574
I S T E R N A T I O S . Z I , I N D E X TO C H E X I C . \ I , I , I T l < R . i T I - R T < .
about 0 .j part, due to tlie deconil,ositioii of the o r p n i c matter present in the flues. the floors aiii1 i i i t?ic \ ~ a l I s . The a i r of tlie building i n general>Iialls : ~ i i dtira.iviiig rooiiis, reading rooiiis. etc., u.11ich a:-?open anti i i i \vliicli people arcconstaiitiy moving, is iiiaiii!aiiietl a t :ibout ,s .o part:: as an a\.crage of examinations during eig-lit yc-ars. I n tlie riiiitli year t1iei.c has heeii 3.11 iiicrease tliie to xi1 iiicrrasetl iiiiiiii;i:r of lerturtrooiiis oil tlie second floor. Tlie air of iiiost of the lecture I-ooiiic; iias coiitaiiictl from six t o eight p a r t s , of tlie 1arg:cr croivded lialls for zoo or iiioi'e students. ten to twelve parts nccorditig to ivcatlier. n-lietlier it is clear ant1 dr!, a i i c t ivitli n stroiig wiiiti. or svlietlier the air is loatlctl with moisture and is still. I=roiii this esperieiice it \voultl sc'eiii tliat stutieiits caii ivork \\-ell iii n clc:tii room \vitli a1)out seven parts 1 x 1 1 0 . 0 0 0 of c2rh;ii tliosirlc : !iiuch iiiorc tlinri tliis cnustrs t l u l l i i e s ~ :tiid , aiiytliiiix CI\W tliirtwii p;irts t~iiisesi l l most cnseb n i i nliiirist itiip barrier t o tlie iull acqiiisitioii of kno\vletlge. IYlieii churches, 1iai1s, aiid lwtui-e roniiis usual1~-show fro111 fourteeii to cigliteeii 1Jaytq p r ro,cioo i i i tweiit! iiiiiiutes after tlie xuclieiicc as~c;iil)lcs,it i s iiot stc:iiixe tli:it cioqueiice oftell fa i 1s to nro 11:;e e i i t 11usi :is111.
A N INTERNATIONAL INDEX TO CHEillCAL LITERATURE.' l i s t i . C ' A n K I X , . r o s 1k~r:roS.
D
U K I X G o m of iiiy 11il.iliographical tours i n ICiirope, ai1 eniiiierit librarian of a German University remarked : ' ' You Americans are doing more and better work i i i bibliography than all tlie nations of Europe takeii together." And this lie said iiot in flatter)- but as the espi-essioli of an earnest conviction. Later I expressed surprise that Gernians with such splendid collections of books and other adrxntages should leal-e it to Aiiiericans to cross the Atlantic and wrest from Europe inaterials for general aiitl special bibliographies. To this lie proiiipt,ly replied : ' ' Acli nieiti Freund, das Geld fehlt ! " I shall iiot attempt to demolistrate the accuracy of the gentleman's statements, as it would involve coniparisons, and these 1Kead before t h e \Vorld's Coiigress of C h e u i s t s . Ailgust
23, xSsj
INTERNATIONAL I N D E X T O CHEMICAL LITERATURE.
575
are said to be odious. A basis for his enthusiasmis, however, found in such monumental works as Pool’s Index, Fletcher’s Index, Billing’s Index-catalogue of the Medical Library of the Surgeon General’s office, the Index-Xfedicus edited by Dr. Robert Fletcher, the catalogue of the Boston A t h e n m m , as well as the bibliographies of science published by the Smithsonian Institution, by the U . s. Departiiient of Agriculture and in independent journals. Many other notable works mill suggest themselves to the chemists present who will understand that this is only a passing reference. T h e production of special and general bibliographies in the United States goes forward with the multiplication of public and endowed libraries, now increasing in number and value with gratifying rapidity throughout the land. Some of these are publishing bibliographies of specific subjects in addition to their Library Catalogues ; in this direction Harvard University takes the lead. Unfortunately much good work done by institutions does not get beyond the MS. stage, as for example the SubjectIndex in preparation at the Scientific Library of the U . s. Patent Office ; and the chemical bibliographies compiled by the students of the University of Michigan as appendages to theses in science. There are at least three organizations in the United States which promote the preparation of bibliographies; these are ( I ) the American Library Association, ( 2 ) the Committee on the Bibliography of Geology appointed at the International Congress of Geologists, and (3) the Committee on Indexing Chemical Literature of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. T h e work of the American Library Association is familiar to everyone ; through the journal it reaches all librarians and bibliographers in sympathy with its enterprises. Its scope is, however. almost entirely literary and science finds little place in its admirable plans. T h e secretary of the Committee on the Bibliography of Geolog y appointed at the International Congress of Geologists held September I , 1891, at Washington, has issued a circular dated November 2 0 , 1891 which sets forth its plans for work. These comprise the preparation of ( I ) a list of the geologic bibliogra-
