292 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Zoological Park, and thus he helped to create the almost unique extension 

 of opportunity in every field of science which New York City at present 

 affords. His greatest desire was to see young men attracted to New York 

 from every State in the Union to enjoy these rare opportunities, and 

 this desire was more than fulfilled long before the close of his great and 

 useful career. Thus we may truly say that the present union of so many 

 scientific forces in our community is in no small degree due to the ideal- 

 ism, the wisdom, the energy, and the generosity of Seth Low. 

 The Academy then adjourned. 



Heney E. Ckampton, 

 Acting Recording Secretary. 



SECTION OP ASTRONOMY, PHYSICS AND CHEMISTEY 



6 NOVEMBEE, 1916 



The Section met at 8 :15 p. m., Vice-President Ernest E. Smith pre- 

 siding. 



The following program was presented : 



J. M. Nelson, Chemical Valence. 



George Falk, The Peoduction of an Enzyme-like Substance 



BY THE Action of Alkali on Peotein. 

 George B. Pegram, Induced Electeomotive Foece and the Eela- 



TiviTY Theoey. 



SUMMAEY OF PAPERS 



Professor Nelson stated that simple compounds add a definite number 

 of molecules of other simple compounds, as in ammoniates, hydrates^ 

 double and complex salts. The formation of definite addition compounds 

 shows definite combining capacity, and therefore like valence. This 

 molecular valence is effected by external physical conditions in the same 

 way as ordinary atomic valence. A rise in temperature decreases the 

 combining capacity for compounds, just as in the case of elements. The 

 dissociation of molecular compounds obeys the mass law; thus vapor 

 tension of hydrates and ammoniates has mass equilibrium, just as the 

 dissociation of simple compounds. The molecular valence is a function 

 of the two combining compounds, just as the atomic valence is a function 

 of the two combining elements. Note the relative stability of ammonium 

 chloride and the hydrate of hydrochloric acid, also the relative stability 

 of cupric chloride and cupric iodide. 



