January 10. 1023
INDUSTRIAL AND.ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
SIRUP PLANT RESULT OF RESEARCH WORK Use of I n v e r t a s e M e t h o d B e g u n b y Cooperative Organization at Lufkin, Texas The first plant t o use the invertase method of manufacturing cane sugar sirup for canning has begun operation at Ltifkin, Texas, with a capacity of 5000 gallons per day. IT. S. Paine, of t h e Carbohydrate Laboratory of die Bureau of Chemistry in Washington, supervised the building of the plant for the cooperative organization, composed of owners of small sirup mills in several counties, which owns it. Cane growers of the South struggled for many lyears to make sirup that wrouJd not crystallize or ferment. The Carbohydrate Laboratory met the difficulty by perfecting a method of partly inverting the sugar. The result of this research work will be the marketing in large quantities of standardized sirup. The sirup will be sent b y the small mills to the central plant for purification and inversion. I t is expected t h a t other similar plants will be built in other parts of t h e cane-growing section.
MAY TREAT ANEMIA WITH GERMANIUM " T h e presence of the element germanium in t h e blood will eventually cause physicians to become greatly interested in the study of its reactions, as a probable means of combatting anemia," said John H. Mueller, of the University of Pennsylvania, in his recent address before the Philadelphia Section. Germanium was discovered in 1888, but its rarity and cost so hampered investigation, t h a t it remained virtually unknown for 35 years. Dr. Mueller told of experiments made with the blood of rabbits and the separation of it into its two main parts, cells and plasma. H e also told of t h e difhculty of dissolving the oxide of germanium, which would indicate t h a t there are two distinct forms of it. In one form it is impossible to dissolve, he said, while in another it is quickly reduced by hydrochloric acid.
Pasteur Centennial A M O N G the outstanding célébra * ^ tions o*r t h e 100th anniversary of the birth ôr'Lôû'fô P.isteur were those a t Philadelphia, Chicago and Denver. At Philadelphia Ambassador Jusserand spoke at the meeting presided over by Dr. ICdgar F . Smith. The Chicago Medical Society and the Chicago Section of the A. C. S. held a joint celebration a t which Victor C. Vaughan delivered the nrincipal address. In Denver W. IX Engle, D. A. Cockerel!, Dr. Carrol E . Ed son, Dr. H . C . Wetherill and the Rev. William O'Ryan spoke. President Harding, Chief Justice Taft and former President Wilson sent messages paying homage to the great French chemist. ESTABLISHES
FELLOWSHIP
M a n u f a c t u r e r s of S c a l e c i d e P r o v i d e $2500 p e r Y e a r for R e searches An agreement between the Crop Protection Institute and the B. G. P r a t t Company, of New York, manufacturers of Scalec.ide, providing for a thorough investigation of the properties of Scalecidc, will be carried out over a period of three years under the direction of the Board of Governors of the Crop Protection Institute. A committee of two plant pathologists and one entomologist, representing the Board, will plan and direct t h e work. The salary will be approximately $2500 per year, under a three-year contract. Applications for the fellowship may be sent to the chairman or the secretary of the Board, 1701 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D. C. JOINT
SYMPOSIUM
P e t r o l e u m Division a n d G a s a n d F u e l S e c t i o n to D i s c u s s M o t o r Problems A joint symposium on the various problems of motor fuel supply will be held by the Petroleum Division and the Gas and Fuel Section a t the April Meeting of the Society in New Haven, R. S. McBridc, secretary of the Gas and Fuel Section, announces. There will be six speakers on the following topics: Sources, substitutes, refinery practice, coal product substitutes, Diesel-engine fuels and carburetor design.
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USE GLAND TISSUES IN DIABETES CURE D i r e c t o r of W i l s o n L a b o r a t o r i e s Calls D i s c o v e r y G r e a t e s t of R e c e n t T i m e s in T h e r a p e u t i c s T T I E use of a n i m a l gland tbsuos in * t h e t r e a t m e n t of diabetes is characterized a s t h e "biggest discovery uf recent times in t h e field of therapeut i c s , " by \)r. D a v i d Klein, Technical Director of t h e Wilson L a b o r a t o r i e s of Chicago. D r . Klein, who spoke at M luncheon given by t h e I n d i a n a Section of t h e American Chemical Society at Indianapolis on December 19, reviewed the work in gland t h e r a p y , a n d said thai renewed vigor and virility have been obtained for periods of m o n t h s a t a time in persons to w h o m t h e extracts of the active principles of certain animal glands h a v e been administered. " N o t h i n g is k n o w n of t h e chemistry of t h e glands with t h e exception of the thyroid a n d t h e adrenaline producing g l a n d , " said he. T h e r e a r e two optically active forms of Ihe m a t e r i a l s thus far isolated. T h e s y n t h e t i c form is alw a y s the reverse of the biologically produced m a t e r i a l . T h e gland substances are u n d o u b t e d l y transferred lrom one p a r t of t h e b o d y t o a n o t h e r b u t it is difficult t o detect these s u b s t a n c e s in t h e blood. T h e transfer of gland ext r a c t s does work elinicaily a n d it is therefore used in spite of t h e fact that we do n o t y e t k n o w much a b o u t what actually t a k e s place. " I n t h e t r e a t m e n t of d i a b e t e s the p a n c r e a t i c gland extract is given by m o u t h . I t s use removes the sugar from t h e blood a n d the u r i n e . I t is not a cure, for it cannot r e c o n s t r u c t the walls of t h e pancreatic cells. If these cells are merely worn out o r injured it is likely t h a t the use of t h i s material will aiïect a cure. " I n t h e process of p r e p a r a t i o n the glands t h a t are used for extractions are first selected from only th(} best animals, t h e y are t h e n chilled, frozen, defatted, g r o u n d and dessicated." Ultra-Rapid Lens
C. S. E x a m i n a t i o n The Civil Service Commission announces t h a t an examination will be held on Feb. 14 to fill vacancies in the Bureau of Standards. T h e positions open are those of laboratory assistant, junior grade and senior aid. T h e entrance salary for laboratory assistant is $1000 per year, plus the increase of $20 per month granted by Congress. T h e salary for the senior -aid is $900 plus t h e increase.
Catalog
Available
T h e C h e m i c a l Catalog C o m p a n y h a s a n n o u n c e d t h a t copies of t h e 1922 edition of t h e Chemical Engineering C a t a log, published last September, will b e sent t o a n y m e m b e r of t h e A m e r i c a n C h e m i c a l Society, w i t h o u t charge, for examination. If m e m b e r s , after examin a t i o n of the book, do n o t care to keep it, t h e c o m p a n y will m a k e a r r a n g e m e n t s for its return.
A motion picture camera lens, faster t h a n any lens ever before developed, lias been produced by the Bauseh & Lomb Optical Co., under the name "Ultra Rapid Anastigmat, F : 2 . 7 . " T h i s new lens, made from glass of American manufacture, is designed for cinematographic work where lighting is poor. I t is almost, twice as fast as the lens known as " F : o.fj" which is the glass used heretofore in making the ultra-rapid motion pictures.
