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(13) Dewhurst, T., J . Inst. Petroleum Tech.. 20 (126), 280 (1934). (14) Friih, J., and Schroeter, C., “Die Moore der Schweiss, mit Beruchsichtigung der gesamten Moorfrage. Beitrage zur geologischen Karte der Schweiss,” Geotechnische Serie No. 1, 1904. (15) Hart and Tottingham, “General Agricultural Chemistry,” p. 103, Madison, Wk., 1923. (16) Henry and Morrison, “Feeds and Feeding,” 19th ed., p. 710, Madison, Wis., Henry and Morrison Co., 1923. (17) Hoering, Paul, “Moornutsung und Torfverwerkung,” Berlin, Julius Springer, 1915 (reprint, 1921). (18) Holbrook, E. A., Ann. Acad. Political Social Sci., 111, 203 (1924). (19) Holmboe, Jens, in Englers Bot. Jahrbuch, Vol. 34, Heft 2, p. 207 (1904). (20) Krogh, A., Compt., rend., 139, 896 (1904). (21) Linck, G . , Handworterbuch der Naturn,issenschaften, 1-01. 5 , p. 1049, Jena, G. Fischer, 1914. (22) Lundegardh, Henrik, “Der Kreislauf der Kohlensaure,” Jena, G. Fischer, 1924. (23) McHargue, J. S., and Calfee, R. K., Plant Physiol., 8 , 305-13 (1933). (24) McHargue, J. S., and Roy, W. R., Am. J. PhysioZ., 99, 221-6 (1931); McHargue, J S., and Calfee, R. K., Plant Phgsiol., 4, 697-703 (1932); Botan. Gaz., 91, 183-93 (1931). (25) McHargue, J. S., and Roy, W. R., Botan. Gaz., 94, 381-93 (1932). (26) MoHargue, J. S., and Young, D. W., Am. Water W o r k s Assoc , 25, 380-2 (1933). (27) McHargue, J S., and Young, D. W., Soil Sci., 35, 425-35 (1933).
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(28) McInnes, Wm., and others, “Coal Resources of the World,” Vol. 1,XII. Internat. Geol. Congress, Canada, 1913, Toronto, Morang & Co., 1913. (29) Malm, G. A.. “Eine Karte uber die Moore des siidlichen Halfte von Finland,” Helsingfors, 1912. (30) Meitzen, A., “Der Boden und die landwirtschaflichen Verhaltnisse der Preussischen Staates,” Berlin, 1868. (31) Nystrom, E., “Peat and Lignite,” Ottawa. 1908. (32) Orr. J. B., and others, “Minerals in Pastures and Their Relation to Animal Nutrition,” pp. 138 ff., London, Lewis & Co., 1929. (33) Pia, J., “Pflanzen als Gesteinsbildner,” Berlin, Gebriider Borntraeger, 1926. (34) Piper, C. V., “Forage Crops and Their Culture,” pp. 108-9, New York, Macmillan Co., 1914. (35) Pokorny, A., Sitzber. Kaiserl. A k a d . W i s s . , 43, 57; Verhandl. Kaiserl. Kdnigl. zool-bot. Ges. W i e n , 8 (1858), 9 (1859). (36) Prothero, R. E., “English Farming Past and Present,” 2nd ed., p. 33, London, Longmans, Green & Co , 1917. (37) Schreiber, H., in Oesterreichische Moorzeitschrift Staab., 1905. (38) Schreiber, H., Ibid., 1914. (39) Schroeder, H., Naturwissenschaften, 7 , 8 , 2 3 (1919). (40) Sherman, H. C., “Chemistry of Food and Nutrition,” 4th ed., New York, Macmillan Co., 1932. (41) Thaulow, Meddelelser fra del Norske Myrselskab, Heft 1, p. 19, Oslo, 1905. (42) Vernadsky, W. J. (tr. into German by E. Kordes), “Geochemie,” pp. 140-232, Leipzig. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, 1930. (43) Yearbook of Agriculture, 1921, p. 418. (44) Zailer, V., in Jahrbuch der Moorkunde, p. 51 (1913); Erhntihrung der PfZanre, 34-8 (1912).
