cxiv Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [May, 1910. 



Krishnath College, Berhampore, have in use complete sets of 

 volumetric apparatus graduated at 30° made by Mueller-Uri of 

 Brunswick. On the representation of one of the Committee the 

 Kaiserlische Aichsamt in Berlin has consented to certifv measur- 

 ing apparatus for a temperature of 30°. 



During the enquiry a method of standardising thermometer - 

 at the proposed standard temperature has been referred to. It 

 is fortunately possible to obtain a point which has been fixed 



W 



90°F. Professor 



sodium sulphate decahydrate by means of a mercurial thermonn 

 ter which had been compared with the standard hvdrogen ther- 

 mometer in the Bureau International de Poids et Mesures at 



/ 



The tem- 



perature on the standard (constant volume) hvdrogen scale is 

 32-383°C. or expressed in Fahrenheit degrees 90288°. Hence the 

 melting point of sodium sulphate can be used for the standardisa- 

 tion of thermometers at 90°F. (32-4°C.i. Sodium sulphate 

 decahydrate is easily obtained sufficiently pure for the purpose, 



for traces of chloride or other salts do not affect the melting 

 point. 



With regard to the future experimental work which the 

 adoption of a temperature of reference will involve, the following 

 suggestion made by Rev. H. Sierp, Bombay, will be of interest. 



"It will ultimately be necessary to get a list of tables 

 prepared on the lines of those of Bornstein, Lunge and similar 

 books. Would it not be possible for the Committee to make 

 arrangements in such a way that a laboratory is completely 

 equipped and put aside for such determinations ? The gain for 

 chemistry in India would be enormous. Perhaps it will be 

 possible in future years to develop such an institution into a 

 Central Institute with a similar aim as the Physikalische Rei- 

 cnsanstalt or the new Chemische Beichsanstalt or Charlotten- 

 burg. Such an institution may not be established in India in 

 the near future, but educationists will agree that the compila- 

 tion of temperature tables will provide advanced Indian students 

 With tasks which will not only be congenial but which will 

 constitute admirable means of training them in accurate work." 



I he object of the present Committee has been in the direc- 

 tion of obtaining the opinion of scientific workers in India on the 

 question ot a temperature of reference for this country. While 

 """ i 1S u most a . una nimous verdict that such a temperature 



there 



►gnised 



are in 



favour ot 30 , which the Committee endorses, it remains to be 

 discussed how this temperature would suit tropical countries 

 n general. Dr. G. T. Walker and Dr. Simpson of the Meteoro- 

 ogical Department have given valuable information and sugges- 

 tions towards choosing a normal tropical temperature A 

 reference to a temperature chart of the world will show that. 



