810 



SCIENQE. 



[X. S. Vol. XVIII. Xo. 4r>9. 



annealed bronze, and made a careful micro- 

 scopic study of the same alloys. Work is 

 now under way on the density and deter- 

 mination of bronzes cast in vacuo, the cop- 

 per-tin-lead diagram, and the making of 

 the necessary analyses. A study of the 

 physical properties of bronzes will be car- 

 ried on during the winter. 



L. M. Dennis, Cornell University, Ithaca, 



N. Y. For investigation of the rare 



earths. $1,000. 



Professor Dennis has been engaged for 

 the past ten years in the study of the rare 

 earths, and has accumulated a large amount 

 of purified material. He proposed to carry 

 on a study with special reference to im- 

 provements in the methods for determining 

 the atomic masses of these substances, and 

 for separating the elements of the yttrium 

 group. 



Abstract of Report. — The work under 

 this grant was carried on by Dr. Benton 

 Dales in the laboratory of Professor 

 Dennis, of Cornell University. Dr. Dales 

 has submitted a report on the ammonium 

 carbonate and acetic acid method of frac- 

 tionation. The source of the rare earths 

 used in the work was xenotine, essentially 

 a phosphate of the yttrium group of earths 

 from Brazil. The work is unfinished, owing 

 to Dr. Dales having resigned his position 

 at Cornell Univei-sity before completing it. 

 Three fourths of the grant was used. A 

 paper containing the results of the investi- 

 gation, as far as obtained, was transmitted 

 for piiblication. 



H. C. Jones, Johns Hopkins University, 

 Baltimore, Md. For investigations in 

 physical chemistry. $1,000. 

 Abstract of Report. — Under the direc- 

 tion of Professor Jones, Dr. F. H. Gat- 

 man began work October 1, 1903, by in- 

 vestigating certain apparently abnormal 

 phenomena manifested by concentrated 

 solutions of electroljrtes in water and other 



solvents. They expect to be able lo report 

 considerable progress by the end of the 

 year. 



II. N. Morse, Johns Hopkins University, 



Baltimore, Md. For researches on 



osmotic pressure. $1,500. 



Abstract of Report. — Professor Morse 

 reports that the immediate problem to be 

 solved was the development of a practical 

 method for measuring osmotic pressure. 

 Although osmotic pressure has been recog- 

 nized for twenty-five years as one of the 

 great forces of nattire, there have been no 

 direct measurements to furnish an ade- 

 quate experimental basis for the laws sup- 

 posed to govern it. Professor Morse has 

 been engaged for several years in attempt- 

 ing to overcome the difficulties which lie 

 in the way of quantitative measurements 

 of osmotic pressure. He states the prob- 

 lem under three heads, as follows: (1) 

 The preparation of a suitable semiper- 

 meable membrane, (2) the overcoming of 

 the mechanical difficulties in assembling the 

 different parts essential to the complete 

 osmotic cell, and (3) the production of an 

 efficient porous wall on which to deposit 

 the semipermeable membrane. 



Professor Morse has succeeded in solving 

 the problems designated bj^ (1) and (2), 

 and the work since October, 1902, has been 

 prosecuted by him and Mr. J. C. "W. Fraser, 

 working in the laboratory of the Johns 

 Hopkins University. They have found it 

 necessary not only to Avork out theoretically, 

 biit also practically, the problem of the pro- 

 duction of a suitable porous wall, necessi- 

 tating the molding of the clay under great 

 pressure in order to give the cell wall a 

 higher and more uniform degree of com- 

 pactness than is secured by the usual 

 methods of the potter, and to remove thor- 

 oughly the air blisters and cavities which 

 render most porous walls unfit for experi- 

 mental work in osmotic pressure. Their 



