two new 

 alcohols, micromerol CjsH^jOj and micromeri- 

 tol CjoHjjOe, were isolated. Micromerol, 

 m. 27Y°, very stable, occurs to the extent of 

 0.25 per cent, of the plant. It forms a 



