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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 108. 



of interest and the inevitable rivalries. 

 But the movement was started ; it was 

 finally endorsed in due form by the old 

 chemical section, and in time success was 

 won. In 1891 and 1892 a plan was agreed 

 upon, and the present American Chemical 

 Society was established. 



The two principal factors in the problem, 

 apart from the American Association, were 

 the American Chemical Society in New 

 York and the Chemical Society of Wash- 

 ington. The former had the name and a 

 charter, and, with some reason, claimed to 

 occupy the field. The other made no 

 claims, but would not concede primacy to 

 the first. Professional interests and good 

 feeling, however, carried the day; there 

 were concessions from all sides, and the fol- 

 lowing plan was adopted : The existing 

 name and charter were accepted. The N'ew 

 York body became a local section of the 

 reorganized Society, and the Washington 

 organization did the same. The old journal 

 of the Society was consolidated with the 

 flourishing Journal of Analytical and Applied 

 Chemistry, with the editor of the latter. 

 Prof. Hart, in charge. Other local sections 

 were provided for, and it was agreed that 

 the Society should hold two general meet- 

 ings a year — one in winter, the other in 

 cooperation with the American Association. 

 Thus all interests were reconciled, and the 

 .scattered forces of the chemists began to 

 converge toward a single point. A strong 

 Society was created, with a good monthly 

 journal ; and to-day it numbers over a 

 thousand members, with nine local sections 

 in various parts of the country, carrying 

 on continuous work. Hereafter the sum- 

 mer meeting will be held jointlj' with that 

 of Section C in the American Association, 

 making both bodies stronger and more eflB- 

 cient ; all opposition has been overcome, 

 the membership of the Society is rapidly 

 growing, and the future seems bright. The 

 example which has been set by the chemists 



may be a good one for others to follow. 

 "In union there is strength." In New 

 York there is also a section of the British 

 ' Society for Chemical Industry ;' and, in 

 addition to the journal already mentioned, 

 there is the well-established Ame7-ican Chemi- 

 cal Journal, managed by Prof. Eemsen, at 

 Baltimore, and a new periodical devoted 

 to physical chemistry, which has just been 

 started by Professors Trevor and Bancroft, at 

 Cornell University. Our chemists are now 

 well provided with means for publication, 

 and there seems to be no dearth of material 

 with which to fill the pages of the three 

 separate journals. The American Journal 

 of Science, the ' proceedings ' of some local 

 academies, and the foreign chemical peri- 

 odicals also receive a share of our output. 

 The facilities for publication seem to in- 

 crease no faster than the activity of the 

 American chemists. 



On the purelj' scientific side the govern- 

 ment of the United States has as yet done 

 little for the advancement of chemical re- 

 search. But indirectly, for economic rea- 

 sons, it has done much, especially since 

 1876. So, too, have the governments of va- 

 rious States and cities, especially with re- 

 gard to the analysis of fertilizers, and in 

 the direction of sanitary chemistry. Some 

 investigations concerning the water supply 

 of cities have been carried out by local 

 Boards of Health, and among these the re- 

 searches instituted by the Massachusetts 

 Board have been of the highest scientific 

 quality. No better work of its kind has 

 been done anywhere; and its results, in- 

 tended for local benefit, are of far moi'e than 

 local value. On the part of the general 

 government the patronage of chemistry 

 has covered a wider range, and many bu- 

 reaux have been provided with laboratories. 

 In the Department of Agriculture a consid- 

 erable force of chemists has long been em- 

 ployed, dealing with questions of the most 

 varied character. The United States Geo- 



