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lowing the injection of proteoses into the circulation to the presence of contaminating substances derived from animal tissue or elsewhere. This conclusion is i n direct opposition to that of Pick and Spiro (Zfschr. jhysioi. Chenr., I ~ O O - ’ O I , 31, 237) whose work tended to show that the proteoses themselves were inert, and that whatever effects followed their introduction into the circulation were due to a contaminating substance, called by them ‘‘ peptozyme.” Methods of treatment, whereby the toxic action of the proteoses was eliminated, were also devised by those authors. T h e present article shows that these methods of purification are of little value. T h e methods employed by Pick and Spiro to obtain proteoses were found to be of little service since they failed under the conditions employed by Pick and Spiro in giving the author sufficient proteoses to call forth the reactions characteristic of these bodies. These methods, modified, yielded products in every way as toxic as the proteoses of other origin. Experiments were made with products obtained under conditions in which any contaminating substance would be eliminated, thus showing that the proteoses in theinselves are the toxic bodies. Products injected were proteoses formed from edestin of hemp seed with acids, by the action of bromelin and papain and by the action of superheated water i n the autoclave ; proteoses formed from excelsin of the Brazil nut by the action of acids ; proteoses formed from casein and acid, arid native proteoses obtained from hemp seed and the Brazil nut. F. P. UNDERHILL.
On Rigor Mortis. BE’ OTTO FOLIS. A m . J. Phjisiul., 9, 37438o.-This article is a preliminary communication tending to show that the coagulation theory of rigor mortis is incorrect. F. P. UNDERHILL. On the Formation of Dextrose in Metabolism from the EndProducts of a Pancreatic Digestion of Meat. BY PERCYG. STILES A N D GRAHAM L U S K . Am. 1 .f % j ~ s i o ~9,. , 380--356.--Five grams of nitrogen in the form of the products of pancreatic digestion of meat fed to phlorhizinized animals may give rise to the formation of about 12 grams of dextrose, or D : N : : 2.4 : I . T h e same amount of nitrogen fed as native proteid would be expected to produce I S to 19 grams of sugar. Xo light is thrown upon the question whether the sugar in these experiments was formed after a proteid synthesis had occurred or more directly froin the F. P. UNDERHILL. amido acids. INDUSTRI A L CHEMISTRY. The Petroleum Industry of Canada. BY W. J. K. 1-ANSTON. /. SOC.Chem. Im?.,1903, page 3g3.-In 1897, Canada stood sixth in the list of petroleum-producing countries, furnishing 0.64 per cent. of the total production of the world. Prac-
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tically all the Canadian oil is found in Ontario, in the counties of Kent and Lambton. T h e Lambton field is situated on the Cincinnati, anti-clinal which stretches through the United States and Canada. T h e oil is found in the corniferous limestone a t a depth of from 460 to 480 feet in the Petrolia field and a t about 370-400 feet in the Oil Springs area. T h e Canadian oil yields only about 40 per cent. of a rather inferior illuminating oil as compared with 75-78 per cent, in the case of Pennsylvania oil. T h e wells are slow producers and, because ,of economies practiced, a well pays that only produces 8-10 gallons a day. The introduction of surface boring, the “ jerker line” system, the use of pipe lines and underground receiving tanks and the burning of gas from the wells a s fuel are among the developments. I n 1900 the number of wells was said to be 10,000,producing 710,498 barrels, or only about 71 barrels per well. Oil land in a tested locality is worth about $300 per acre on the average, about ten times its value for farming purposes. The royalty on leases is generally one-seventh of the oil produced. T h e average price of crude oil in 1900 was $1.62 per barrel. Since 1898 the entire refining business has been in the hands of the Imperial Oil Co., which is said to be controlled by the Standard Oil Co., of the United States. T h e main refinery is a t Sarnia, where there are sixteen “crude” stills of 600 barrels each and eight tar stills of 250 barrels each, but owing to the growing scarcity of oil it is not worked to its full capacity. S. P. SADTLER.
A New Method of Turpentine Orcharding. BY CHARLESH. HERTZ. U. S. Dept. of Agricultziie, Bureau of Forestry, Bulletin No. 4 0 , 1go3.-The Bulletin consists of 43 pages with numerous half- and whole-page illustrations. The method described consists in brief, in scraping the trees for a certain distance and placing gutters and vessels for catching the crude spirits of turpentine, a t the bottom, instead of cutting out a container in the body of the tree itself. T h e tree sustains less injury and the yield of turpentine is greater, S. P. SADTLER.
