8
NEWS
EDITION
Vol. 7, N o . 1 0
Local Section Activities Recent Meetings of Local Sections Akcron. February 20, 1929. "Elastic Colloids," by G. S. Whitby, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. A m e s . February 22, 1929. "Present Research Conditions in E u r o p e , " b y E. W. Lindstrom, I o w a S t a t e College, Ames, Iowa. California. April 12, 1929. "Installation and Work of t h e New Research Laboratories of the Shell Development C o m p a n y , " by E . C. Williams. Central Pennsylvania. M a y 7, 1929. "Some Recent Advances in Colloid Chemistry," by R . A. Gortner, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. Chicago. A p r i l 19, 1929. " T h e Present Trend of Industrial Research," b y E. R. Weidlein, Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, P a . Cincinnati. May 8, 1929. "Recent Investigations of Certain Proteins b y the Aid of t h e Ultra-Centrifuge," by Francis F. Heyroth, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine. Cleveland. April 18, 1929. "Cooperation of Science w i t h I n d u s t r y , " b y E. R. Weidlein. Colorado. March 27, 1929. "Conditions Influencing the R a t e of Inversion of Sucrose," by R o b e r t J. Brown, Great Western Sugar Co. April 24, 1929. " S o m e Chemical Phases of Flotation," by A. J. Weinig, School of Mines, Golden, Colo. Delaware. April 17, 1929. "Chemiluminescence," b y E. Newton H a r v e y , Princeton "University. Detroit. M a y 1, 1929. "Gliding," by Donald Walker, National Gliders Association. Florida. M a y 11, 1929. " T h e Place of Minute Traces of Minerals in Nutrition,*" by Rebecca B . Hubbell; " T h e Present Status of Vitamin B , " b y Beulah Westerman; " R e p o r t of Nutrition Research a t Florida S t a t e College fox- Women," b y Jennie Tilt; and " S o m e Clinical Phases of Hypothyroidism—Problems t o Be Solved," by T . Z. Cason, Riverside Hospital., Jacksonville, F l a . Indiana. M a y 3, 1929. "Catalytic Poisoning of a Surface Reaction," b y Irving Xrangnmir, President of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. Iowa. March 18, 1929. " T h e Chemical Effect of Electrical Discharge in Hydrocarbons," b y S. C. I*ind, University of Minnesota. Kanawha Valley. F e b r u a r y 19, 1929. " H a b i t s of t h e A t o m s , " by F r a n k C . Whitmore, Northwestern University, Evanston, 111. Lehigh Valley. M a y 3, 1929. " A n Expose of Industrial Research," b y Donald B . Keyes, University of Illinois; and an after-dinner address by S. W. Parr, University of Illinois. Lexington. A.pril 16, 1929. "Industrial Chemical Microscopy," by I,. C. Lindsley, Columbia University, New York, N . Y. Louisiana. -April 19, 1929. " P a t e n t s and the United States P a t e n t System," b>y Walter H. Cook, N e w Orleans, La. Milwaukee. April 26, 1929. " T h e Chemical Effect of Electrical Discharge in HEydrocarbons," by S. C . Lind. N e w York, May 3 , 1929. "Process Development," by A r t h u r D. Little, president o f the Society of Chemical I n d u s t r y . N o r t h Carolfcaa. M a y 10 and 1 1 , 1929. Joint meeting w i t h the N o r t h Carolina A c a d e m y of Science, N o r t h Carolina College for Women, Greensboro, N. G , Northeastern.. M a y 10, 1929. "Modern American Industrial Organic Chemistry*" by F r a n k C . Whitmore. N o r t h Jersey* M a y 13, 1929. " P l a n t s and Soils," b y H o m e r J. Wheeler, American Agricultural Chemical Co., N e w York, N . Y. Ohio lforth.e:rn. February 21, 1929. "Problems of t h e L i m e I n d u s t r y , " b y James DR. Withrow, Ohio S t a t e University, Columbus, Ohio. M a r c h 2 1 , 1929. "The C h e m