"An Extension of the Balmer Series of Hydrogen and Spectroscopic Phenomena of very Long Vacuum Tubes." By R. W. WOOD, For. Mem. R.S. "Moving Striations in Neon and Helium." By F. W. ASTON, M.A., D.Sc., and T. KIKUCHI. When an induction coil spark is passed through a spectrum tube containing neon, and the discharge observed with a rotating mirror, it is seen to consist of bright striations moving from the anode towards the cathode. When first observed the velocity was found to be roughly that of sound in the gas. Further investigations now show that this is only a limiting case of a very complex phenomenon. The velocity is found to decrease with increase of pressure, and also to depend on the bore of the tube. The effect of change of temperature has been investigated, and curves are given showing that at constant volume the effect is much greater than the expansion coefficient. At constant pressure the temperature effect only comes in at high temperatures when it is probably due to impurities liberated from the tube. Helium is found to give much the same sort of results as neon. Experiments with mercury vapour and other gases are also described. No satisfactory theoretical conclusions have yet been arrived at and further experiments are in progress. NOTICES OF BOOKS. Techno-Chemical Receipt Book. Compiled and Edited by WM. T. BRANNT and WM. H. WAHL, Ph.D. Pp. xxxiii+516. London: Hodder & Stoughton, Warwick Square, E.C.4. 1920. Price 15s. ret. THE editor's aim in bringing this book before the public is to give an accurate and compendious collection of approved receipts and processes of practical application in the industries, and for general purposes. They have purposely excluded all theoretical reasoning and historical detail from the book, thus making it essentially a receipt book. The book has been arranged alphabetically, but a copious table of contents as well as a good index are included so as to render the reference to any subject or special receipt prompt and easy. Previous editions have been thoroughly revised, and this receipt book has been brought quite upto-date. Bygone Beliefs. By H. STANLEY REDGROVE, B.Sc., F.C.S. Pp. xvi+205. London: Wm. Rider & Son, Ltd., 8, Paternoster Row, E.C.4. 1920. Price 10s. 6d. net. THOSE interested in the early days of Alchemy should read Mr. Redgrove's book on “Bygone Beliefs". He takes the reader back to the mediæval times, and gives him representations of the superstitions and thoughts that were characteristic of the age. The book is divided into twelve chapters each dealing with a belief or superstition of olden times, the explanations of which are helped by the interspersion of many illustrations. CHEMICAL NOTICES FROM FOREIGN SOURCES. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires de l'Académie des Sciences. Vol. clxx., No. 25. PRECIPITATION OF MERCURIC SALTS BY HYDROGEN SULPHIDE.MM. Pierre Jolibois and Pierre Bouvier. When a solution of a mercuric salt is acted upon by sulphuretted hydrogen, a gradation in the colour of the precipitate can be noticed. These precipitates pass through a series of colourations from white to black. Polek and Gorki (Ber., 1888, xxi, 2412), have given the following formula for their composition:— 2HgS,HgCl,; 3HgS,HgCl2; 4HgS,HgCl2. The authors have studied the composition of these coloured precipitates by using a solution of mercuric chloride of varying known strength precipitated by a 1/20th normal solution of sulphuretted hydrogen. The precipitate thus obtained was filtered off, dried, and the content of sulphur obtained by first oxidation with aqua regia and then precipitation as barium sulphate. The following table gives the result of their investigations: Strength of Strength of Colour of Content of 13.8 HgCl, soln. precipitate 13'5 1/20 1/13 2 dark brown 127 2HgS, HgCl2 =87 THE Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research begs to announce that the Research Association for the Silk Industry has been approved by the Department as complying with the conditions laid down in the Government scheme for the encouragement of industrial research. As the Association is to be registered as a non-profit sharing company, the promoters have applied to the Board of Trade for the issue of a license under Section 20 of the Companies (Consolidation) Act of 1908. The Secretary of the Committee engaged in the establishment of this Association is Mr. A. B. Ball, The Silk Association of Great Britain and Ireland, Kingsway House, Kingsway, W.C. ACETALDEHYDE.-The employment of this very useful material is likely to be extended in the near future to a considerable extent. The drawback up to the present has been the difficulty of transport. The polymerised material paraldehyde, however, does not suffer from the same drawbacks and can be conveyed without risk. Acetaldehyde is partially polymerised into this product and it can be regenerated very simply. The commercial paraldehyde made in Canada is approximately a mixture of 90 per cent paraldehyde and per cent unpolymerised acetaldehyde. is made synthetically from acetylene and is, therefore, of a very high degree of purity. Messrs. Á. Boake, Roberts & Co., Ltd., of Stratford, E.15, are the selling agents for both commercial grade and the B.P. The commercial variety comes over from Canada packed in drums holding about goolbs. of the liquid. The B.P. material is packed in Winchesters. It THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY.