T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D EhTGINEERING CHEMISTRI’ the mixtures of alcohol with other substances and the methods of utilization of these mixtures to increase the calorific power of the alcohol. The samples of substances t o be added t o the alcohol, if not found on the Russian market, should be sent in sufficient amounts to make detailed trials; in any event, not less than five kilograms. I n estimating the improvements relating t o internal combustion motors the preference in the assignment of the prizes will be given t o such separate improved parts as can be readily adapted t o internal combustion motors and which belong to existing types and make possible the advantageous utilization of alcohol or its mixtures in place of other kinds of fuel. The statements presented will be examined by a Competition Commission made up of persons designated by the Minister of Finance. Taking part in this Commission will be representatives of the Ministries and General Bureaus concerned as well as representatives of science and industry. The prizes will be assigned only to those inventions or improvements of which it may be assumed that they would imply a n appreciable consumption of alcohol. I n the case of inventions or improvements of especial value the Commission will have the right t o assign several or all prizes in t h a t class t o one person. The examination of the statements made and the assignment of prizes will take place July I , 1916,a t the latest. The decisions of the Competition Commission will be confirmed by the Minister of Finance. The inventor reserves the right to exploit his invention and to protect i t by taking out a certificate of protection. NOTE ON FERMENTATION OF FOODS CONTAINING BENZOIC ACID’ Occasionally it is observed that foods t o which sodium benzoate has been added undergo fermentation. While working with .apple juice during the last few seasons,’ sodium benzoate was added while the juice was running from the press. The juice was then transferred t o casks holding z joo gallons where it was clarified t o a degree of perfect brilliancy and then drawn off into new freshly paraffined kegs. Sometimes a few of these kegs would soon show signs of a very vigorous fermentation wl& all of the others would remain in perfect condition for several months. Thus i t appeared t h a t there are yeasts that will grow in the presence of benzoic acid, and that such cells had found their way into the kegs t h a t were showing evidences of fermentation. To determine this, some fresh apple juice was sterilized and the action of benzoic acid on several yeasts noted. XYith a pure wine yeast and Fleischmann’s baker’s yeast, 0 . I per cent of benzoic acid would inhibit the growth of the yeast as well as completely check the fermentation where 1 Author’s abstract of paper ,presented before the St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society, March 8. 1915.
1701.
7 , KO. 7
the yeast has been permitted t o become very vigorous before adding the benzoic acid (a more or less common belief prevails that benzoic acid will not prevent fermentation after the yeast has been permitted t o become active). With the yeast taken from the kegs, however, 0 . I per cent of benzoic acid had no inhibiting effect whatever; 0 . 2 per cent had a weak retarding action, while 0 . 3 per cent had a complete inhibiting effect. 3601 SALENA STREET,Sr. Lours GEO. LANG,JR. March 24, 1915
PAPER PULP A S AN AID IN FILTRATION TO prepare the pulp, make a mixture of one part strong “0s with four parts water in a wide mouth bottle. Add ordinary filter paper. Shake vigorously till the mixture is reduced to a fine smooth pulp. Throw the mass on a Buchner funnel, wash free of acid, then mix the pulp with water to form a thin liquid that will pour easily for use. This pulp has been found most indispensable for the filtration of the ammonium citrate solution from the digestion of phosphates for the determination of available P 2 0 5 which is done as follows: F i t a filter paper (9 cm. S.& S.j95) into a n-in. filter cone. Fill full with paper pulp, and after part of the water has run through, press the mass against the sides of the cone extending above the edge of the filter paper. I n filtering, the cone may be filled full, as the paper pulp prevents leaking at the top of the filter paper. The complete filtration and washing t o a volume of 400 cc. or more is usually complete in five minutes or less, instead of the half an hour or more which is frequently required without the paper pulp. If ashless paper pulp is used it may replace asbestos for use with Gooch crucibles. After ignition nothing remains but the precipitate. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. BERKELEY P. L. HIRRARD February 8, 19 15
KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH-CORRECTION Editor of the Jourital of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: M y a d d k s s on “Knowledge and Research,” delivered before the University of Pittsburgh, a t the dedication of the new building of the Mellon Institute, and reported in your issue for April [7 (1915), 3281 contains an erroneous statement, which I desire t o correct; namely, I said, in passing, and by way of illustration, that hIr. Edison had received, in perfecting his inventions, certain aid from Dr. Ira Remsen. This was not true; and I wish to withdraw the statement. To go further, and explain how I was misled t o make it, would be giving too much importance to a slip of memory which did not in the least affect my argument, and which is only worth notice because any error, however small,. ought to be corrected a t once. .R. W. RAYMOND 29 WEST 39TH STREET, NEWY O R K April 29, 1915
PERSONAL NOTES Sir Arthur Herbert Church, formerly professor of chemistry a t the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and known for his contributions t o chemistry and mineralogy, has died at the age of eighty-one years. Robert Stewart, professor of chemistry in the Utah Agricultural College, has been appointed associate professor of soil fertility and assistant chief in soil fertility in the Agricultural Experiment Station a t the University of Illinois. Jacob Lund, chemist, Christiania, Xonvay, has received the “Polyteknisk Forening’s” gold medal for his work on fats, an abstract of which may be found in C. A . , 8 ( I ~ I S )1516. , I n a n infringement suit brought by the General Bakelite Co.
against George J, Nikolas, of Chicago, for infringing the Baekeland patents Nos. 954,666, April 1 2 , 1910, 1,018,385,Feb. 20, 1912, and 1,037,719,Sept. 3, 1912,decision was rendered in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, on June Izth, by Judge Thomas Chatfield, holding all three patents valid and infringed. The decree covers about 60 pages and carefully reviews the details of the testimony of both plaintiff and defendant, and discusses at length the prior a r t as disclosed in this case. The trial was held in open court under the new rules of patent practice, and lasted for 23 days, beginning on December 9, 1913. The testimony filled 1396 typewritten pages. The defendant submitted 47 prior patents and many literature references which were alleged to contain prior disclosures. All