i s t in a Rubber Factory," b y M a r v i n Achterhof, B . F . Goodxich Co., Akron, Ohio. Omaha. Apxil 16, 1929. "Anaerobic Respirations," by W. S. Sturgis a n d L . B . Parsons, Cudahy Packing Co., Omaha, Nebr. .Oregon. Apxil 6, 1929. "Technical Problems of the F l a x I n d u s t r y , " b y F. D. Gilbraitn, Miles Linen Co., Salem, Ore.; and "Heterogeneous Equilibria iaetween Aqueous a n d Metallic Solutions," by M . W. Deming, Oregon S t a t e College. Pittsburgh. April 18, 1929. "Properties and Uses of M u l h t e , " by M a c Donald C. Booze, vice president of Charles Taylor & Sons, Cincinnati, Obio. R h o d e Island- May 10,1929. " A c t i n o m e t r y , " by George Shannon Forbes, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. St. Joseph Valley. April 17, 1929. " T h e o r y and Practice in the Chemi s t r y of Synthetic R e s i n s , " by R . C. Shuey, Bakelite Corp., Chicago, 111. St. i/ouis, fc-lay 6, 1929. " T h e New Water Works on the Missouri River," by Xeonarefore Judge Hutcheson in t h e District Court of the United States f o r the Southern District of Texas, a n d the daiins were tffaere found t o be invalid. T h e present decision w a s on sa.n appeal from t h a t decree. The argument before the Court o f Appeals w a s had on Februa r y 18, 1929. XThe decision i s dated. March 6, 1929, a n instance of unusual expedition o n the part o f our courts. T h e decision held all o>f the claims to be invalid: t h e process claims of DeBrey a n d the process^ claims of t h e first Thompson patent on the grounds that t h ^ processes w e r e merely the application of the o l d rectification process, in t h e usual way, to t h e natural gasoline industry, constituting, "therefore, j u s t t h e application of a n old process t o a n e w subject, a n d as anticipated b y patents pertaining t o other industries i n v o l v i n g t h e treatment of hydrocarbon m i x t u r e s ; the product claims of the first and second T h o m p s o n pater-its on t i e grounds that t h e y cover t h e product of rectification o f natural gasoline i n the ordinary w a y and that w h a t Thompson accomplished, amounted to n o more than the making o f a ch «mical analysis of the product of t h e DeBrey process a n d an expression of the result, thus n o t involving the invention and b^ing o n i y a difference in t h e degree or proportion of the constituents. The Court summed tip i t s thoughts relative to t h e product claims of theTheompsoxx patents as follows: What Tliompson. did was confined to a d e t e r m i n a t i o n b y chemical analysis of t h e characteristi ess of the p r o d u c t resulting from the o r d i n a r y rectification of natural gasoline „ and l>y reducing t h e p r o p a n e content a n d t h e r e b y increasing t l i e amouxit of bxxrtane possible* also increasing largely t h e yield. A t most i t was a cTTiango in. degree of c o n s t i t u e n t s and n o t in i d e n t i t y from prior products. XThere w a s still present some propane, a n d only more b u t a n e . .As Thompson differed f r o m I>eBrey only i n following his rectification process by an anaJLysis of t h e p r o d u c t obtained, by it, which failed t o disclose a differesnt prodLtxct, DeJBrey a n t i c i p a t e d Thompson i n the resulting p r o d u c t .
A companion case t o the one decided in t l i e opinion. herein discussed is thafc of the Carbide a n d Carbon Cnemicals Corporat i o n vs. Phillips Petroleum C o m p a n y , i n which the same three patents were sued upon. T h i s case is n o w awaiting decision by t h e Court of Ap peals f o r the 'Third Circuit.