-The lecture room at Burlington House, W., having proved to be entirely inadequate to accommodate the large audiences which attend the lectures, that on "Helium", by Professor J. R. McLellan, on June 17, was held in the lecture theatre of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, by the courtesy of its Council. Sir J. J. Dobbie presided over an audience of nearly 250 and announced that the Emil Fischer Memorial Lecture would be given by Dr. M. O. Forster on October 21 next. He also made an appeal to British chemists to send donations (by July 31 at latest) in support of the memorial being raised by their French colleague to the memory of C. F. Gerhardt (1816-1856), the well-known French chemist. The subject matter of the lecture included data concerning the occurrence and content of helium in natural gas within the Empire, more particularly in Canada; the designs of the modifications of the Claude plant and process utilised, together with yields and possible applications. Prof. McLellan's latest experiments show that it is practicable to isolate on a commercial scale helium of 97 per cent purity from the natural gas at Hamilton, Ontario, at a cost of less than 24d, per cubic foot at Hamilton. A fuller account of the lecture will be given in these columns in due course. Sir Richard Threlfall, who spoke on the vote of thanks to the lecturer, stated that his suggestion to use helium in airships was communicated to the Admiralty as early as October, 1914, and that he was led thereto by press notices to the effect that the Germans were contemplating the use of an uninflammable gas. A search into the literature, especially into the investigations of Prof. C. Moureu on the dissolved gases in the springs of France, enabled him to show that the use of helium by the Germans was improbable, and then to present in outline a definite scheme of large-scale production from natural gas at Fredonia, Kansas, U.S.A., where the gas was known to be comparatively rich in helium. After a very full investigation, the Admiralty decided, in August, 1915, not to proceed with the scheme, but when America came in, all the information which had accumulated was passed on to that country. THE BOHEMIAN GLASS INDUSTRY.-The glass factories are now overwhelmed with orders, partly on account of the conditions of exchange and partly owing to the large business which resulted from the fairs of Leipzig and Lyons. In trade circles, however, the opinion is held that after two years of such activity over-production is bound to follow. Japan is to be regarded as a dangerous competitor; in 1914 that country had 463 glass factories and about 9000 workers, in 1917 there were 832 factories and 17,000 workers. In consequence of this competition, the Indian and most of the markets in the Near East are probably lost for good. New works have been erected in Belgium, the Ukraine, Rumania and Poland, and in north-west Bohemia alone 19 large new companies have recently been founded. All these facts point to a quick reaction for the local glass industry.-(Z. angew. Chem., April 20, 1920.). ANNOUNCEMENT.-The Lord President, as President of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, has appointed Dr. J. S. Flett, F.R.S., at present Assistant to the Director in Scotland, to be Director of the Geological Survey and Museum, Dr. Flett succeeds Sir Aubrey Strahan, K.B.E., F.R.S., who retires this month, when Mr. G. W. Lamplugh, F.R.S., Assistant to the Director in England, also retires. in use MILK PRODUCTS IN AMERICA AND EUROPE.-A recent this investigation of field is given a report by W. Dempster, published in the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, 1920, XX., 97-109. Milk powder is manufactured by the of heated rolls, or by spraying the previously concentrated milk into a hot chamber. In addition to its other uses in the food industries, skim milk powder or dried skim milk is used with butter in reconstituting milk and cream during seasons of scarcity of fresh milk. In the manufacture of reconstituted cream, the proper amounts of skim milk powder and water are placed in a jacketed vat and are intimately mixed by a propeller which revolves at a high speed. The speed is reduced, the proper amount of butter added, and the temperature of the mixture gradually raised to 145° F., kept constant for twenty to thirty minutes, then lowered to 135° F. The mixture is next put through a homogeniser, and immediately cooled to 45° F. In reconstituting milk, the skim milk powder and water are mixed as just described; the butter, which has been heated to a temperature of 120° F., is now forced through a spray nozzle which lies beneath the surface of the liquid; the finely divided butter fat is uniformly distributed throughout the reconstituted milk. Whole milk powder apparently does not keep well; it seems to require cold storage, e.g., o to -8° F., for its preservation. During the war, the production of lactose or sugar of milk increased enormously, since large amounts of that compound were used in the manufacture of smoke-shells. The casein industry of America centres in Philadelphia; this milk protein may be used as the basis of paints, which may be produced in any desired colour, withstand water, and retain their colour. The shortage of butter in England increased the demand for sweetened condensed milk, which was eaten spread on bread.