New Cottrell Storage Battery. Western Electrician, May 2 , 1903, page jqg.-This cell is I I inches high’, 51/2inches wide and 3lI2 inches thick and weighs ten pounds. Seventy cells, weighing 2 2 0 pounds, in a space measuriug 1 2 x 1 8 ~ 2 4inches, are said to be sufficient to run an automobile of the “run-about” pattern a t the rate of IO miles an hour for five hours. T h e plates are of carbonized woven cloth enveloped in thin sheet lead, pierced with circular holes. T h e fabric is saturated with a solution, the cornposition of which is not given. s. P. SADTLER. The Concentration of Sulphuric Acid. BY DR. FRANZ MEYER.J . Soc. Chem. Ind., July 15, 1903, p. 78r.--The author describes n r . A. Zanner’s evaporating pans for con-
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centrating chamber acids, etc., by utilizing the waste heat from the roasting (pyrites) ovens, the dilute acid being contained in pans made of earthenware plates, situated wholly in the horizontal flues. T h e pan consists of a shell of cast iron, five-eighths inch thick, and lined withstoneware plates half an inch thick, forming a rectangular box with a plate of stone as a cover. Vritli gases a t a temperature of 4ooo-4zj0C . , one square foot of pan bottom area will produce 400 pounds of 66’ €36. acid in tn-enty-four hours. If chamber acid alone is concentrated, the product is equal in quality to acid concentrated in platinum pans. S. P. SADTLER.
Portland Cement Manufactured from Blast-Furnace Slag. BY THE CHEVALIEK C. DE SCHWAKZ. (Abstract from paper read before the Iron and Steel Institute. j Engineering News, 1903, page 469.-The manufacture of cement from granulated slag at the blast-furnaces has advantages, such as the use of waste or very cheap power, waste coke, screenings and rubble, the slag and cheap limestone. T h e cement is said to be very regular in its composition and shows strength tests (of cement I part and sand 3 parts) made by the Municipal Laboratory of Vienna. ( a > Seven days 383 lbs. tensile strength. 3880 lbs. compression strength. ( 6 ) Twenty-eight days if jj1 lbs. tensile strength. (. .,541 I lbs. compression strength. T h e production of blast-furnace cement is most cheaply effected along with the production of gray pig iron and basic slag, which slag needs very little addition of limestone or marl to make a good cement and at the same time it is burned at a comparatively low heat or merely mixed with slaked lime. The cement after setting is extremely hard, as tested with the emery wheel and acts very well with salt-water. S. P. SADTLER. A New Material for Pipe-Joints. American Gas L i g h t JOUYnal, June I , 1go3.-The material is called “Leadite” and consists of sulphur, brick-dust, and sand, and also (it is said) of various other materials. I t is used in place of lead for making cast-iron pipe-joints and is cast into place the same a s lead. S. P. SADTLER.
Transmission of Power by Gas. American Gas Lzght JOUYna/, May 2 5 , Ig03.-111 the article the proposition is to conduct gas for long distances under high pressure instead of the electric current ; to have substations where the pressure is reduced for heating and lighting, and gas engines and generators for the use of electricity. T h e main advantage claimed seems to be that i t would be a very convenient form of distribution and would be a more economical source of power with cheap gas and 1000H . P. (and larger) gas-engines than expensive illuminating gas and
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smaller engines than are now used. T h e cost with English Mond gas a t 150 B. T. U.per cubic foot would be the same as coal-slack a t $9 per ton. T h e leakage claimed would be about one-tenth per cent. per mile. S. P. SADTLER.
