418 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 428. 



dependent almost directly on the smallness 

 of the surface tension, and this largely 

 explains the cleansing power of soap. A 

 practical soap test from the consumer's 

 standpoint is clearly indicated, but not yet 

 fully worked out. 



Charts, diagrams and specimens were 

 shown. 



The Composition of Spirits Produced from 

 Grain, and the Changes Undergone hy 

 the Same when Stored in Wooden Pack- 

 ages: Charles A. Crampton, Int. Rev., 

 Treasury Dept., Washington, D. C. 

 Analyses are given of samples of rye and 

 bourbon whiskies, taken each year from 

 packages set aside in government ware- 

 houses, for the purpose of determining the 

 effect of time upon the composition of the 

 spirits. The purpose of the experiments 

 is to obtain analytical data upon which 

 genuine whiskies aged without foreign ad- 

 dition can be distinguished from spurious 

 spirits made by coloring matter and arti- 

 ficial flavors to alcohol or cologne spirits. 

 The present paper is a preliminary report 

 of the results obtained for the first four 

 years of storage. The experiments will be 

 continued and complete resiilts and con- 

 clusions published at some future date. 



Some Double Salts of Organic Acids: Jas. 



Lewis Howe, Lexington, Va. 



Aside from the chrom-oxalates, and ox- 

 alates of the platinum metals, few complex 

 salts of organic acids have been studied. 

 A qualitative investigation shows that quite 

 a number of other acids form similar salts. 

 A series of chrom-malonates is described. 

 Attempts made to prepare similar complex 

 salts of trivalent cobalt by electrolytic oxi- 

 dation. Several of the double cobalto-salts 

 are not oxidized by the electric current. A 

 series of double eobalto-malonates were 

 prepared and are described. These are 



oxidized to complex cobalti-malonates, and 

 these are now being studied. 



Preparation of Standard Solutions of Sul- 



phuric Acid iy Direct Dilution: Arthur 



John Hopkins. 



According to the table of Marignac the 

 coefficient of expansion for sulphuric acid 

 of sp. gr. 1,263 is found to be constant be- 

 tween 15° and 20°. Accordingly a stock 

 acid is prepared as near to sp. gr. 1.263 

 as possible, and its exact specific gravity 

 accurately determined. 



A table is prepared for this stock acid 

 showing at different working temperatures 

 the exact volume necessary to dilute to one 

 liter in order to prepare, e. g., a tenth- 

 normal acid. This table is prepared from 

 the work of Lunge and Isler on the valua- 

 tion of acid of different specific gravities 

 and from the work of Marignac, allowance 

 being made for the expansion of glass. 



The preparation of a tenth-normal acid, 

 consists in allowing to fiow from a sali- 

 brated burette the volume of acid, indi- 

 cated in the table for the working tempera- 

 ture, into a flask known to contain exactly 

 one liter, and diluting to the mark. 



Condensation of Triphenylmethyl to Hexa- 

 phenylethane : M. Gomberg, Ann Arbor, 

 Mich. 



It has been established that certain halo- 

 gen derivatives have the power to condense 

 triphenylmethyl to the saturated hydro- 

 carbon hexaphenylethane. 



Methods for the Examination of Bitumens 

 and their Determination and Separation: 

 Clifford Richardson, Long Island City, 

 N. Y. Read by title. 

 In the course of fifteen years' experience, 

 in the application of bitumens in the in- 

 dustries, a large number of methods for the 

 examination and determination of this ma- 

 terial have been developed, and are de- 