j7 6
1S T 1: K S .\ T I O S
.\ I. I S n E X T < ) C I i E 51 IC .iI, I. I T E R ;\?'I'K T:
,
phies airv:itI>.i i i existelice. ( 2 i ne\\ iiil~~iogi.~phiesof special topics, t l i r ~)eriotlic~ registration o ! tlie current ~~i1)Iiograpliy of
a n d (,; g e \~ol~iii:iiious literature ( i f clieiiiistr!,. IVliile little bysteiiiatic 1viji-k !ILLS 1)w:ii uiidertalirii%tluplicatioii of 1:ilmr has been prel.eiiteci aiitl iii(1rpendeiit efforts h a v e accoi 11111i sl i e (1 i i i 11cli . 1 ' ' 11 1i s L: (IC)11cc t i o ii of spec i :i 1 1,i 1,1 iog rap11i e s ha,< \)ecii gracliiall!. foriniiix, rvhic-li iio\\. iiuiii1)er more thaii fiftj. ; the li.st -,vas priiited i i i tlie tenth : i i i i i ~ i i t I report ( j f tlie coniriiittee puldibhetl i i i the prowe of t!ie A -1. A. 5. for i h i j z . Ii'liile tlic cciiiiiiiittce feel.; tliat tiieii ialxir; li:i.\-e not iw:n i i i vniti tlic 1~ri)portion of tlic coiiip1ett:ti i.iil)liogrnpliieb to t h e i i i i i i i lier l i t autlicirs Iiublishing rlieiiiic>:Lipapers i?; h t i i l tinliappi1~slllall. aiirl til? ;i\-crageof fi\T l 1 i I ) i i ~ l rapliieb per a i i i i i i i i i is rather lower tii:tii i.si)ri+x!. Tl!c coiiiiii lei, t-spi-esse?,the hope that tlie i i u i i ~ i l e r\vill grow iiiucli f;t,-ter i Li tile iutui-e. lii I. happciis that t l i c ~ caii . be entirely relied upon for the details needed b y cheiiiists practically intcrcsted, a n d the originals must eventually be coiisulted. I t has seeiiied to iiie that if the same amount of energy c-sl)ended 1)). abstractors of the societies named could be exerted i i i iiidesing, greater practical results woiiltl be obtained, and at far greater ecoiioitij. of space. t11
(.
INTERNATIONAL I N D E X TO CHEMICAL LITERATURE.
577
Moreover these societies generally confine their abstracts to publications issued in other countries than their own, and consequently a large amount of good material published a t home in Government reports, transactions of learned societies, and periodicals devoted to general science, escapes the eyes of all except a few industrious readers. It has further occurred to me that the chemical societies of Germany, France, Italy, England, Russia, and the United States, instead of filling their official organs with abstracts of papers foreign to each, might well devote their energy to indexing the wealth of material produced each in its own nation. And this brings ine to the statement of a plan which I have the honor to propose to this Congress, for a Co-operative International Index to Chemical Literature. I suggest that this Congress, in which are representatives of the six leading chemical societies of the world, recommend to these societies the preparation of an annual index to current chemical literature, each society to care for the productions of the country in which it is situated. These annual indexes to chemical literature could be published in the journals (Berichk, BzdZefefin,Journal, etc. ) of the respective societies, which fortunately for our purpose are all in octavo form, and when all the indexes are issued for a given year, they could be bound together for convenience. T h e bibliographies would of course be compiled, on the same or similar plans, this uniformity being secured by conference between the Index-Committees of the several societies. This plan would necessitate the consultation of six alphabets at least in each annual volume, but this inconvenience would be counterbalanced by the greater accuracy and fullness attained by the subdivision of labor here proposed. What reception this plan may receive by the several societies is uncertain, but I believe that no more important work can be undertaken by the American Chemical Society. This newly re-organized association now numbers over 7 0 0 members and is a truly national society; the ‘ I Journal” could not present to its members and subscribers a more welcome contribution than a subject-index to the publication of American chemists. This might be done half yearly, or better quarterly, arid should embrace the
5 78
I S TI2 R ?;AT I O S A L I X DE X TO C H E 31IC A I, LITEK ATU R E ,