Apparatus for, and nethods of, Treating Wood to Protect I t from Fire and Preserve I t from Decay. BY JOSEPH L. FERRELL. Proceedings of the Engineers’ Club of Philadephia, April, rgo3.-1n all processes hitherto described for the impregnation of wood with chemicals, the effort has been made to liquefy and remove by vacua1 extraction the real sap, or soul, of the wood. T h e wood is weakened and the results in cases, both of preservation from decay and resistance from fire, were of doubtful value. With regard to appliances, the old form of impregnating cylinder, 62 to 84 inches in diameter, with external hinged gate would hardly stand 175 pounds, even with much leaking. T h e new form of apparatus has an internal sliding gate operated by hydraulic pressure and, as the pressure clamps it tighter, it will stand 1,000 pounds without leaking. I n this way the lumber is saturated in a small fraction of the time taken by the old method. I n saturating with aluminum sulphate, .the wood is not discolored in any way nor injured in strength, and an average of 2,Soo samples tested shows a fire resistance of fourteen times that of the ‘ I old line ” sulphate of ammonia wood. While timber can be saturated with preservative solutions in the cylinder, the difficulty that has been met with is to have it stand the action of the elements, especially in railroad ties. Creosote largely volatilizes and its phenols are washed away. Aqueous solutions, such as copper and zinc salts, are easily dissolved by water and speedily removed. To improve conditions in this respect, a small cylinder is used for ties, and the operation of saturation is conducted so quickly that the whole operation is complete in seven minutes. Twenty saturators, at a cost of $20,000,can be made to saturate 1,500ties in a day of twelve hours, or 500,000per annum. T h e apparatus is constructed in such a way that two solutions, one following the sap canals and entering the same through a rubber ring, at the end of the cylinder to which the tie is pressed, and another forced through the medullary rays of the wood, from the surface, meet and effect double decomposition. This reaction forms a soluble preservative substance and an insoluble inert one to close the ends of channels and effectually shutting in the preservative. T h u s calcium chloride and zinc sulphate meet, forming zinc chloride, the preservative, and calcium sulphate, which protects it, These chemicals are cheaper than using zinc chloride alone, for less of the zinc salts is used in this case and it is retained, while the zinc chloride by itself is lost. I n addition to an account of the large pressure cylinder for treating wood for fire-proof purposes mainly, and the apparatus for saturating ties by double decomposition,
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the article mentions a modification of fire-proofing treatment by surface-coating i n such a way that the external fibers or canal interstices are filled with a fire-resisting solution, and additional quantities of such material, formitig a transparent or colored enamel, are coated on the wood and firmly adhere to their anchorage between the fibers. I n this way the wood of a structure already built can be amply protected. T h e enamel can also be proof to the action of the elements (when d r y ) for external use. s. P. S A D T L E K .
Manufacture of Cement from [larl and Clay. HESRYS . SPACKMAN. Puoceediizgs of the E7igizeei.s’ Clzb of Plliladel#hia, April, 1go3.--Marl is of organic origin, the deposits being found in low lands, marshes and bottoms of lakes. I t is soft in texture atid, ordinarily, 90 per cent. will pass through a xoo-mesh sieve. I n Northern Ohio, the marl conies from calcareous waters and is not so soft. 1 1 1 general, marl deposits are found in shallow waters and it is fairly clean when the water is over two feet deep. I t often contains sand, in additioti to org:inic matter which latter is easily burned off when not mechanically separated, but the sand of more than 3 per cent. is very objectiouable even when ground. Analysis of marl for Portland cement should vary between the following limits : Silica .................................. oo,oo- 3.00 Alumina ant1 oxide of iron. ..............OO.OO5.00 Liriie.. ................................ .jj.o0-56.00 Magnesia ............................... o0.001.50 Sulphuric anhydride. ....................OO.OOI .oo Organic matter.. ........................ 0.00- 5 . 0 0
T h e clay used with marl should be free froni uncombined silica. b‘or large mills, the marl is excavated by dredges or steam shovels and often pumped direct from dredge to mill or pumped to scows atid then from the scows to the mills. I t contains about j o per cent. of water. Efforts are now being put forth towards drying marl before making into cement. T h e mechanical operations are as follows : I . Dredging, if below water, or mining with cars, if 0x1 land. 2 . Pumping or carrying to mills in cars, the pumping being best done by double cylinders with compressed air. 3. Pugging mill to break it up. 4. Storage tanks. j . Mixing in mixing tank. 6. Ground wetting in tube mills or sonietimes with millstones. 7 . Ground “ slurry ’’ stored. 8. Run into rotary kilns, direct with jc-60 per cent. water. 9. Clinker sometimes cooled by the blast for burning coal. IO. Ground by ball o r tube mills or Griffiti mills. All apparatus is ruu by electric motors. T h e coal (generally used for fuel) is powdered to I O O mesh. T h e chief advantages in the use of marl are that tbe excavation arid grinding of the raw materials are less difficult and a more intimate mixture ensues. T h e disadvantages are : Handling so much water as material ; increased fuel consumption
