628  German  Poison-gas  Factories.      {Am'  iept'  7gT9vm' 
solution  of  alkali  hydroxide.  Double  decomposition  occurs,  and  the 
oxides  or  hydroxides  of  the  heavy  metals  are  obtained  as  colloids. 
The  product  may  be  dissolved  in  ether,  in  fats,  or  in  liquid  paraffin, 
the  cholesterol  acting  as  the  protective  agent. 
Improvements  in  the  preparation  of  colloidal  metals  for  use  in 
medicine  are  constantly  being  announced,  and  there  is  little  doubt 
that  these  substances  are  destined  to  play  an  important  part  in 
therapeutics  in  the  near  future. 
GERMAN  POISON-GAS  FACTORIES.1 
The  Allies  in  occupation  of  German  territories  have  the  right  of 
access  to  the  German  chemical  factories  situated  in  the  area,  and  an 
Inter-Allied  Commission  has  visited  the  principal  works  devoted  to 
the  manufacture  of  dyes,  medicinal  products  and  standard  chemicals. 
During  the  war  these  were  occupied  with  the  production  of  poison 
gas  used  in  warfare.  Major  Theodore  W.  Sill,  reporting  on  his 
visit  as  a  representative  of  the  United  States  on  the  Inter-Allied 
Commission,  reports  that,  notwithstanding  the  air-raids  to  which  the 
factories  were  subjected,  these  German  plants,  "  probably  the  great- 
est of  the  potential  possibilities  for  war-material  production,"  are 
"  in  splendid  condition  with  a  large,  highly  trained  force  of  em- 
ployees, and,  moreover,  with  additional  opportunities  for  increasing 
their  production  by  utilizing  the  extra  equipment  added  for  war- 
material  production."  The  lack  of  oil  and  greases  for  lubrication  of 
the  machinery  is  the  only  apparent  handicap  in  the  factories.  Major 
Sill  warns  the  American  people  that  this  German  industry  is  "  a 
dangerous  factor  in  the  struggle  for  commercial  supremacy,  and 
also  a  potential  source  of  war-material  production  unless- properly 
controlled."  The  report  {Journal  of  Industrial  and  Engineering 
Chemistry)  then  describes  the  visits  paid  to  the  various  poison-gas 
factories. 
"  Arriving  in  Cologne,  we  made  our  headquarters  there  while 
making  a  tour  of  investigation  through  the  plant  of  the  Farben- 
fabriken  vorm.  Friedrich  Bayer  &  Co.  at  Leverkusen,  and  also  the 
plant  of  Weiler-ter-Meer  at  Uerdingen-on-the-Rhine. 
"  The  plant  of  the  Bayer  Co.  stands  out  preeminently  as  the  best 
1  Reprinted  from  The  Chemist  and  Druggist,  June  28,  1919. 