-Journal of the Franklin Institute, June, 1920, POTASH DEPOSITS IN SPAIN.-(U.S. Geological Survey Press Bulletin, No. 443, April, 1920).— Potash deposits were discovered in the Province of Barcelona, Spain, near the villages of Suria and Cardona. They consist of irregular beds of carnallite and sylvinite interbedded with rock salt. Explorations to a depth of several hundred feet show that in the Suria district potash beds occupy an area of not less than 75 acres and occur at depths from 125 to 200 feet. The average combined thickness of the carnallite beds is estimated to be about 56 feet, and of the sylvinite about 13 feet. The Cardona upper beds are interbedded with gypsum and clay, but the lower beds contain nearly pure white salt, which is that principally mined. After the discovery of potash at Suria, these Cardona beds were searched for potash, and nearly pure sylvite was found. Estimates for the area prospected place the quantity of carnalite at 2,550,000 tons and of sylvinite at 1,150,000 tons. APPOINTMENT.-The Council of the University of Swansea have appointed Mr J. E. Coates, D.Sc. (B'ham), and M.Sc. (Wales) for the past ten years an Assistant Lecturer on Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, Professor of Chemistry at a salary of £800 per annum. He was a student at the University of Wales, and also studied in Germany and London. Mr. G. B. BROOK, Lecturer in Nonferrous Metallurgy to the University of Sheffield, has accepted the responsible position of chief chemist to the British Aluminium Company. Mr. Brook's connection with the light industries of Sheffield extends over thirty years. He was trained under Mr. A. H. Allen, Public Analyst for Sheffield and the West Riding, and was the first lecturer in nonferrous metallurgy at the Sheffield University During the War he was closely identified with the work of the Sheffield Munitions Committee and subsequently in the establishment of the Wounded Officers Training Department in nonferrous metallurgy. His departure will be a distinct loss to the city of Sheffield. NOTICE. CHEMICALS FOR SALE. 6,000 Gallons CRESYLIC ACID at 2s. 6d. per gallon. FORMALDEHYDE, 35/40 per cent at £280 per ton, in drums and cases. YELLOW ORPIMENT MIXTURE at £25 per ton. SICILIAN SULPHUR THIRDS RAW at £10 per ton ex-Manchester GLAUBER SALTS COML. in bags at £9 10s. per ton. COPPERAS GREEN S.A. at £6 per ton f.o.r. Swansea. For further particulars apply VAPURO LTD., 127, Grays Inn Wanted, New or Secondhand ACID RE SISTING STONEWARE TOWERS 3',3'6", or 4' diameter, also Ring or Spiral Packing for same.-Apply 807, c/o SCOTT & SON, 63, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.4. Ow tons of English Made unground edible CASEIN for offer, £85 per ton f.o.r.-Write, "P.R.E.M. follows: Yearly 52 Nos.) Quarterly (13 Nos.) are rates £1 12 0 £0 16 0 as CHEMIST requires Post in Spain in Chemical C capacity, or as representative. Speaks Spanish; good knowledge of French and Italian.-Address Box 808, c/o SCOTT & HEMICALLY PURE TIN for SALE.- THE CHEMICAL NEWS. VOL. CXXI., No. 3146. EDITORIAL. THE following papers have been received for publication, and will be inserted as space permits :"The Constitutution and Structure of the Chemical Elements." "The Number 23." A mathematical proof is given that a mass of 23 (from which emanates one valence) takes a prominent part in the formation of all elements of greater mass than itself. "The Five Main Principles in the Constitution and Structure of the Chemical Elements." This paper is chiefly concerned with the fifth principle, viz. :-Each of the heavier elements is formed by the union of simpler elements (which are indicated in each case by mineralogical and chemical facts combined.) A proof is given that the observation of this principle is not due to a series of accidents. "The Constitution and Structure of the RadioActive Elements." It is shown that there is a great probability that hexadic titanium is the main constituent of radio-elements. There is no claim that this particular deduction is proved to be true, because there are not sufficient facts available to make possible the application of the theory of mathematical probability. (By Hawksworth Collins, Stubbington House School, Fareham, Hants.). DISTRIBUTION OF ACETIC ACID BETWEEN WATER AND CHARCOAL. By ALWYN PICKLES. ACETIC acid solutions of