Am.  Jour.  Phar  1 
March,  1902.  / 
Editorial  Notes  and  Comments. 
149 
"  The  Board  of  Trustees  and  Committee  of  Revision  of  the  United 
States  Pharmacopceial  Convention  have  inaugurated  a  movement  to 
erect  a  monument  and  prepare  a  volume  containing  a  portrait,  with 
a  sketch  of  the  life  and  labors  of  their  late  beloved  Chairman,  Dr. 
Charles  Rice.  A  memorial  fund  has  been  started  by  the  committee 
and  an  appropriation  made.  As  soon  as  the  movement  began,  it 
became  evident  that  the  many  friends  of  Dr.  Rice  throughout  the 
country  would  be  glad  to  make  contributions."  ..."  Mr. 
Samuel  A.  D.  Sheppard,  the  well-known  Treasurer  of  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association,  has  consented  to  act  as  chairman  of 
the  fund,  and  he  will  receive  all  subscriptions." 
It  is  not  necessary  to  urge  this  matter  unduly,  as  we  believe  that  it 
is  only  necessary  for  the  friends  of  Dr.  Rice  to  know  of  this  move- 
ment in  order  for  them  to  contribute  to  the  proposed  fund. 
THE  CHEMISTRY   OF  IONS. 
In  a  summary  on  the  "  Dissociating  Power  of  Different  Solvents," 
H«  C.  Jones  (Amer.  Chem.  Jour.y  1901,  249)  says: 
(1)  That  with  the  exception  of  hydrogen  dioxide  water  is  the 
strongest  ionizer.  Next  to  this  comes  formic  acid.  Of  the  more 
common  solvents,  methyl  alcohol  dissociates  to  a  much  greater 
degree  than  ethyl  alcohol.  Indeed  it  is  true,  in  general,  that  in  an 
homologous  series  of  solvents  the  lesser  members  have  the  greater  dis- 
sociating pozver. 
(2)  The  dissociating  power  of  a  solvent  appears  to  be  a  function 
of  all  the  physical  or  chemical  properties  of  a  substance  and  not  of 
any  one  function. 
(3)  The  results  of  a  great  many  experiments  tend  to  show  the 
chemical  inertness  of  molecules.  Most,  if  not  all,  chemical  reac- 
tions are  reactions  between  ions,  and  molecules  as  such  do  not  enter 
into  the  reactions  at  all.  As  the  reactions  proceed,  and  the  ions 
already  present  are  used  up,  the  molecules  are  gradually  dissociated 
and  furnish  new  ions,  which  then  enter  into  the  reaction.  The 
chemistry  of  atoms  and  molecules  has  thus  given  place  to  the  chemistry 
of  ions. 
PENNSYLVANIA  HOSPITAL. 
The  sesqui-centennial,  150th,  annual  report  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Hospital  shows  the  hospital  to  be  well  equipped  for  the  care  of  the 
sick  and  injured,  and  its  managers  devising  ways  for  administering 