Gas CyLindexs Research. Committee Reports The Department o f Scientific and Industrial Research of Great Britain \m as recently issued t h e third a n d fourth reports of its Q a s Cylinders jReseaxch Committee. T h e third report is on "ASliby S t ^ e l ligirt Cylinders" and contains 74 pages; the fourth report is entitled "Cylinders for Uquefiable Gases," and occupies 151 pages. T h e s e reports may be obtained from His M a j e s t y ' s Staticz>nery Office, £,ondon, or from t h e British Library of Information, 5 B a s t Forty-fifth St., New York, N . Y . A brief summary of "these reports follows: THIRD R^POE5.T—Ugiiter c y l i n d e r s for storage and transport of "permanent*3* gases for medical, aeronautical, and mine resc u e worls were ^sought- Detailed results of t e s t s on duralumin, heat-treated nickel st:eel, a n d rjickel-chromium-molybdenum steel are given. The duralum an cylhcxders were m a d e from seamless tube by necking down and plugging both ends. They met t h e specified strength requir^sments, and -were n o t dangerously corroded by
CHEMISTRY
9
oxygen at 120 atmospheres i n 6 months. But "folds" in t h e necked-down ends were prevalent, a n d for this reason alloy steel cylinders were preferred, although similar trouble was met from folds in the steel cylinders. Nickel-steel (0.30% C„ 3 . 0 % Ni) cylinders g a v e fair results, but were abandoned because the firm supplying them made them b y welding t h e necks t o the body. This w a s considered inadvisable. Four batches of 4-inch, and one of 6-inch cylinders of Ni-CrM o steel were tested in detail. B o t h hemispherical and conical ends were tried; the latter gave less trouble from "folds." It was decided to recommend only t h e NI-Cr-Mo steel, and t o restrict the use of these light cylinders to small capacities, about 20 cu. ft., of free g a s . I t is evident t h a t t h e thing mainly evaluated w a s t h e ability of t h e makers t o manufacture the cylinders rather than the suitability of t h e alloys for the purpose. Final recommendations are for use of 0.30% C , 2.5% Ni, 0.6% Cr, 0.6% M o steei, heat-treated t o give 125,000 to 145,000 lbs. per sq. in. tensile, 90,000 yield, 1 8 per cent elongation. Cylinders must be seamless and weldless, m u s t p a s s a hydraulic test of 2700 lbs. per sq. i n . with, permanent set n o t over one-tenth t h e total stretch, and must n o t leak at 2550 l b s . per sq. in. Filled with air a t 1800 lbs. p e r sq. in. a n d perforated by an armorpiercing bullet, a t e s t cylinder must n o t fragment or burst. T h e working pressure i s not t o exceed 1800 l b s . per sq. in., nor t h e maximum working stress 85,000 lbs. per sq. in. Stamping for identification may only b e o n neck or collar. F O U R T H REPORT—Pressures at 4 5 ° and 65° C. were calculated for normal filling, and f o r 5 a n d 10 per c e n t overfilling, from a long series of tests on commercial gases. It i s very necessary that t h e filling be kept s o low that t h e liquid contents will never expand enough to occupy all t h e space; s o m e free gas space m u s t be left. T h e "filling ratio" i s the w e i g h t of g a s in pounds for each pound weight of c a p a c i t y of t h e cylinder for water. T h e following are recommended: GAS
FOR X B M P B R A T B CWMAX3SS (45° C)
Filling ratio 1.25 1.25 0.54 CH3CI 0.83 C*HsCl 0.82 HCN 0.60 COCh 1.25 CO2 (p urity 99%) 0 . 7 5 N 2 0 (Jrnrity 97%) 0 . 7 5 C2H4 (]purity 98%) 0 . 3 2 5
S02 Cb NHj
F O R TROPICAI, C L I M A T E S (65° C.)
