24U 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXI. No. 528. 



tion of sugar from the vegetable we have 

 uanied, deserves not only the attention of the 

 chemist, but of the politician, considering the 

 expanded interests of Europe and Africa as 

 connected with the state of the Western Archi- 

 pelago. The method of M. Achard is as fol- 

 lows: The roots are first carefully cleansed 

 from all impurity; they are then cut into 

 small pieces, and exposed to the bearing of a 

 powerful press. The sugar under this process 

 exudes from the vegetable mass, and in this 

 state it appears glutinous, and of a dark color. 

 Besides the saccharine matter, it abounds with 

 albumen, extractive matter, and other sub- 

 stances, which nmst be separated from it; and 

 the only difficulty attending the operation, is 

 the exclusion of these impure and redundant 

 ingredients. To effect this, he mixes in a 

 cauldron of tin, or of tinned copper, one hun- 

 dred pounds of the extract, in the state we 

 have described, with three ounces and six 

 drams of the sulphuric acid diluted in about 

 a pint of water. The ingredients are after- 

 wards poured over into vessels, to remain for 

 the space of twelve, eighteen, or twenty-four 

 hours. Twelve hours is a competent interval 

 for ordinary purposes, but twenty-four is more 

 beneficial, and the acid prevents the sugar 

 itself from undergoing any pernicious altera- 

 tion. The next step is, to separate the sul- 

 phuric acid from the extract; and this is done, 

 by incorporating with the sugar seven ounces 

 and a half of wood ashes, and afterwards two 

 ounces and six grains of slacked lime. By 

 these means, the sulphuric acid will disunite 

 from the albumen, and the ashes with the 

 lime will separate the acid, which will appear 

 in the state of an insoluble salt. The appli- 

 cation of lime is not at all new in our sugar 

 refineries, indeed, it is constantly employed 

 to assist the crystallization. The only thing 

 requisite to complete the process of obtaining 

 sugar from the beet root, is to clarify the 

 saccharine residuum, and this part of the op- 

 eration is 80 generally understood, that no 

 explanation is necessary." 



UNIVERFIITY AND EnUGATIONAL NEWS. 



TnK Union Theological Seminary of New 

 York City, one of the few th(!ological schools 



of university standing, has received an an- 

 onymous gift of $1,100,000, which includes a 

 site adjacent to Columbia University, where 

 new buildings will be erected for the seminary. 



Mr. Bradford Merrill, of the New York 

 World, has made a statement on behalf of 

 Mr. Joseph Pulitzer in regard to the school of 

 journalism established by him at Columbia 

 University. It appears from this statement 

 that Mr. Pulitzer has decided that the school 

 shall not be established until after his death. 

 Mr. Merrill says : " To avoid all uncertainties 

 or misconception, I may add that the endow- 

 ment of the college is absolutely irrevocable, 

 and its establishment beyond a shadow of 

 doubt. The first million is already in the 

 actual possession of Columbia University. 

 The second million is legally provided for, 

 as well as a still further voluntary sum not 

 mentioned in any agreement. Even the nom- 

 ination of the advisory board is made in an 

 instrument that will take effect instantane- 

 ously at Mr. Pulitzer's death." 



Mr. Andrew Carnegie's gift of $125,000 

 to Oberlin College for the erection of a library 

 building, which we recently noted, was con- 

 ditioned upon the raising of $100,000 for en- 

 dowment. The gift of Mr. Carnegie makes 

 up $300,000 of the $500,000 necessary to se- 

 cure the $100,000 given by an anonymous 

 Boston donor. To secure the latter, $200,000 

 must be raised by July 1, 1905. 



Mrs. Goldwin Smith has given $20,000 to 

 Cornell University. 



By the will of the late Edward A. Good- 

 nough, of Worcester, gifts are made as follows : 

 $25,000 to Mount llolyoke College, $15,000 to 

 Iowa College, $25,000 to the Huguenot Semi- 

 nary in South Africa, $5,000 to Washburn 

 College in Kansas, $10,000 to Drury College 

 in Missouri. 



Sir John Nuttino, of Dublin, has given 

 $25,000 to Trinity College for scholarships. 



Dr. Eugene Park Cowgill, of the Univer- 

 sity of Missouri, was recently elected to the 

 position of instructor in physiology, Univer- 

 sity of Kansas. He began his duties with the 

 opening of the new year. 



