SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
serv 
especially the subject of these efforts are manganese, graphite, tin 
mercury, potash, tungsten, molybdenum, antimony, chromite, Magnesite’ 
mica, platinum, and arsenic. s 
Acts of Congress constituting Commissions and Boards of Experts 
were passed, and many eminent engineers and chemists undertook 
investigations for deposits of the minerals from which the IMportany 
products might be obtained. Studies were also made in regard to the 
several processes of nitrogen fixation. The Bulletin in hand is q pres 
liminary report; in fact, is merely an advance chapter from Bulletin 
178 of the Bureau of Mines. 
One point of interest is worthy of special notice, namely, that the 
simple process of Bucher for the production of sodium cyanide has been 
shown to be practicable on the large scale. In this connexion, notice 
should be given to the success of methods devised by L. S. Potsdamer 
for recovering valuable materials from gas-mass; that is, the mixture 
of ferric hydroxide and wood chips used for purifying Uliminatiy 
gas. This accumulates a number of by-products, among which gre tar 
sulphur, thiocyabides, ammonium salts, ferro- and ferri- cyanides, double 
ammonium cyanides. Potsdamer devised a plan of recovering these 
substances and reviving the gas-mass so that it could be returned to the 
purifiers. The details of the methods will be found in Journal Ind. 
Eng. Chem., Vol. X1., p. 769, 1919. 
FIXED NITROGEN RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES 
OF AMERICA. 
In the United States further efforts are to be made to develop the 
. nitrogen-fixation industry. A fixed nitrogen research laboratory has now 
been organized in the nitrate division of the Ordnance Department, in 
the head-quarters at the American University, in buildings formerly | 
occupied by the Chemical Warfare Service. Lieut-Colonel A, Bp. 
Lamb, of the Chemical Warfare Service, is director; Dr. R. ©. Tolman, 
formerly of the Chemical Warfare Service, and Professor W. ©. Bray, 
of the University of California, are associate directors; and Dr. H, A) ~ 
Curtis, formerly of the Nitrate Division, Ordnance Department, js 
executive officer. The work carried.on during the war on the fixation 
of nitrogen in the Department of Agriculture laboratories and elsewhere 
will be concentrated at the American University. At present the staff 
consists of fifty-five persons. : 
PRODUCER GAS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. 
The shortage of motor spirit in Great Britain during the war led 
to extensive investigations for substitutes, among which were ordinary 
illuminating gas and producer gas. A report has just been published 
by the Committee appointed to investigate the subject, an abstract of 
which is given in the Hnglish Mechanic (Vol. OX., p. 31, 1919). The 
Committee considers that gas traction is as safe as the ordinary form, 
even when unprotected and exposed flexible containers are used. In 
its newer forms it is well worth consideration as an alternative of 
electric, petrol, or steam traction. Common city gas is estimated to be 
equivalent to petrol in the proportion of 250 cubic feet of the former 
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