different normality were used, 100 cc. at a time. Charcoal was added, 5 grms., and equilibrium between the two phases obtained. Complete equilibrium took several hours, but most of the sorbtion took place very rapidly. The concentration of the aqueous phase was obtained by filtering off charcoal and titrating known volumes of the filtrate, with N/10 caustic soda. Knowing the real density of the charcoal used and original normality of acid, the concentration per cc. of charcoal readily followed. Experiments were done with several kinds of charcoal in varying states of division. The effect of temperature was also studied. Concentrations are given in mols. per cc. I. Fruit Stone Dust. Density 170. Acid Normality. C (Water) 10 120 30° 50° (1) C (Charcoal) 10 120 50° 115. 134 C (Charcoal) 10° 12° 50° 147 147 118 88 More acid is removed relatively from dilute solutions. (2) Concentration per CC. of charcoal depends on the kind of charcoal and on its state of division. In the preceding cases, the acid and charcoal had been in contact at least 24 hours at 10°-12° C. Hence, surface and interior effects may be assumed as complete and that equilibrium existed between polymerised and simple molecules. Increase of temperature disturbs this equilibrium, the tendency being for polymerised molecules to break down into simpler ones. The acid concentration of charcoal therefore diminishes. If, however, acid and charcoal are only together for a short period, increase of temperature increases the acid concentration in charcoal to a slight extent. This is due to the hastening of the interior effect otherwise not complete. Animal charcoal is an exception.. It removes the acid almost entirely by adsorption. Though such charcoal is porous in the mass through presence of such things as calcium phosphate, the actual carbon particles have not that complex structure which characterises wood charcoal. Since the charcoal and aqueous phases are immiscible it is instructive to apply the distribution equation. 3 238 251 262 214 167 129 154 136 115 III. Birch Dust. 12° 110 782 68 50° K=0'197 n=2.6 n=2.3 K=0.281 IV. Birch Coarse. 12° n=2'1 K=0'207 0.206 0'205 50° n=2'0 K=0' 196 0.184 O' 197 A STUDY OF DOLOMITES. By C. L. HARDING, J. B. SHUMAKER, and A. W. ROTHROCK. Deodat DolomIEU was born in Dolomieu, France, June 23, 1750, and died November 16, 1801. In infancy he was created a Knight of Malta. He seemed precocious in many directions. When nineteen years of age he quarrelled with a companion and killed him. He was condemned to death for the crime, but after nine months' imprisonment, he was. pardoned on account of his youth. He early became interested in geology and mineralogy, and wrote some important treatises on his favourite subjects, especially while residing in Metz, the interesting old capital of Lorraine. He discovered dolomite while making an extended tour and observations among the Alps in 1789-90. The mineral was first described by him in 1791, and the name was bestowed upon it in honour of the discoverer. The dolomite mineral and rock are important from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. Much work has been done upon them, and the mineral can be artificially produced by a number of different methods. In Marignac was probably the first to make it artificially. His method was to heat calcium carbonate and a solution of magnesium chloride to 200° under a pressure of fifteen atmospheres. a closed gun barrel J. Dorocher heated porous limestone and dry magnesium chloride to about 1200°. The vapour of the chloride permeated the porous limestone, which was partially transformed into dolomite. In a similar way, it has been suggested, the heat in the neighbourhood of volcanoes may produce the mineral and rock. One of the simplest methods was devised by C. Sainte-Claire Deville. He saturated chalk with a solution of magnesium chloride and heated the mixture upon a sand-bath. More or less of the materials change into dolomite. By heating powdered calcite with magnesium sulphate to 200° in a closed tube, von Morlot obtained a mixture of dolomite and calcium sulphate. It has been suggested by Haidinger that this reaction accounts for the frequent association of dolomite and gypsum. T. Sterry Hunt conducted a long series of experiments on the precipitation of calcium and magnesium carbonates, from which he reached the conclusion that dolomite is simply a chemical precipitate. This view has not been generally adopted. In more recent times, 1909, G. Linck published a report of a new method of making dolomite. He mixed solutions of magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, and ammonium sesquicarbonate, and then added a solution of calcium chloride. An amorphous precipitate came down, which on gently heating for some time in a closed tube became crystalline. This had the composition and optical properties of dolomite. Linck believes that his experiment explains the formation of marine dolomite, and that the ammonium salt necessary can easily result from the decomposition of organic substances. |