Working Pressure Filling ratio pressure Lbs. per sg. in. Lbs. per sg. in. 87 160 1.19 283 174 1.19 412 241 0.51 211 130 0.79 60 29 0.79 32 12 0.57 95 53 1.19 1800 0.667 1800 1800 0.667 1800 1800 0.27 1800
Since t h e weight of contents of cylinders of these gases is much greater t h a n of "permanent" gases, w e i g h t saving of the cylinder is n o t so important, and instead of t h e 0.45 per c e n t carbon steel recommended for use w i t h permanent gases, acid or basic openhearth steel of 0 . 2 0 to 0.25 per c e n t carbon, 0.45 to 0.75 per cent manganese, n o t over 0.2O per c e n t silicon, o r 0.045 per cent sulfur or potassium is specified. Tubes m u s t be seamless. Cylinders must be normalized from 860° to 8 9 0 ° C. A table of wall thicknesses required for different working pressures is given. With the presentation of t h e fourth report t h e work of the committee was finished a n d it was discharged. A sub-committee will present a later report o n storage a n d transport of chlorine and other gases otherwise than in solid-drawn cylinders. Tests made at t h e National Physical Laboratory, on which the recommendations are based, are given i n detail and will be of interest to cylinder makers a n d their users.—H. W. GUJLETT
Joint Production and Chemical Conference T h e third annual Joint Production and Chemical Conference will be held under the auspices of t h e Carbonization, Water Gas, and Chemical Committees of t h e American Gas Association, M a y 27 t o 29, a t the Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, M d . T h e sessions of special interest to chemists w i l l be h e l d on Tuesday morning a t 10 A. M., and Wednesday afternoon a t 2 p. M. Following t h e latter session, a n Open Forum on c 'laboratory Technic," led b y F . W . Sperr, Jr., will b e held, when members will be given an opportunity t o present problems of their o w n for discussion.
Calendar of Meetings American Chemical Society—78th M e e t i n g , Minneapolis, Minn., September 9 t o 13, 1929. Seventh Colloid Symposium—Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., June 2 0 to 2 2 , 1929. American Electrochemical Society—Toronto, Canada, M a y 27 t o 29, 1929. American Institute of Chemical Engineers—Midyear Meeting, Philadelphia, P a . , June 19 t o 21, 1929. American Leather Chemists* Association—Annual Meeting, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, Canada, J u n e 5 t o 7, 1929.
10
NEWS
Summer Session at Western Reserve Western Reserve University announces that B . Smith Hopkins, of t h e University of Illinois, well known for his discovery of illinium and work in t h e rare earths, will b e the visiting professor in the Department of Chemistry for the summer session, June 2 4 t o August 2 . Professor Hopkins will give two series of lectures. T h e first, on t h e "Inorganic Chemistry of t h e Less Familiar Klements and Their Relation in t h e Periodic System," deals with those elements which are passed over hurriedly or neglected entirely in the usual course in inorganic chemistry, and wiU cover the available minerals, sources of supply, extraction and purification, principal commercial uses, recently discovered elements, and unfilled spaces in t h e periodic table. T h e second course will include a discussion on the problems encountered i n t h e teaching of chemistry. I n addition t o the usual undergraduate courses in chemistry, H . P. Lankelma will conduct a course of lectures o n "Stereochemistry, the Carbohydrates and Proteins." H. S. Booth will offer a course, including both lecture and laboratory, i n chemical microscopy, involving t h e use of the microscope and its accessories in chemical research a n d the application of microchemical methods, including microqualitative analysis, to chemical problems. Numerous industrial applications will b e illustrated. The stud e n t s will receive training in photo-micrography a n d ultramicroscopy, two phases of t h e subject n o t commonly offered i n a n elementary course. The laboratory i n chemical microscopy is excellently equipped with chemical microscopes and complete s e t s of accessories. Opportunity i s offered for advanced laborat o r y practice in inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, qualitat i v e and quantitative analysis, physical chemistry, chemical microscopy, and electrochemistry. The laboratory offers special facilities for research in the study o f gases, their preparation and purification, and measuring of certain of their physical constants; for work in physical a n d electrochemistry, organic chemistry, a n d chemical microscopy.
