and the temperature of the water-jacket are recorded. A glass or celluloid millimeter scale is afterwards placed against the pressuretube so that its zero coincides with the level of the mercury; the stopcock is then opened and the rise of the mercury in the pressuretube noted, and as the two tubes are of equal diameter, this number multiplied by two gives the reduced pressure under which the gas was measured. The height of the barometer is also taken and the weight of nitrogen may be calculated in the usual way, or preferably by the aid of the tables, etc., given in Sutton's volumetric analysis.

Poli oil: a new adulterant of Ghee. J. H. Barnes, B.Sc., F.I.C. and Arjan Singh. The authors deal with the edible seed of Carthamus oxyacantha N. O. Composite, one of the Safflowers, which is found as a persistent thorny weed, growing with and alongside the wheat crop in India, from Umballa in the South to Peshawar in the North, and is difficult to eradicate.

The seeds produce Poli oil, which they describe as an adulterant of Ghee (the clarified butter-fat of India). The authors give the chemical and physical constants which they have determined for a genuine sample of the fresh oil, and state that the analyst will have little difficulty in recognising the adulterant when found in conjunction with Ghee.

46, Stamford Brook Road, W., London.

II. THE BIOCHEMICAL SOCIETY, ENGLAND

R. H. A. PLIMMER, SECRETARY

February 14. Inst. of Physiol., Univ. College, London, W.C. (5.30 Ρ.Μ.)1

1

W. M. Bayliss: Effect of temperature on inhibition of enzyme action.

R. H. A. Plimmer: Analysis of proteins. I. Estimation of arginine by decomposition with alkali.

W. W. Reeve: Note on the preparation of cholesterol.

At the meeting on Dec. 13 the following nominees for membership were elected: F. Camp, Bernard F. Davis, Ingvar Jorgensen, H. King, J. Mellanby, Hon. H. Onslow, Theodore Rettie, W. W. Reeve, S. S. Zilva.

In a recent letter to the BIOCHEMICAL BULLETIN Dr. Plimmer makes the following statement of general interest to biol. chemists: "Our interest in Biochemistry in this country still remains, but the output of work is sadly diminished. Most of the scientific workers are engaged in war-work, either as combatants or indirectly, so that our future meetings will not be large either in the way of attendance or of communications. It is right that every one should work in some capacity to bring the war to a successful conclusion and as speedily as possible." [Ed.]

University College, London.

III. PAPERS OF BIOCHEMICAL INTEREST (TITLES) IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF SEVERAL SOCIETIES

Amer. Chem. Soc., Minn. Sect., Jan. 21: R. A. Gortner: Ammal pigments.-J. F. McClendon: Physiological and biochemical significance of hydrogen ion concentration.

Amer. Soc. Animal Production: Annual meeting, Kansas State Agric. Coll., Manhattan, Kansas; Dec. 22-23, 1915.-J. А. Burns: Cotton-seed meal as feed for hogs.-R. E. Caldwell: Milk substitutes for calf feeding.-E. B. Hart and E. V. McCollum: Influence of strictly vegetable diets on the growth and reproduction of swine.-H. J. Waters, W. A. Cochel and C. M. Vestal: Use of food by swine.-H. S. Grindley and M. E. Slater: Study of the aminoacid contents of feeding stuffs.-J. A. Fries: Weak places in the methods used in animal nutrition investigations. -Sleeter Bull: Study of the effect of amount of ration consumed upon the rate and efficiency of the gains by fattening steers.-E. B. Forbes: Mineral metabolism of the milch cow.-W. A. Cochel: Use of grain sorghums in meat production.-J. C. Ross and H. S. Grindley: Swine feeding experiments to determine the nutritive value of the amino acids of feeding stuffs.-C. B. Lee: Measurements of steers in experimental work.-C. R. Moulton: Relations between blood, protoplasmic tissue, and surface area of beef cattle.-H. H. Mitchell and

R. A. Nelson: Preparation of protein-free milk for use in feeding experiments on the nutritive value of proteins and amino acids.

Amer. Soc. of Zoologists:2 In joint session with Section F, Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci. and the Amer. Soc. Naturalists, Ohio State Univ., Columbus, Ohio; Dec. 28-30, 1915.-W. C. Allee: Effect of certain ions on rheotaxis in Asellus. -E. J. Lund: Differentiation and dedifferentiation in Bursaria and its significance. -W. J. Crozier: Loss of cell pigment as an index of permeability changes. -Chas. Zeleny: Rate of regeneration from new tissues compared with that from old tissues.-O. C. Glaser: Distribution of water in the embryonic nervous system. - V. E. Shelford: Comparative resistance of marine animals from different depths to adverse conditions.-W. J. Crozier: Physiology of chemoreceptors; Cell penetration by acids: Effects of anesthetics and of stimulation by induction shocks.-D. D. Whitney: Sex controlled in rotifers by food. -A. F. Shull and S. Ladoff: Male-production in Hydatina favored by oxygen.-M. M. Wells: Resistance of starved and normal fishes to low oxygen and the effect upon this resistance of acids, alkalies, salts, etc.

Botan. Soc. of Amer. :3 Tenth annual meeting, Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 27-31, 1915.-E. T. Reichert: Specificity of proteins and starches in relation to genera, species and varieties.-T. F. Manns: Rapid methods for quantitative and qualitative studies of soil flora; Media for quantitative and qualitative studies on azotobacter and nitrifiers.-C. O. Applemann: Relation of catalase and oxidase to respiration in potato tubers.-G. H. Coons: Lipolytic action in germinating teliospores of Gymnosporangium juniperivirginiana-K. F. Kellerman and R. C. Wright: Action upon soil nitrogen of certain crops.-F. E. Denny: Permeability of certain non-living plant membranes to water.-C. A. Shull: Influence of temperature on the moisture intake of seeds.-C. H. Farr: Experiments on galvanotropism.-I. W. Bailey: Structure of the bordered pits in conifers and its bearing upon the tension hypothesis of the ascent of sap in plants. -A. H. Chivers: Injurious effect of "Tarvia" fumes on vegetation.-P. J. O'Gara: New methods and apparatus for determining, qualitatively and quantitatively, the effects of sulfur dioxid on plants.

