82 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXII. No. 551. 



choose materials and arrange conditions, if 

 possible, so that no hydronitric acid shall 

 be formed. 



The error introduced by the formation 

 of a given amount of hydronitric acid will 

 obviously be greater if the analysis consist 

 in the measurement of the nitrogen gas 

 evolved than if it consist in the determina- 

 tion of the unused excess of the oxidizing 

 agent. 



Tlie Chemical Separation of the Eadio- 

 active Types of Matter in Thorium Com- 

 pounds: Herman Schlundt and Rich- 

 ard B. Moore. - 



REPORTS FROM INSTITUTIONS. 



This valuable feature was continued, 

 thirteen institutions responding. It should 

 be borne in mind that the following ex- 

 tremely condensed summaries of the re- 

 ports of work in progress during the past 

 year are, in most cases, far from exhaust- 

 ive. 



University of Pennsylvania. — Electro- 

 deposition of lead and mercury from salts 

 and metals, with the use of a rotating 

 anode; also, deposition of cadmium from 

 an ammonia solution, gold from cyanide 

 solution, etc. Methods for complete anal- 

 ysis of alkali halides, etc., with the use of 

 a mercury cathode and silver anode. In- 

 vestigation of the compounds of colum- 

 bium and tantalum. 



Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

 — Electrical conductivity of aqueous solu- 

 tions at high temperatures. Conductivity 

 of fused salts. Ionization of the successive 

 hydrogens of polybasic aqids, as phos- 

 phoric, sulphuric and hydrogen sulphide. 

 System of qualitative analysis including the 

 rare elements (now completed in outline 

 with the exception of the rare earth group ) . 

 Separation of electropositive groups and 

 study of the properties of the metal-am- 

 moniums. 



University of Wisconsin. — (In addition 

 to work elsewhere reported on at this meet- 

 ing.) Dielectric constants of oleic acid, 

 oleates, etc. Difference of electrical poten- 

 tial between electrodes of the peroxides of 

 lead and manganese and various solutions. 

 Study of alloys of tin with zinc and with 

 cadmium. Improved static method for 

 measuring vapor tensions of solutions. 

 Equilibrium in the system silver nitrate- 

 pyridine. Numerous experiments on 

 osmosis, the details of which will soon be 

 published. 



Johns Hopkins University. — Composi- 

 tion of hydrates formed in aqueous solu- 

 tions by various electrolytes. Temperature 

 coefficients of conductivity of various 

 electrolytes. Condition of electrolytes in 

 mixed solvents. Electrical method for 

 the combustion of organic compounds. 

 Osmotic pressure of cane sugar solutions. 

 Electrolytic production of pure caustic 

 alkalies. Rate of oxidation of various 

 aromatic compounds by potassium per- 

 manganate. Chlorides of orthosulpho- 

 benzoic acid. Camphoroxalic acid deriva- 

 tives. Pinacone-pinacoline rearrangement. 



Harvard University.— Study of tetra- 

 brom and of tetrachlor-orthoquinone. Bro- 

 mine addition products of dimethylaniline. 

 Atomic weights of sodium, cadmium, iodine 

 and other elements. Compressibilities of 

 elements and simple compounds. Electro- 

 motive effects; electrostenolysis. Action 

 of potassium iodide on bromanil and 

 chloranil. Action of phenyl hydrazine on 

 various quinones. Action of ethylene di- 

 bromide on p-nitrosodialkylanilines. Oxi- 

 dation of organic compounds by air in pres- 

 ence of catalyzers. Determination of phos- 

 phoric acid. Preparation of pure nitrogen 

 on a large scale. 



Lafayette College. — Salts of m- and o- 

 nitroparasulphobenzoic acids. Salts of 

 w-sulphonitrobenzoic acid. Constitution 