Heckscher Research Foundation T h e secretary of the Heckscher Research Council of Cornell University advises that the following list of grants from the Heckscher Research Foundation has been made to members of t h e staff of the Department of Chemistry for the support of research during the present and t h e coming year: T . R . B R I G G S W I T H C. C . MURDOCH, " T h e U s e of X - R a y s i n a S t u d y of
t h e Size and Shape of Colloidal Particles, -with Particular Reference to Catal y t i c Agents." J . P A P I S H AND J. R.. JOHNSON, associated with, professors of t h e D e p a r t m e n t of Physics, "Spectroscopy a n d Luminescence." A . W . BROWNE, " A Study of Azidodithiocarbonic Acid and I t s Derivatives w i t h Particular Reference t o Reversible Photographic and Radiotropic Effects." W . D . BANCROFT AND J. R . JOHNSON, "Researches in Photochemistry." J . P A P I S H , " T h e Occurrence, Distribution, a n d Association of the Rarer Chemical Elements." I*. M . D E N N I S , " T h e S t u d y of Germanium and I t s Compounds." I*. M . D E N N I S AND J. P A R I S H W I T H R. C . G I B B S , a g r a n t for t h e purchase
of a n adjustable Etalon. I*. M . D E N N I S , " T h e Investigation of t h e Separation of Isotopes."
Rosenwald Industrial Museum T h e Rosenwald Industrial Museum, 3 0 0 West Adams St., Chicago, 111., plans to interpret the history of science, engineering, a n d industry, n o t only by three-dimensional working models, b u t also through a presentation of social and economic causes a n d results to clarify t h e little-known background of epochm a k i n g inventions a n d discoveries. I t has recently been learned t h a t a Newcomen engine stood f o r many years on the shores of Newark Bay a n d w a s finally junked because no instit u t i o n would give it a permanent home. The b i g Corliss beam engine that ran t h e Pullman works met a similar fate. I t is conceivable that many technical relics, which might well find a h o m e in the first industrial museum i n America, are still in existence in some inconspicuous corner. I f information regarding such invaluable pieces of apparatus i s available, t h e Rosenw a l d Industrial Museum will greatly appreciate receiving full details.
World Engineering Congress Delegations Arrangements for the reception o f one hundred of Europe's m o s t distinguished engineers and scientists, w h o will arrive in N e w York during the summer en route to t h e World Engineering Congress a t Tokyo, have been placed in charge of Roy V . Wright, president of the United ^Engineering Societies, as chairman of the N e w York reception committee according to announcement of t h e American Committee of the Congress, of which Bhner A.
EDITION
Vol. 7, N o . 10
Sperry is chairman. I t is expected ^ h a t the foreign engineers will arrive in separate delegations of approximately forty each from Great Britain a n d Germany, anct the ^remainder from Sweden, Denmark, France, a n d Italy, probably- during August and September. Bach of these countries has intdicated that its foremost engineers will b e included in its delegation. The committee will plan inspection trips for tHe foreign delegations, a n d arrange for their entertainment and taansiportation while here. The foreign delegations will s a i l from -the JPacific Coast for Japan about the time t h a t the American delegation, vvfadch is now composed of t w o hundred a n d thirty-five engineers aand their families from all parts of the country, sails fironx San 2E?rancisco. T h e American party h a s reserved a special shdp and will embark at San Francisco on October 11.
