In conclusion, I can only hope that this will serve as an introduction between this fascinating science of x-rays and those readers who have not b e f o r e had the time or opportunity to make its acquaintance and who, though they may never press the acquaintanceship further, will none t h e less have been glad of the opportunity f o r the meeting. I a m deeply indebted to P r o f . G. I,. Clark, u n t i l recently of this I n s t i t u t e and now of the University of Illinois, at whose suggest i o n I: u n d e r t o o k t h e preparation of this paper, whose book. " A ~ ~ l i eXd Rays" has been my guide FIG. ~ ~ . - D I ~ R A ~ TPAI TT O ENRN oa SISAL FIBER t h r o u g h o u t , and who has given me many valuable suggestions.
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Hieroglyphics Reveal Origin of Chemical Terms. The word chemistry and the names of such chemical materials as toilet articles, perfumes, dyes, textile fibers, precious stones and metals have been traced hack to an Aryan source by Dr. W. R. Kokatnur, consulting chemist of New York City. Speaking before the American Chemical Sodety meeting in Detroit, Dr. Kokatnur cited hieroglyphic records as well as archeological and ethnological evidence to support his conclusions concerning the origin of chemical terms. The isolation of metallic mercury dates hack farther than many historians have believed, Dr. Earle R. Caley declared, speaking in the same division devoted to the history of chemistry. Apparently the only compound of mercury known to the andents was the s a d e . This was used as a pigment and early Roman writers have left accounts of a chemical test to detect its adulteration.-Science Service Open-Weave Cloth Transmits Ultra-Violet Rays. To be bathed by the beneficial ultra-violet rays. wear open-weave fabric. To test the claims that artificial silk cloth allowed large amounts of the healthgiving, short wave-lengths of sunlight to pass through, various fabrics were submitted to test a t the National Bureau of Standards. Cotton was found to he nearly as transparent to the ultra-violet light as viscose and cellulose acetate, and real silk had about the same transparency as cotton. T h e viscose artificial silk was more transparent than that made from cellulose acetate hut the maximum transparency measured was only 27 per cent. Dyes or the yellowing due to age was found to reduce the transmission to only about 5 to 10 per cent and in most fabrics the threads occupy 95 to 99 per cent of the total space. The experts concluded that the composition of the fabric is of less importance than the coarseness of weave.-Science Service