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of 50 per cent.; reduction in output ; difficulty in operating in cold weather and materials must be kept moving. T h e author thinks new mills are favoring the manufacture of Portland cement from clay and liniestone rather than either argillaceous limestone or marl. S. P. SADTLER. Some Kansas Petroleum. BY EDWARD BARTOWA N D ELMER V. MCCOLLUM. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 18, 57-58. -Eight samples of oil from different localities in Allen and Neosho counties showed decided variations in physical properties. T h e specific gravity ranged from 0.866 to 0.940; the flash-point from 11' C. to 143' C. ; the burning-point from 25' C. to 72' C. Distillation tests were also made which will be reported on later. W. F. HILLEBRAND. Professor F. Haber on Electrochemistry in the United States. Electrochemical I n d u s t y , June and July, 1go3.-A translation and abstract of the extensive report published by Dr. F. Haber in the Zeitschrqt fiiv Ehktrochemie. T h e doctor's visit lasted sixteen weeks, and his impressions of American industrial and scientific life are very interesting, and well worth reading, either in the original or in this extensive abstract. J. W. RICHARDS. The McDonald Electrolytic Cell as a Chlorine Producer. BY T.ULKE. Eng. Min. I., June 6, 1go3.-A plant of 50 cells is in operation at the Clarion Paper Mill, Johnsonburg, Pa. T h e cells have no revolving or reciprocating parts ; each contains ten carbon anodes in the central compartment of a three-chamber, rectangular, cast-iron tank, the other cathode compartments being separated from it by asbestos diaphragms supported by perforated iron partitions. T h e diaphragm consists of asbestos paper fastened to asbestos cloth by a little sodium silicate. T h e chlorine is led by vitrified pipe to absorbing towers, where it comes in contact with milk of lime to form bleaching solution. T h e output is IO'/^ pounds of chlorine per electrical horse-power day, the voltage per cell 4'/*, amperes 420, and 2l/, H. P. per cell. I t is reported that the Standard Chlorination Works, a t Colorado City, will put up 500 of these cells. J. W. RICHARDS. Egyptianized Clay. BY F. A. J. FITZGERALD. Eng. Min. I.,May g, 1go3.-Mr. E. G. Acheson has made experiments to determine the cause of the plasticity of clays, and finally found that by treating clays with dilute solutions of tannic acid the plasticity was greatly increased, and that clays thus treated had a much greater tensile strength when made up into forms and baked, requiring less water in getting into working condition and producing a less porous article. I t occurred to Mr. Acheson that possibly the straw used by the Egyptians in making their brick had a similar effect; he, therefore, made an extract from straw and found that it worked similarly to the solution of tannic acid. It
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was, therefore, the vegetable extract froni the straw which improved the Egyptian bricks, rather than the fibre of the straw. Mr. Acheson has found that a large class of vegetable extracts have a similar effect, and has termed his treatment “Egyptianized Clay.” J. W.RICHARDS.
AaRICULTURAL CHEnISTRY. Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture, 1902. U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook, 1902, g r z pp,-As in the past, the Yearbook consists of a review of the operations of the Department during the year by the Secretary of Agriculture and miscellaneous semi-popular articles relating to the work of the Department. T h e usual summary of information of interest to farmers is appended. Of the thirty-seven articles in this Yearbook several are of more or less interest from the standpoint of agricultural chemistry. G. T. Moore discusses the contamination of public water supplies by a l g z . While many of the a l g z give water a disagreeable odor and taste, their products, so far a s known, are not injurious to health. J. K . Haywood describes the examination of water for sanitary, irrigation and other purposes, commenting especially upon the interpretation of analytical data. W. H. Krug reports chemical studies of some forest products of economic importance. Analyses were made of the wood and bark of the western hemlock and of t h e r e d , chestnut, white and black oaks. T h e examination of a number of samples of turpentine oil from different sources revealed in sonie cases the presence of adulterants, the most common heing petroleum in one or more of its fractions. G. T. Moore, in discussing ‘ I Bacteria and the Nitrogen Problem,” points out the ways in which nitrogen is lost, as by the removal of crops, the waste of sewage, the action of denitrifying organisms, the washing of nitrogen salts from the soil, and the burning of explosives, and describes the source of supply, as nitrate of soda, guano, and the artificial production of nitrates from atmospheric nitrogen. T h e main part of the article, however, is devoted to an illustrated description of the root tubercle bacteria and the method of artificial inoculation of soils devised by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture. Two serious objections have been raised to the use of earth in inoculating soils, namely, the expense aud the danger of introducing plant diseases. Pure cultures of the root tubercle bacteria in rich nitrogenous media, introduced in Germany under the name of Nitragin, have on the whole proved unsatisfactory after several years of extensive trial. Cultures of the tubercle bacteria with greatly increased nitrogen-fixing power were obtained by the Bureau by the use of nitrogenfree culture media. In the method devised, the cultures are taken up by some absorbent, allowed to d r y , and distributed in this