Accurate Vapor Pressure Chaart for Hydrocarbons All vapor pressure charts previously describee! are based on the assumption of Duhring's rule or some similar relationship b y which the curves c a n b e reduced to apprcodmateHy straight lines or represented b y a simple formula- AJthoug~h valuable for commercial work and reproducing satisfactorily t h e experimental data over narrow ranges of temperature and pressure, these relationships fail when applied t o d a t a extending over wide ranges of temperature a n d pressure. A n e w form! of vapor pressure chart, accurate over wide ranges o f temperature within t h e limit of the be$t experimental data n o w arvailablie, has been d e veloped for t h e Natural Gasoline Association of America in t h e course of a n investigation on trie properties of natural gasoline by t h e Department of Hngineeadng Research of the University of Michigan. This chart was described befoire the JPetroieum Division of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAI, SOCIETY a t its S t . Xouis m e e t i n g by t h e
authors, George Granger Brown, and BEal B . Coats. I n addition to the chart itself, -which indudes those compounds from propane through heptane, Circular 2 of the Department of Engineering Research of the "University o f Michigan, contains seventeen pages of explanation and descriptive matter. It m a y be obtained at a cost of one dollar b y addressing t h i s depaartment at A n n Arbor, Mich.
E. CL Uhlig Honored The importance of chemistry i n the g a s industry w a s emphasized a t a testimonial dinner given on April 4 toEcSward C. Uhlig, chief chemist of t h e Brooklyn Union G a s Co,, ini recognition of his twenty-five years' continuous service with the company. Officials of various gas companies in greater Newr Y o r k were present, together with one hundred and fifty o f Mr. TJhlig's friends in the company a n d John C. Olsen a n d has assc*ciates a t Polytechnic Institute. Clifford E - Paige, vice president and c h i e f engineer of the company, stressed the importance o f chemusttry in tfae gas business and told of t h e valuable services rendered b»y Mr. TJhlig, not only to the company b u t the g a s industry as a wfliole, Other speakers were Major Alexander Forward, managing director: of t h e American G a s Assodation; F . C. Weber, assistant v i c e president of the Brooklyn Union Gas Co.; andW. CulLen Moxrris, v i c e president and chief engineer of the Consolidated G a s Company of New York. Since Mr. Uhlig*s entrance hrto the g a s business on April 4 , 1904, h e has become one of its most prominent ^figures. He i s a member of the Chemists' Club and many scientific societies a n d has been chairman, of some of t h e most irnportamt committees of the American G a s Association.
More Platinum Thefts Thefts of more platinum dish.es have t>een reported, one i n Pennsylvania, anotfier in Florida, and still another in Minnesota. A dish recently disappeared from the laboratory of t h e Towne Scientific School of the University of Pennsylvania, while left imguarded for a half hour. A platinum cxucible was removed from t h e chemistry laboratory o f Rollins College* a f e w weeks ago. This crucible was made b y Baker a n d Cormpany, and had been marked No. & to t n e right of the maker's trade-mark; i t weighed 16.797 grams. On t h e night of May 2, 1929, the laboratory vault of t h e Minnesota Department of Agriculture, iEfcairy, atnd F o o d w a s entered and sixteen flat-bottom: p&tfniirn dishes, vsreighing about 16 grams each, were stolen. These losses should serve as a warning t o laboratories of t h e country to take all precautions against s i m i l a r thefts. A few sets of abstracts of Cohunibus meeting papers are still available and may b e obtained from t h e A . C. S. News Service, 706 Mills Bldg., Washington, D - C, b y sending -check for o n e dollar per set with order.
