584 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. No. 



to stand for one or more hours, shaking from 

 time to time. The solid particles are then 

 allowed to settle and a portion of the super- 

 natant liquid poured into a salt cellar. A 

 wedge-shaped strip of filter paper is suspended 

 so that the tip dips a short distance beneath 

 the surface of the liquid. The liquid is drawn 

 Tip into the paper, and as evaporation takes 

 place the tui-meric is concentrated in the filter 

 paper for subsequent testing. After standing 

 for a few hours the paper is tested by the 

 boric-hydrochloric acid reagent upon a porce- 

 lain or glass plate. A pink or bright red 

 color which turns blue when treated with am- 

 monia indicates the presence of turmeric. 

 Some anilin dyes used for coloring mustard 

 give a similar red tint but are not turned blue 

 with ammonia. If a few drops of the boric- 

 hydrochloric acid are added to the test liquor 

 in the salt cellar before absorbing into the 

 filter paper, the pink color shows up as the 

 di-ying proceeds and thus sometimes lessens 

 the time required in making the test. 



The third paper on the progi-am was pre- 

 sented by Mr. E. McKay Chace, and was en- 

 titled ' The Use of Basic Aluminium Acetate 

 as a Preservative in Sausage.' Two samples 

 of imported sausag-e were found to be pre- 

 served with aluminium salt to the extent 

 of 200 milligrams to the pound can. The 

 manufacturer of one of the samples admitted 

 having used basic aluminium acetate in the 

 proportion of one half of one per cent. 



As aluminium does not occur in the animal 

 organism a qualitative test is sufficient to 

 detect its addition. The following test was 

 used: Ash the sample, boil with strong HCl, 

 add NaOH in excess, filter, make the filtrate 

 acid and precipitate the aluminium with am- 

 monia. The aluminium hydroxide and phos- 

 phate may be filtered off and tested on char- 

 coal with cobalt nitrate. 



For a quantitative determination the meth- 

 od of Wachenroder and Fresenius was used. 

 (Fresenius, ' Quantitative Analysis,' 1904, 

 Vol. 1, p. 459.) 



It was found that aluminium formed a 

 stable compound with the constituents of the 

 sausage, which was insoluble in water, or HCl 

 iV/10 streng-th, but which was broken up on 



digestion with jjepsin in .33 per cent. HCl, 

 showing- that the aluminium would be set free 

 to retard the digestion in the stomach and in- 

 testines. A. Seidell, 



Secretary. 



THE ONONDAGA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



At the January meeting of the Onondaga 

 Academy of Science held in Syracuse, N. T., 

 the following ofiicers were elected: 



President — E. H. Kraus. 

 y ice-President — P. F. Schneider. 

 Recording Secretary — Albert M. Reese. 

 Corresponding Secretary — J. E. Kirkwood. 

 Treasurer — ^Miss L. W. Roberts. 

 Librarian — Mrs. L. L. Goodrich. 

 Councilors to serve until 1907 — Mr. J. D. Wil- 

 son and Mrs. M. B. Ackerman. 



The annual reports of the different sections 

 follow : 



Zoology. — Professor C. W. Hargitt. The 

 section of zoology suffered an irreparable loss 

 in the death of its chairman, Mr. H. W. 

 Britcher, which occurred early in the year. 



As a field naturalist he had few equals either 

 among his associates in the academy or 

 throughout the state. This will be measurably 

 attested in the admirable cheek-list of the 

 spiders of the county, which appears in the 

 recent volume of the Proceedings and consti- 

 tutes his final contribution to science, passing 

 into type almost coincidently with the passing 

 of his life. Other observations of like char- 

 acter are recorded in earlier contributions; 

 notes on amphibia, reptilia and mammalia of 

 the county appearing in thef same volume. 

 Would that his mantle might fall upon some 

 worthy successor! 



Botany. — L. Leonora Goodrich. The bo- 

 tanical class organized by certain members of 

 the section has pursued a study of trees in 

 winter which has proved very interesting. Of 

 special interest, however, is the discovery of 

 three plants new to this (Onondaga) county, 

 one of which is new to the state. Gaura 

 biennis was found among the limestone rocks 

 near Belle Isle, and Lythrum Salicaria be- 

 tween Syracuse and Baldwinsville, about six 

 miles from the city. In October Phacelia 

 diibia was found growing on top of limestone 

 rocks about eight miles south of Syi-acuse. 