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY M E D A L The Chemical Industry Medal replaces the tion Company, the U. S. Industrial Alcohol Company, and the U. S. Industrial ChemiGrasselli Medal and is awarded by the Society cal Company, in recognition of the valuable of Chemical Industry. The r u l e s u n d e r results of research in the field of gases which which it is awarded state that “the Chemical has been carried out under his direction. Industry Medal may be awarded annually to The award was made on November 9, 1934, a person making a valuable application of a t a joint meeting of the Society of Chemical chemical research to industry. Primary conI n d u s t r y with the AMERICAN CHEMICAL sideration shall be given to applications in SOCIETY, The Electrochemical Society, and the public interest.” The Executive Comthe SociM de Chimie Industrielle, a t The mittee of the American Section of the Society C h e m i s t s ’ Club, New York. Arthur D. of Chemical Industry constitutes the Medal L i t t l e , a past president of the Society of Committee. The first award of the medal Chemical Industry, made the presentation, was made in 1933 to James G. Vail for his F. J. METZGER and >I. C. Whitaker, vice president of the work on sodium silicates. The Chemical Industry Medal for 1934 has been awarded American Csranamid Company, described the accomplishto Floyd J. Metzger, in charge of research of the Air Reduc- ments of the’ medalist. . e . * .
Accomplishments of the Medalist M. C. WHITAKER
D
URING the first year of the present century there appeared a t Columbia University a young man bent on the study of chemistry. His geographical origin was fixed by an aroma of ceramic clay, hay, and rubber. He let it be known that, unless the accumulated knowledge of Columbia were transferred to him with due diligence, he would leave them “cold” as had already been done in the case of Buchtel, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. This man seemed to be actuated by some kind of an internal eternal-wireless motor. He was the original “Brownian Movement.” He went up and down stairs two steps a t a time and worked days, nights, Sundays, holidays, and vaca-
tions. He was probably the only man who ever broke the rules of the University and committed technical burglary to get into the laboratory to work. Such energy, such mental and physical activity, were not customary a t Columbia and soon attracted the attention and admiration of Dr. Chandler and the other members of the chemical staff, with the result that each silently resolved to “give him the works.” By the end of the year he had fulfilled the requirements and passed his examination for his Ph.D. degree. In another year he was an instructor in analytical chemistry in the university and private assistant to Dr. Chandler in his varied and important consulting and
January, 1935
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patent expert work. During the following fifteen years he occupied iyith distinction the positions of assiitant, instructor, assistant professor, and finally associate professor in chemical engineering. During a major portion of this time, and until his retirement, he was also actively engaged with Dr. Chandler in important investigations. It was my good fortune to be associated with Dr. Metzger for six years of his most active and productive period in the university. We collaborated in many investigations and cooperated in the building of an independent department of chemical engineering which has since taken an important place in the line-up of engineering schools in the university. Thus it is that over a span of thirty-two yeare it has been a privilege t o know and work with a man who, by sheer force of energy and ability, has carved out for himself a position of leadership in this profession. The World T a r not only changed the course of the chemical industry in America, but it also gave unusual opportunities to those men trained to make their contributions t o the struggling industries in this country. In 1917 Dr. Metzger became manager of chemical development for the Air Reduction Company, and fire years later was promoted to a vice presidency in charge of research and development. His boundless energy and ability had not yet reached the saturation point, PO that in 1931 he assumed the duties of director of recearch for the U. S. Industrial Alcohol Company and the U. S. Industrial Chemical Company, thus bringing under one capable head the country’s greatest distillers of alcohols, esters, and air. That diversified experience lays a good foundation for successful achievement in a specialized field is strikingly demonstrated by Metzger’s career. His intimate knowledge of a wide variety of processes and near-processes was gained by his investigations a t Columbia of many industrial problems, and he has contributed an incesqant flow of published articles to the scientific knowledge of the country, indicating a still wider diversity of research knowledge and skill. Patents covering the inventions made by Metzger individually since he has been active in the industries with which he is now connected, to the number of forty-seven, have been issued with a number of applications still pending. In addition, he has initiated or directed the research covered by thirty-nine other patents, with a related number of pending applications. The group of patents beginning in 1919 and running to 1934 includes such subjects as: process for alkali metal cyanides, coating with metals, production of formates, extraction of cyanides, synthetic production of ammonia, lanolin from crude wool grease, production of hydrocyanic acid, transportation of hydrocyanic acid, acetylene tank, signal device, an electrode, a luminescent tube, method of fixing nitrogen, circuit protective device, a luminous vessel, illuminated instruments, a fumigating apparatus, production of oxygen-free nitrogen, an indirator, process for treating metals, catalytic material, method and apparatus for drying compressed gases, method and apparatus for separating constituents of gaseous mixtures, liquefaction of gases, refrigeration, method of producing hydrogen, liquefaction apparatus, separation of the constituents of ternary gaseous mixtures, method of separating the rare gases krypton and xenon from air, etc. He has been honored by his fellow chemists in many ways but probably the most important and most deserved honor has been his selection as the recipient of this Society of Chemical Industry Medal. It is fair to assume that a man who has shown such genius for hard work and accomplishment might have some weaknesses or vices. In this respect it is my duty t o advise you that he has run true to form and has again shown originality in the
