POWER GAS FROM SEWAGE.

The Birmingham, Tame and Rea District Drainage Board, in their report last week, make the following statement, which is of interest to the works manager and chemist alike, as to the practical application of gas, derived from sewage, for power purposes. As a result of experiments, it has been found possible to drive a pump which lifts sewage from the well adjoining the engine house to the irrigation land. The gas available for driving the engine has varied in amount, but it has been possible to keep the well free of sewage, although a gas holder for storage purposes had not been erected. The experiment is regarded by the Board as holding great possibilities of further expansion, but the economic aspect is a matter for further consideration.

CANADA'S EXCELLENT HARVEST: WORLD'S CEREAL PRODUCTION. The Canadian Government communicates by telegram to the International Institute of Agriculture new data as to the production of cereals, which show an increase on the already favourable estimates made previously. In fact, the production this year will be far greater than last year's and amongst the highest yet recorded. The production reaches 10.6 million metric tons of wheat (a 70 per cent. increase on the average during the five years 1916-20), 1.3 million metric tons of rye, 1.7 million metric tons of barley, and 8.6 million metric tons of oats.

MANCHESTER LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. THE COMMITTEE OF THE CHEMICAL SECTION, ELECTED MAY 5TH, 1922.

Chairman, Leonard E. Vlies, F.C.S., F.I.C.; Vice Chairman, H. F. Coward, D.Sc., F.I.C.; Secretary, David M. Paul, B.Sc., A.I.C.; Committee: David Bain, D.Sc., W. H. Bentley, D.Sc., F.C.S., David Cardwell, M.Sc., F.I.C., R. H. Clayton, B.Sc., J. A. Russell Henderson, D.Sc., F.C.S., Harold Moore, M.Sc.Tech., F.C.S., A.I.C., Rona Robinson, M.Sc., F.I.C., F. C. Thompson, B.Sc., D.Met., J. C. Withers, Ph.D., A.I.C.

Meetings are held monthly during the session from October, 1922, to May, 1923.

SIR,-In the issue of your paper of Jan. 27th, containing the description of the numerical relationship between calcium and strontium, it is pointed out that tin and chlorine are related as number and logarithm to the Napierism base, following a rearrangement of atomic numbers with respect to 1106.

In the following study, an attempt is made to understand the nature of the relation between tin and chlorine, while adhering closely to the systems of atomic numbers in use. The atomic number of chlorine is 35.46137 when the logarithm to the base ten is 1.5497556, that of Sn.119 being 0755470. The logarithm of chlorine is the association of the first figures of the logarithm of chlorine, and practically the logarithm of tin following the first cipher.

Let Na.(23) be the number of Cl., then the logarithm of Cl. is 0.737783. Twice 2737783 (Chem. News, July 8th, 1921) and the constant 13 gives 13547556. This is equal to 2 × 46 × 147256. (0.16.log., 256-94001.). 147256:82300875. Log. 230087=

3618932. 618932= log. 1.290124 x 5594546 (Fe.) 119 × 147256 = 1752346 = 2 × 876173. Log. 1752346=2436202.

123 x 147256 = 18112488 = 2 x 9056244.

The logarithm of 18112488, 2579782 is related to the equivalent weight of iron, 27972, with the interpolated five or with the constant 13.

10.13 is the atomic number of chlorine, on the system Ca. 11.45 (Chem. News, Jan. 27th).

=

Let Sr. = 905625, Na. = 24.3326.

Sodium is now the horizontally adjacent element magnesium. From this examina. tion it follows that 119 and 123 are closely related, sodium 23 and chlorine 35.46, being the atomic numbers with which the relationship is established. When Sn. = 226.45, the number 123 is then 234.063, calculating on Sn. =119, and log. Sn. (119) is 34062 calculating on 123. It is opportune, here, to advocate the adjustment of the present system of atomic weights to the one of Cl. 35.5. Co. = 59031.-I am, Yours, &c., A. SAKOSCHANSKY.

=3

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

A Systematic Qualitative Chemical Analysis, by G. W. SEARS, PH.D. Pp. VI. + 119. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. London: Chapman & Hall, Ltd., 11, Henrietta St., W.C.2. 1922. Price 8s. 6d.

This contribution to the literature of Analytical Chemistry is divided into three parts, with an appendix on the preparation of reagents, etc.

Part I. is introductory, and deals in a clear manner with the Ionic Theory and the Law of Mass Action, with special reference to their application to methods of Qualitative Analysis.

the

A systematic scheme for the separation of metals (cations) is described in Part II. It has many original features, thus Group I. includes not only the cations Pb, Ag, Hg, but also Bi and Sb, since ammonium chloride is used as the group reagent. Again Group III. includes Al, Cr, Zn, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni, separated into an Aluminium divi sion and an Iron division, the former including Al, Cr, and Zn. It seems doubtful whether this arrangement is altogether satisfactory.