Ill. Acad. Science: Ninth annual meeting; Univ. of Ill., Feb. 18-19.-H. S. Grindley: Rôle of proteins in the nutrition of animals. Sleeter Bull: Conservation of nitrogen in feeding farm animals.

Nat'l Canners' Assoc. and Allied Industries: Ninth Annual Convent.; Louisville, Ky., Feb. 7-11, 1916.-H. E. Barnard: Food officials boosters, not knockers.-Wm. Frear: Principles of standardization.-W. D. Bigelow: Laboratories of the Nat'l Canners' Assoc. -J. R. Baines: Canned-foods labels should describe quality clearly and frankly.-H. E. Otting: Method of determining solids and fats (in milk) as approved by the Assoc. of Offic. Agric. Chem.-А. Е. Slessmann: Standardization of sauer kraut, both in cans and in bulk. -L. A. Round: Fermentation of sauer kraut. (Reported by J. S. Hepburn.)

N. Y. Acad. Sci., Sect. of Biol., Mar. 13.-G. G. Scott: Oxygen utilization of fishes.-F. H. Pike: Significance of certain internal factors in organic evolution.

IV. REFERENCES TO SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS

Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci.: Columbus meeting, Dec. 27-Jan. I. SECT. C. (CHEM.): Science, 1916, xliii, p. 112.-SECT. M. (AGRIC.): Science, 1916, xliii, p. 356.

Amer. Physiol. Soc.: Twenty-eighth annual meeting. BIOCHEM. BULL., 1916, v, p. 33; Science, 1916, xliii, p. 254; (in full) Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1916, xl, p. 126 (Mar.).

Amer. Soc. Biol. Chem.: Tenth annual meeting. BIOCHEM. BULL., 1916, v, p. 37; (in full) Jour. Biol. Chem., 1916, xxiv (Mar.).

Amer. Soc. for Pharmacol. and Exp. Therap.: Seventh annual meeting, Boston, Dec. 27-29. BIOCHEM. BULL., 1916, v, p. 42; Science, 1916, xliii, p. 252; (in full) Jour. Pharmacol. and Exp. Therap., 1916, viii, p. 109 (Feb.).

Fed. Amer. Soc. Exp. Biol.: Third annual meeting, Boston, Dec. 27-29. BIOCHEM. BULL., 1916, v, p. 28; Science, 1916, xliii, p. 251.

V. OFFICERS-ELECT OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES+

Amer. Assoc. Adv. Science. Pres., C. R. Van Hise. - Sect. C (Chem.), vice-p., Julius Stieglitz. Sect. F (Zool.), vice-p., G. H. Parker. Sect. G (Bot.), vice-p., T. J. Burrill. Sect. H (Anthrop. -Psychol.), vice-p., F. W. Hodge. Sect. K (Physiol. Exp. Med.), E. O. Jordan. Sect. L (Educ.), vice-p., L. P. Ayres. Sect. M. (Agric.), vice-p., W. H. Jordan; perm. sec., L. O. Howard; gen. sec., W. E. Henderson; sec. of council, C. S. Gager.

Amer. Chem. Soc. Pres., C. H. Herty; directors (1916-'19), W. R. Whitney, W. D. Bigelow; council.-at-large, G. D. Rosengarten, W. D. Bigelow, B. C. Hesse, G. N. Lewis.-DIV. PHARMACEUT. CHEM.: Ch'r'n, J. H. Long; vice-ch., H. V. Arny; sec., G. D. Beal; exec. commit., F. R. Eldred, C. W. Johnson-AGRIC. AND FOOD DIV. Ch'r'n, L. M. Tolman; sec'y, G. F. Mason; members of exec. commit., H. A. Huston, A. V. H. Mory, E. R. Smith. N. Y. SECT. At the annual meeting for the election of the ch'r'n of the N. Y. Sect., Mar. 10, Drs. K. G. Falk and J. M. Matthews each received 78 votes. The tie was formally broken in behalf of Dr. Matthews by the vote of the chair.-VA. SECT. Vice-p., E. C. L. Miller.

Amer. Med. Assoc. The ranking vice-p., Albert Vander Veer succeeds pres. W. L. Rodman, deceased.

Amer. Soc. Animal Production. Pres., W. A. Cochel; vice-p., J. M. Evvard; sec.-treas., F. B. Morrison.

Amer. Soc. Naturalists. Treas., J. A. Harris.

Assoc. Offic. Agric. Chem. Hon. pres., H. W. Wiley; pres., F. N. Brackett; vice-p., J. K. Haywood; sec.-treas., C. L. Alsberg; addit. members of the ex. commit., W. J. Jones, Jr., E. B. Holland.

REFEREES. Phosphoric acid, W. J. Jones, Jr.-Nitrogen determination, H. D. Haskins; separation of nitrogenous substances, L. L. Van Slyke.-Potash, E. E. Vanatta.-Soils, J. W. Ames.Dairy products, Harry Klueter.-Feeds and feeding stuffs, A. C. Summers. Food adulteration, Julius Hortvet. Sugar, C. A. Browne. Insecticides, R. C. Roark. Inorganic plant constituents, A. J. Patten.- Medicinal plants and drugs, W. O. Emery.-Water, W.W. Skinner. - Water in foods and feeding stuffs, W. J. McGee. See p. 51 for recent items in this connection.