September 18, 1885.] 



SCIENCE 



249 



mittee suggested a few unimportant changes in the 

 method adopted last year at Philadelphia, and which 

 had been practised by the members of the association 

 with such success during the past year. 



Dr. H. W. Wiley presented the report of the com- 

 mittee on the method of estimating potash. The 

 first part of the report was devoted to a review of all 

 the different methods of estimating potash which 

 had been proposed during the last twenty years. 

 After a discussion of the merits of the various meth- 

 ods examined, the committee decided that none of 

 them was superior to the method adopted by the 

 association at its Philadelphia meeting. They rec- 

 ommended, therefore, that with certain slight mod- 

 ifications, consisting more especially of the insertion 

 of the details of the manipulation, the Philadelphia 

 method should be continued. The only important 

 changes which were introduced were in directing the 

 treatment of the sample with hot water, for the ex- 

 traction of the potash, instead of water acidulated 

 with hydrochloric acid; in the addition of a small 

 portion of oxalic acid to facilitate the conversion 

 of nitrates into carbonates; in the recommendation 

 to abandon the washing out of the double chloride by 

 hot water after its first weighing, a process which, 

 by experience, had been found to be unnecessary; and 

 in recommending the continuance of the factor 30.56 

 for the conversion of KaPtClg to KCl instead of the 

 factor 30.67, which would be the proper one if the 

 atomic weight of platinum, as determined by Seubert, 

 be the correct one. The committee, in making this 

 recommendation, did not wish to be considered as in 

 any way criticising the accuracy of Seubert' s work. 

 Prof. F. C. Clarke stated, that, in his opinion, 195 

 represented much more nearly the atomic weight of 

 platinum than 197, and that, therefore, the larger of 

 the two factors given above would be the more correct 

 one for computing the amount of potassium chloride 

 from the double platinic chloride. The report of the 

 committee was adopted for the guidance of analysts 

 during the coming year. 



Mr. r. H. Gladding read a paper on a new method 

 of estimating potash, which was ordered printed with 

 the proceedings. 



Mr. P. E. Chazal presented the report of the com- 

 mittee on determination of nitrogen. He stated that 

 the committee was quite dissatisfied with the results 

 of their work, and hoped that the association, without 

 taking any action whatever, would refer the whole 

 matter to another committee, to be presented at the 

 next annual meeting. The recommendation was 

 adopted. 



The following officers were elected for the coming 

 year: President, H. W. Wiley, Washington, D.C. ; 

 vice-president, C. W. Dabney, Raleigh, IST.C. ; secre- 

 tary and treasurer, Clifford Richardson, Washington, 

 D.C. 



The following committees were also appointed: 

 Executive committee in addition to the above offi- 

 cers, — H. A. Huston of Indiana, and W. J. Gas- 

 coyne of Virginia. On phosphoric acid : H. C. White 

 of Georgia, E. H. Jenkins of Connecticut, W. C. 

 Stubbs of Louisiana. On nitrogen : P. E. Chazal of 



South Carolina, J. A. Myers of Mississippi, W. E. 

 Moses of Tennessee. On potash: W. J. Gascoyne 

 of Virginia, Clifford Richardson of Washington, 

 N. W. Lord of Ohio. 



The convention discussed the proposition of en- 

 larging the scope of the association, and it was the 

 unanimous opinion of all present that this should be 

 done in harmony with recommendations made in the 

 address of the commissioner. The association then 

 adjourned to meet in Washington at the call of the 

 executive committee in September, 1886. 



THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION AT 

 SARATOGA. 



Of the three hundred members of the association, 

 about fifty attended the recent meeting (Sept. 8-10). 

 In addition to those who played a more or less prom- 

 inent part in its organization last year {Science, Iso. 

 86), there were present at one or more sessions, Gold- 

 win Smith, Gen. Cullum, Washington Gladden, Henry 

 Adams, Henry C. Adams, Eugene Schuyler, Rufus 

 King, Professors Gurney, Andrews, James, and Co- 

 man, Nathaniel Paine, S. S. Green, E. M. Barton, 

 and Mrs. Lamb. The old officers were re-elected 

 with the exception of George Bancroft, who took 

 the place of Andrew D. White as president for the 

 next meeting, and Professors Franklin B. Dexter and 

 W. F. Allen, who succeeded to the places on the 

 council left vacant by the retirement of Professors 

 Tyler and Emerton. The finances of the association 

 are in a flourishing condition, there being over a 

 thousand dollars in the treasury at the close of the 

 first year. The council elected the German historian 

 Ranke, the first, and, for the present at least, its only 

 honorary member. 



The papers presented were mainly upon subjects 

 connected with American history; and it is greatly to 

 be desired, that the scope of the association's work 

 should be enlarged, and that more essays should be 

 presented dealing with European history. Apart 

 from this, the most noticeable feature of the meet- 

 ing was the great desire shown by the members to 

 gather in small groups, and exchange ideas. This 

 deserves encouragement ; and it is hoped, that, at the 

 next meeting, less time will be given to the reading 

 of papers, and more opportunity be afforded for social 

 intercourse. 



President A. D. White opened the first session with 

 some comments, or a syllabus of an essay on the influ- 

 ence of American ideas upon the French revolution. 

 He was followed by Professor Goldwin Smith of 

 Toronto, who endeavored to show by the history of 

 Canada that the American revolution was a mistake, 

 and that a peaceful separation, which time would have 

 brought, would have been better. These two papers 

 occupied the morning session. In the evening, Jeffrey 

 R. Brackett, a graduate of Harvard, presented a 

 report on certain studies of the institution of negro 

 slavery, which he is now making at Johns Hopkins. 

 He especially advocated the study of the blacks as a 

 race, and laid particular stress upon the danger of 