An

In Part III. a new method is given for the identification of acids (anions). attempt is made to follow the procedure of metal analysis, since one sample is used and the acids are separated into four groups by precipitation methods. In this way 25 acid radicles (anions) may be detected, and are classified into the following groups:

I. Anions whose Ag- salts are insoluble in cold dilute nitric acid.

II. Anions whose salts decompose on boiling in acid solution and give volatile oxides.

III. Anions whose Ag- salts are soluble in acid but insoluble in warm neutral solution.

IV. Anions whose Ag- salts are soluble.

The author does not lose sight of the fact that Qualitative Analysis is a part of General Chemistry and under the guidance. of a teacher well acquainted with his scheme, students might quickly acquire, not only the principles of analysis, but also of general chemistry from the standpoint of the Ionic Theory. J.G.F.D.

Messrs.

Abstract Published this Week. Alkaloids. Patent No. 182986. Howards & Son, of Uphall Works, Ilford, Essex, have obtained a Patent for a process for obtaining Amino derivatives of Hydrocinchona Alkaloids. They are obtained by reducing the corresponding nitro compounds in neutral or nearly neutral solution. Suitable reducing-agents are metals in the presence of a solution of a salt, for example zince or iron in presence of ammonium sulphate, tin and an ammonium salt, and hydrogen sulphide, the nitro compound may be dissolved in alcohol, or dissolved in water salt. In an example nitrohydroquinine hydrochloride is reduced with iron filings and ammonium sulphate solution at 100° C.

as a

Messrs. Rayner & Co. will obtain printed copies of the published specifications, and forward on post free for the official price of 1s. each.

THE CHEMICAL NEWS,

VOL. CXXV., No. 3260

AN APPEAL ON BEHALF OF RUSSIAN MEN OF SCIENCE.

Chemical Society,

Burlington House,
Piccadilly, W.1.

28th September, 1922. DEAR SIR,-In September of last year, in consequence of the information received as to the deplorable conditions under which Russian men of science were placed, I issued an appeal to the Fellows of the Chemical Society to assist in the alleviation of the acute distress prevailing amongst their colleagues in Russia.

I have to announce with great satisfaction that in response to this appeal the sum of £214 2s. 7d. was received, besides numerous valuable parcels of clothing, underclothing, boots, and books. It will be seen from the statement given, that of this sum, £170 has been devoted to the purchase of clothing, which has been distributed amongst our colleagues in Ekaterinburg, Moscow, and Petrograd. In addition to this, three cases containing clothing and books have been despatched to Moscow and Petrograd.

The difficulty with which we were confronted, namely the uncertainty as to whether parcels sent from England would reach their proper destinations, has now happily been overcome, definite proof having been received in every case that the goods have reached those for whom they were intended.

In a letter written by one of the workers of the European Student Relief Society to the Friends' Relief Committee, the following passage occurs:

The Chemical Society in England recently sent out some scientific journals, etc., through the Friends. They

have been entrusted to me for distribution, and when I told some of the Moscow Professors of their arrival, their eagerness to see them was like the eagerness of the children in the famine areas to get bread. You can assure all donors that every journal would be properly cir culated in the faculty concerned and be retained in the library.'

It will be seen from this how urgent the need still is for scientific books; and from

information received from the Committee of Russian Men of Science (a member of which visited this country last Spring) the need for every kind of scientific apparatus appears to be equally pressing.

Notwithstanding the useful work that has been accomplished by the different organisations formed to relieve the wants of men of science in Russia, there remains much to be done, for there is every reason to fear that the necessity will be no less acute during the coming winter than it was last year. I therefore issue this appeal to Fellows of the Chemical Society, and to British chemists generally, to render every assistance within their power, in the confident hope that a generous response will be forthcoming.

In addition to donations of money to be devoted to purchasing requisite articles, gifts of clothing (which, if used, must be in good condition), and recent chemical literature, will be welcome. The Chemical Society will continue to act as the receiving depot, and cheques (made payable to Mr. S. E. Carr, and crossed "Russian Fund'), together with parcels of clothing, boots, books, etc., should be addressed to the Assistant Secretary, The Chemical Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly,

W.1.

Yours faithfully,

JAMES WALKER,

President.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

FUEL ECONOMY.

(Continued from Page 188.)

Present Tendencies in the Use of Oil Fuel.--Before the advent of the internal combustion engine, the term "fuel oil " was restricted to an oil intended to be burnt in furnaces and the like. In the early days of oil fuel practice, comparatively light oils were used. They were "atomised" and injected into the boiler furnace or the like by means of steam or air, and the burners used were often of a crude and unsatisfactory character. recent years, however, more attention has been given to the proper design of such burners, and to the more effective combustion of the fuel oil. The consumption of air or steam by the oil burners has been considerably reduced, and, as they have attained a higher degree of mechanical

In