March 3, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



349 



"A Lower Limit for the Critical Temperature 

 of Mercury," Allan W. C. Menzies. 



" The Diifusion of Oxygen through Solids," G. 

 B. Frankforter and R. S. Callaway. 



'■ On the Mechanism of the Reactions of Alkyl 

 Halides with Sodium Ethylate and with Sodium 

 Phenolate," S. F. Acree, H. C. Robertson and E. 

 K. Marshall. 



" The Elfect of certain Neutral Salts on the 

 Hydrolysis of Ethyl Acetate at 100°," W. E. 

 Henderson and D. R. Kellogg. 



" The Violet Coloration of Ferric Alums and 

 Nitrate," W, E. Henderson. 



" Electrical Equipment for Electroanalysis and 

 Electric Furnace Work," F. C. Frary. 



" The Fluorescence of Anthracene," Wilder D. 

 isaneroft. 



" Chemical Properties of certain Radioactive 

 Substances," B. B. Boltwood. 



" Equilibrium in Carbonate Solutions," Herbert 

 N. McCoy. 



" Radioactivity of Thorium Products," Herbert 

 N. McCoy. 



" Is the Action of the Enzyme Invertase Re- 

 versible?" C. S. Hudson and H. S. Paine. 



DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS AND CHEMICAL 

 EN6INEEES 



A. D. Little, cliairmwn, 



F. E. Gallagher, secretary 



Platinum LaJioratory Utensils : Pebot H. Walkeb, 



F. W. Smither. 



The article calls attention to the fact that a 

 great deal of platinum ware, such as crucibles, 

 dishes, etc., offered for sale at the present time 

 is of inferior quality, some of it being absolutely 

 unfit for use in a laboratory. 



Methods of testing platinum laboratory appa- 

 ratus are described, and suggestions for a standard 

 specification for such ware are given. 

 Soluhility of Oxygen in Sea Water: George U. 



Whipple and Melville C. Whipple. 



Soluhility of Oxygen at Different Temperatures in 

 Water containing Different Amounts of Chlorine 

 From original experiments made with the 

 Winkler method and experiments by Fox, using 

 a method of direct absorption, a table has been 

 prepared showing the solubility of oxygen at dif- 

 ferent temperatures in sea water and brackish 

 waters containing different amounts of chlorine. 

 The results in condensed form are given above. 



The Worh of the Chemical Laboratories of the 



Bureau of Mines: J. K. Clement. 



The chemical work is divided among a number 

 of separate laboratories, each carrying on its own 

 lines of work under the direction of its own chief; 

 the whole forming a group of more or less inde- 

 pendent units. In general, the problems of the 

 chemists are closely connected with those of the 

 mining and mechanical engineers. 



The Fuel-testing Laboratory is occupied mainly 

 with the analysis and calorimetric testing of 

 fuels, including coal, coke, lignite and peat. In 

 addition to analyzing samples of all fuels used 

 in the boiler and gas-producer tests of the bureau, 

 ultimate analyses and calorific value determina- 

 tions are made on mine samples of coal collected 

 by the U. S. Geological Survey, as well as by 

 certain state geological surveys. 



Fusibility and Clinkering of Coal Ash. — In the 

 use of coal under steam boilers, the property next 

 in importance to its calorific value is perhaps the 

 fusibility of its ash. Indeed, some coals, which 

 have a high heating value, are worthless for 

 making steam on account of their tendency to 

 clinker and adhere to the grate bars. The rela- 

 tion between the fusibility and clinkering proper- 

 ties of coal ash and its chemical and mineralog- 

 ical composition is now being investigated. 



Chemistry of Petroleum Technology. — The bu- 

 reau is making a study of the commercial bodies 

 contained in the crude petroleums of the United 

 States; of the methods for their separation and 

 purification and of their economic uses. The Cali- 

 fornia fields have been selected for first study. 



Combustion Investigations. — The processes of 

 combustion in the boiler furnaces are being in- 

 vestigated in a furnace specially designed for the 

 purpose. 



The process of producer-gas formation is being 

 studied from a physical-chemical standpoint, and 

 an attempt will be made to apply, on a commer- 

 cial scale, the results of laboratory experiments 

 on the rate of formation of carbon monoxide 

 and water gas. 