{videst range of pure and applied chemistry. Perhaps the -1iiiericaii Chemical Society wili lead in this enterprise, aiid theti tlir older and more con.ien.atirc. societies of Europe riiiglit follow. 0 1 i c stiiiiulus t1i:it ~voultleveiitually iiiflueiice tlieni is 11at i 011 :i 1 pi-i tl e . So tar, this plan relates to current literature aiicl soiiie pro\-ision iiiust be iiiade for iiidesiiig tlie eiioriiious :iccmiiulatioil of material already in print. 1)rolxil)Iy there is 110 better w a y to attack this probleiii than to prepare a subject-index to tlie clieiiiistry coiitairietl i i i the Catalogue oi Scientific Papers published under the auspices of the ~o!.nl Society. Tliis Iiionuniental ivork iows i i i u i h oi its \.slue mviiig to the lack of a sul.)ject-iiitles, and it is deeply to 1)e regretted that there is no pro\pect of oiie beiiig coiiipiletl, i f at ieast one iii:i>. judge from the correqxnitlcrice 011 this su1)jcct priiitetl i i i the pages of * \ ; 7 f 2 c n . . .11itl here allo~viiie to place 011 record a fact bearing 011 the question : a fe\v yenrs agti n iiieiiiher of tlie Comiuittee oii Iiidesing Cheriiical 1,iterature of tlie Xiiiericaii Xssociation for the ;2dvaiiceiiieiit of Science, dread!- klion.ii to the scientific i\.orltl b y his labors in bibliograph!-. decided to iiiitlertake the preparation of a subject-index to tlie clieiiiistr!- and pli!4cs i i i the eight quarto volumes of the \vork iianietl, but 1)efore tloiiig so \vrote :i courteous letter to tlie secretary of the Royal Socict!. aiinou~iciiig his scheiiie. I n that letter the gentlenian explaiiietl that he pla~iiied to coiiipile the subject-iiides and to priiit it entirely ivitliout expense or liability on tlie part of tlie Royal Society. After a long lapse of time the gcntlenian received a note froni the secretar!. of the Royal Society stating that the iiiatter had been laid before the council and they had refused permission to have such an iiides prepared ! Thus rebuffed m y friend abaiitloiied his schenie and turned his attentiori to another task. In spite oi this attitude of the couiicil of the Royal Society, I believe a regularly coiistituted coinniittee of chemists could secure perniissioii, if indeed necessary. Details of methods to be pursued cannot here he considered ; they could be formulated by a committee. X general bibliography of chemistry has been recently at-
ACCURACY I N ANALYSIS OF DAIRY PRODUCTS.
579
tempted by the writer of this communication; the results form a volume of over I , 2 0 0 pages just issued by the Smithsonian Institution a s one of the series entitled Miscellaneous Collections. T h i s " Select Bibliography of Chemistry, 1492-1892 " embraces about 12,000 titles in twenty-four languages, yet makes no claim to completeness; it is moreover a bibliography, not an index. I n conclusion I have the honor to propose the appointment of an International Committee on Chemical Bibliography, to consist of one member from each country represented in this Congress. T h a t this committee have unlimited power to add to its number, provided however no country have more than two representatives. T h a t this committee, through the European and American Chemical Societies, report a scheme for an International Co-operative Index to Chemical Literature. UNIVERSITY CLUB, N E W Y O R K CITY,
August, 1893.
[EDITORIAL SOTE.-A committee consisting of Edward Hart. R . B. Warder, and Wni...I Dudley was appointed by the Congress to consider the recommendations of Dr. Bolton set forth in the above paper. Their report with additioual action by the C o n g r e s s will be found on p . 309 of the June number of thejouvnal for this year.]
ACCURACY IN T H E ANALYSIS OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. BY
H. DKOOPR I C H Y O N D , CHEMIST T O T H E AYLESBURY D A I R Y CO.
PART I.
I
MILK ANALYSIS.
N the July number of the Analyst for 1889 I published a paper on '' Fat Extraction from Milk Solids ; " the object of
that paper was to show how the differences between the two rival processes of fat-estimation could be explained and rectified ; I succeeded eventually in obtaining identical results by the processes due to Adams, Soxhlet, and Storch. Since that paper appeared it has been showfi by Waller, Liebermann, and others that the processes of fat-estimation, especially the Adams method, should be modified by rendering the use of ether as a solvent inadmissible. T h e Werner-Schmid process has also come into extensive use. I n considering the accuracy of any process we have three 1 Read
before the World's Congress of Chemists, August
22,
1893.
