KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 539 
sor Savage also described the electrical phenomena of the severe storm on the 
night of July lo, 1883. 
Professor E. H. S. Bailey, of the State University at Lawrence, presented 
a very practical paper on "The Composition of Vessels for Culinary Use." He 
explained why new tin vessels were somewhat poisonous, and advised thorough 
cleansing of them before using. He also referred to the poisonous character of 
<:opper and brass vessels, and stated that particular care should be taken in their 
use. He followed this by a paper on " The Distribution of Saccharine Matters 
in the Stem of Sorghum Vu/gare." This paper was a very practical one and de- 
tailed a number of experiments in the analysis of the plant in its different stages 
of growth. The professor exhibited a table in which is shown the result of a 
number of experiments that may prove valuable to sugar manufacturers. It was 
found on analyzing the various joints of the sorghum plant that the per cent of 
glucose or that part of the cane product which forms molasses and not sugar, 
decreases from the first or bottom joint to a minimum near the middle and then 
increases toward the top joint where it reaches a maximum per cent. On the 
other hand the sucrose which forms the sugar, begins in the first joint with a per 
cent about three times as great as the glucose, and increases to its maximum near 
the middle of the stalk, decreasing to a minimum in the top joint. This is the 
proportion noticed in the thoroughly ripened plant, but in the greener samples the 
glucose and sucrose become more nearly equal in their per cents. It will thus 
be seen that the part of the plant most productive of sugar is the middle. 
Professor E. L. Nichols, of the State University at Lawrence, made a short 
lecture on " A New Class- Room Experiment upon Ebullition." He referred to a 
method of super-heating water above the boiling point without allowing ebullition 
to take place. He illustrated his lecture freely with diagrams and sketches, and 
made it interesting throughout. 
At the close of this paper the High School pupils in charge of Prof. Larimer 
arose to retire and while standing were addressed by Dr. Brown, the President 
of the Academy. He urged the students to take up some department of science 
and make it a specialty. He stated that even after graduation they would find the 
pursuit of such a study not only profitable but pleasant. He thanked the students 
for their visit to the Academy, and expressed the hope that he would meet them 
again as earnest workers in the scientific field. 
Professor Larimer, on behalf of the students, expressed their gratification at 
their reception and the interesting information obtained by their visit, after 
which the school retired. 
"The Utilization of Mineral Waters," by Prof. E. H. S. Bailey, of Law- 
rence, was read by title, and referred to the publishing committee. 
Professor H. E. Sadler, of the State Normal School, at Emporia, read a 
paper on " Coal Oil Legislation," in which he referred to the fact that the coal 
oil trade had become a great monopoly, and that unless legislation were used in 
the interest of the subject the oil would become even more adulterated than it 
aiow is. There is no law in Kansas to prevent the selling of even the most im- 