May 20,1929
INDUSTRIAL
AND ENGINEERING
R e s e a r c h — W h a t I t I s a n d H o w t o Use I t Investigators in all fields have their own idea of what constitutes research, but in whatever direction a p ed, certain fundamental principles are shared in common and the goal, which is the establishment of truth, is sought b y all engaged in such activity. Barrington Associates, Inc.; an organization devoted to economic research, has issued a leaflet entitled "Militant Business," wherein, under the caption given this paragraph, they state t h e following: Research, as a method, is old. Its systematic use i n business is relatively new and, a s yet, n o t broad. O n e reason w h y this powerful business aid was slow of adoption lay in the fact t h a t i t was n o t generally recognized as a separate force. When employed a t all i t was usually linked with other forms of business activity, which resulted in its identity being k e p t largely concealed. But research is a separate force, j u s t a s advertising and cost accounting are separate forces, a n d i t s full value will never b e capitalized until i t i s so regarded. Likewise, i t s full value will n o t be capitalized until its u s e becomes consistent and continuous, r a t h e r t h a n spasmodic. T h e benefits t h a t flow from, practical, applied research a r e not confined to a n y one t y p e of businesss—manufacturing, banking, insurance, public utility, transportation, and service concerns have equal need for it. a n d can use i t with equal success. T h e same i s true of its application to religious, charitable, and other non-profit organizations. F u r t h e r m o r e , research is n o t a luxury, t o b e enjoyed only by academic workers o n one hand and h u g e corporations o n the other. I t is applicable to all business concerns—sick o r healthy, and regardless of their size. T h e r e i s nothing a b s t r a c t o r indefinite about t h i s great force, called " R e s e a r c h , " if i t b e correctly applied. I t is n o t a process of merely digging for data b u t a method of digging for dividends. I t i s an intensely practical means of securing more profits a n d then insuring those profits. T h e pressure of progress is inexorable, a n d persistent research is t h e only force t h a t can safely b e m a t c h e d against it. This is beginning to b e recognized by shrewd investors who are n o w prone to inquire whether research has been adopted b y a concern before they entrust their funds t o it. T h e history of a concern i s important, b u t its probable future is even more so—business managers a n d investors alike may properly ask, " W h e r e do w e go from here?" Intelligent research provides much of the answer, together with insurance for t h e answer. Mistakes i n business will always be m a d e ; b u t research will avoid m a n y of them, a n d cause the balance t o be m a d e on a smaller scale. B r o a d adoption of research b y business is inevitable, and those concerns quickest t o embrace i t will r e a p the earliest benefits. However, research will n o t achieve "broad adoption" until it is employed by t h e average concern, and until all forms a r e operating, i. e., management, technical a n d marketing research. A manufacturer would not use cost accounting for b u t one of his products and guess a t the cost of t h e rest; n o more should he u s e one kind of research and ignore t h e other kinds. M o s t of the companies m a k i n g large profits in this period of "checkered" prosperity have adopted research.' B u t it should b e recognized t h a t these concerns d i d n o t employ research because they were big—they used it t o get b i g .
Doctor B r o w n e t o Spend Year i n Europe Search for the best and latest information which Europe has to give o n t h e application of chemistry to agriculture is t o b e made in Bngland and ten other countries during a year of travel and investigation b y C. A . Browne, assistant chief o f the Bureau of Chemistry, w h o sailed M a y 2 for England a s semi-official representative of the Department of Agriculture. Doctor Browne plans to visit t h e principal government, university, experiment station, and industrial laboratories where chemical research is being conducted upon foods, cattle feeds, and other agricultural products, and t o confer with chemists to obtain information of value in the research work of t h e Department. I n England h e will visit the laboratories of the Rothamsted [Experiment Station, the University of Aberdeen, a n d Oxford a n d Cambridge Universities. H e will also make a special study of n e w methods in the dehydration of food and will go to the old homes of Priestley, Cavendish, and Dalton for t h e compilation of historical material. I n Holland h e will observe the land reclamation work o n the shores of t h e Zuider Zee. In Germany he will visit t h e University of Gottingen, and will confer with prominent agricultural scientists. In Czechoslovakia h e plans to visit t h e experiment station a t Prague. I n Switzerland research work on spontaneous combustion and the utilization of agricultural products will occupy his time. In France he will study the beet sugar industry that was foundtd by Napoleon, visit the naval stores laboratories, and study the cheese industry a t Roquefort. Doctor Browne will visit the International Institute of Agriculture a t Rome, and in t h e library of Saint Marks a t Venice h e plans to make a special study of Greek documents which bear •upon the early developments of chemistry. In southern Spain
CHEMISTRY
11
he hopes t o examine the last vestiges of Europe's sugar c a n e industry where it was introduced by the Arabs. In addition t o gathering many chemical data for use in Tthe laboratories of the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils, he will s e e k material t o complete his biography of Fredrick Accum, the G e r man chemist, and will search for data relating to t h e early histoory of chemistry in Egypt, Greece, and Italy.
