REPORT OF TREASURER FOR THE YEAR 1897. RECEIPTS. Balance on hand December 26, 1896 ... Net dues and interest received from the general ..... $1017.69 No bills or claims presented up to date and audited remain unpaid. CHAS. F. MCKENNA, Treasurer. Accounts examined and found correct E. and O. E. A. H. SABIN, DURAND WOODMAN, A. P. HALLOCK. Finance Committee. LIBRARIAN'S REPORT FOR 1897. There is little to report this year, as the library has been in storage during the year. It is insured and in good condition. There has been about the same sale of back numbers of the Journal as last year. I have seventy-five and ($75.20) dollars, which I have collected during the year, and there is a larger amount due on orders filled. 20 100 I would recommend that the price of single numbers of the Journal, to others than members, be raised to fifty cents, as the present price, forty-two cents, leaves no margin on reprinted numbers, and does not even cover postage. It will soon be necessary to reprint Vol. III of the Journal, as there are only about twenty copies remaining. Respectfully submitted, F. E. DODGE, Librarian. REPORT OF THE EDITOR FOR 1897. During the year just past a total of 966 pages of transactions, 66 pages of proceedings, 12 pages of title and contents, and 210 pages of the Review of American Chemical Research, a grand total of 1254 pages, have been printed and distributed to members. The total number of copies of the December issue distributed was 1255. For December, 1896, 1176 copies were sent out. Experience has shown it to be desirable that not less than 300 copies of each issue should be laid aside to meet probable future demands, and as the edition printed is now 1500 copies, it is evident that this must probably be increased in the near future. A revision of the exchange list is now in progress, and it is hoped this may result in the addition of a number of copies to the available stock. It is to be hoped that the members will more generally feel the desirability of sending all their chemical papers to the Journal. To read papers at the meetings and then send them elsewhere for publication, as is now sometimes done, can scarcely be considered fair to the society. Each member should feel the obligation to send his best work for publication, since only in this way can the Journal retain the position it now holds. and advance to a better. I wish to thank my associates on the Committee on Papers and Publications, Messrs. J. H. Long and Thomas B. Osborne, for the prompt and careful manner in which they have cooperated with me in the discharge of our responsible, difficult and often disagreeable duties. EDWARD HART, Editor. COUNCIL. It was ordered, December 22, 1897, that the dues for membership for 1898 be collected by the general secretary as in the current year, and that he be allowed ten per cent. on all collections as compensation for his work. NAMES PROPOSED FOR MEMBERSHIP. Adams, Maxwell, Box 117, Chico, California. Chamberlain, Geo. E., Glucose Works, Bush and Taylor Sts., Chicago, Ill. Gere, Miss Mariel C., 849 D St., Lincoln, Nebraska. Graham, S. L., Rome, Ga. Guess, Harry A., care of Ottawa Gold Milling and Mining Co., Ltd., Keewatin, Ontario. Hufham, J. D., Jr., Expt. Sta., Raleigh, N. C. Langworthy, Dr. C. F., Dept. of Agr., Washington, D.C. Maharg, W. S., City Hall, Chicago, Ill. Parker, Francis L., Jr., S. C. Mil. Acad., Charleston, S. C. Stetson, Frank O., 1802 R St., Washington, D. C. Thurnauer, Gustav, Chicago and Aurora Sm. and Ref. Co., Aurora, Ill. Vreeland, Cornelius D., Chicago Heights, Ill. NAME PROPOSED FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP. Peppel, Samuel Vernon, Ohio State Univ., Columbus, O. Babcock, Stephen C., Ill. Steel Co., South Works, Chicago. Harper, Charles A., Ph.D., 2139 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati, O. Mangam, Dr. Daniel C., 95 Park Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Pond, F. J., State College, Pa. Portner, Edward G., 1104 Vermont Ave., Washington, D. C. Richardson, Clifford, care of Barber Asphalt Paving Co., Long Island City, N. Y. Simons, Frank D., 1749 Madison St., Washington, D. C. Steel, Frederick W., care of Fiji Sugar Co., Ltd., Tamunua, Narna, Fiji. Thigpen, John H., Columbian Univ., Washington, D. C. ASSOCIATE Elected decEMBER 30, 1897. Spieler, August J., care of Emery Candle Co., Ivorydale, O. CHANGES OF ADDRESS. Boot, J. C., care Mr. A. A. Gobius, Secretarie Buitenzorg, Dutch East Indes. Evans, W. L., High School, Colorado Springs, Colo. Hitchcock, Miss F. R. M., 4038 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. Johnson, O. C., 730 Thayer St., Ann Arbor, Mich. Miller, Harry East, 1015 Chestnut St., Oakland, Cal. MEETINGS OF THE SECTIONS. COLUMBUS SECTION. The recently organized Columbus Section decided to hold regular monthly meetings. Two of these have been held, the attendance and interest being all that could be desired. On the evening of November 10th, Prof. C. C. Howard, who recently returned from study in Europe, presented the results of his investigation on "The Derivatives of p-Amidophenoxyacetic Acid." The interesting fact was noted that one of these derivatives, basic in character, forms an insoluble nitrate and serves as a delicate test for nitric acid. Prof. H. A. Weber also presented a paper on "Root Tubercles in Water Culture." He also described an apparatus devised by him for carrying on experiments of this nature. The evening of December 1st was given up to a discussion of Fischer's work on the sugars. A general review of the work was given by Prof. McPherson. This was followed by a general discussion in which all the members took part. WILLIAM MCPHERSON, Secretary. NEW YORK SECTION. The regular meeting of the New York Section of the American Chemical Society was held on Friday evening, January 7, at the College of the City of New York, Dr. Wm. McMurtrie presiding. The following papers were read: G. C. Stone, "Exhibition of Some Unusual Manganese Alloys;" Parker C. McIlhiney, "A Method for Determining the Resistance of Electrolytes;" Morris Loeb," Recent Speculations Concerning the Variability of Atomic Mass;" Fanny Hitchcock, "Note on the Reduction of Metallic Oxides at High Temperatures." Mr. Stone exhibited samples of manganese alloys of the following composition: Total carbon Graphitic carbon Silicon.... Manganese.. Phosphorus... Spiegel. White. Gray. Iron, sulphur, etc., difference. 82.10 78.59 100.00 The alloys were characterized by great hardness and strength, as compared with ordinary pig irons. The advantage of Mr. McIlhiney's method of determining the resistance of electrolytes is the possibility of making readings at very short intervals. The more accurate method of Kohlrausch requires two minutes between readings, while by the method described a reading may be made every five seconds, which was necessary in the work for which the method was devised. Prof. Loeb gave a very exhaustive review of the speculations in regard to variations of the atomic weights; the theories of condensation, of the "meta" elements, and of ideas in regard to simpler forms of matter. He protests against the notion that any simpler conditions would result from assuming that all elements are a form of one element, and considers that the acceptance of a reasonable number of forms of matter is a decided advantage. Miss Hitchcock reported experiments showing that nitrogen is given off from tungsten and molybdenum oxides when reduced in a current of hydrogen. On decreasing the temperature the amount of nitrogen decreased and increased on again raising the heat. Argon and helium were not found. The results obtained on other oxides indicate that nitrogen is generally present and is considered as a cause of obtaining low atomic weights by the reduction method. Further results are promised. DURAND WOODMAN, Secretary. |