N o s v R e s i d e n t Lectures a t Cornell The Non-Resident Lectureship in Chemistry at Conoell University, established in 1926 by a gift from George FisHier Baker, enables the university t o invite chemists, and also thsose who have attained distinction in other branches of science,- to deliver lectures before the Department of Chemistry and to conduct a weekly colloquium. A private research laboratory is placed a t the disposal of t h e lecturer and a few advanced students are usually afforded the privilege of carrying on -investigational work under his direction. The first lecturer under this foundation was Ernst Cohen.,* of the University of Utrecht, Holland, whose lectures dealt vcith "Physico- Chemical Metamorphosis and Some Problems in Piezo-Chemistry." Those that followed Professor Cohen were: F I R S T T E R M 1926-27
FRITZ PANETH, an Austrian by birth who is now professor i n the University of Berlin, "Radio Elements a s Indicators a n d Other Selected Topicss in Inorganic Chemistry." SECOND T E R M 1926-27
A. V. H I L I , , Fouler ton Research Professor of the Royal Society of Loncflon, England, "Muscular Movement in Man: The Factors Governing SF»eed and Recovery from Fatigue." F I R S T T E R M 1927-28
PATH, WALDEN, University of Rostock, Germany, "Salts, Acids, and Basses: Electrolytes: Stereo-Chemistry." SECOND T E R M 1927-28
GEORGE BARGER, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, "Some Applications of Organic Chemistry to Biology and Medicine." F I R S T T E R M 1928-29
H A N S PRINGSHEIM, University of Berlin, Germany, " T h e Chemtstrs* of Monosaccharides and Polysaccharides." SECOND T E R M 1928-29
F. M . JAEGER, University of Groningen, Netherlands, "Symmetry and Optical Activity of Atomic Configurations," "Methods and ProMemss in High Temperature Precision Work."
The program for the next three years is as follows: F I R S T T E R M 1929-30
G. P . THOMSON, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, "Electron Waves." SECOND T E R M 1929-30
K. FAJANS, a native of Poland, now professor of chemistry in the TJniverrsity of Munich, Germany, "Radio Elements and Isotopes," "Chemical Lin?=s:age in Relation to t h e Structure of Atoms and Crystals a n d to t h e Optical Properties of Substances," "Strong Electrolytes," "Adsorption of ICons by Salt-Like Compounds and Its Photochemical and Analytical AppHications." F I R S T T E R M 1930-31
G. HEVESY, a native of Hungary, now professor of chemistry, Universit-y of Freiburg in Baden, Germany, "Chemical Analysis by X-Rays andi Its Application," " R a r e E a r t h Elements and Atomic Structure Chemistrry of Hafnium," "Electrolytic Conduction and Diffusion in Solids," "Separation of Isotopes. " SECOND T E R M 1930-31
N. V. SIDGWICK, Lincoln College, Oxford, England, "Molecular Structure and the Periodic Classification." F I R S T T E R M 1931-32
W. L. BRAGG, University of Manchester, England, subject of lectures too be announced later. SECOND T E R M 1931-32
ALFRED STOCK, Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe. Germany, subjecs* of lectures t o be announced later.
Preparation of Illustrations for Manuscripts® P. A. Badger, 1701 River Road, Ann Arbor, Mich., makers a specialty of preparing fine drawings to illustrate manuscriptrs of various sorts, from technical articles to patents and books. S o m e examples of his work at the Chemical Exposition attracted attention. Ralph E . Brewer has accepted a position as chief managing engineer with the I^ehigh Briquetting Co., Dickinson, N . D.
