volume and can hardly be discussed in a paper of this kind. Fortunately, perhaps, the question of books is a minor part of the principal problem, and is almost totally eclipsed by the bigger question: What files of scientific periodicals are needed in a college library successfully to prepare the student for advanced work, taking into consideration also those materials necessary for the stimulation and intellectual development of the faculty? This latter need is quite as important as the first because of the increasing demand of the colleges for instructors with the doctorate degree. Such men are reluctant to accept positions in colleges where facilities for continuing the research which they have learned to love are lacking. One way to answer this question would be merely to sit down and compile a list of those journals which one considers indispensable. Such a procedure might prove eminently successful in certain cases, but it seems reasonably certain that often the result would be seasoned too much by the needs, likes and dislikes of the compiler. In casting around for a better method of arriving at the answer, the writers decided to seek an arbitrary standard of some kind by which to measure the desirability of purchasing a particular journal. If one grants, to avoid argument, that the department is trying to train men, first, to understand the science of chemistry (including, of course, the methods and means of advancing the frontiers of the science) and, second, to be able actually to contribute to this progress, then it seems inquiry should be made into the library tools which men are using who are now doing just this. With this purpose in mind, it was decided to tabulate the references in a single volume of The Journal of the American Chemical Society. This journal was chosen as the most representative of American chemistry. It is believed that the results of such a tabulation can be considered statistically and used with certain reservations to predict the future needs for a period, let us say, of ten years. The most recent complete volume (1926) of this journal has been chosen and the results tabulated in such a way that the relative importance of any single periodical for any five-year period can be seen. This is very important when one considers that only relatively few libraries can afford complete files of journals which have been published continuously for a century or more. The abbreviations used above and in the tables to follow are those accepted by Chemical Abstracts and may be found in their list of periodicals abstracted, issued October 20, 1926. 0361-916100330 LLLBUS253005 115 21 1 21 1 2 7 4 9 10 2 2 1 0 APERTE 1906-1910 HNA AAWOOLENCE 1901-1905 79 45 47 23 22 19 28 23 6 20 11 9 10 0061-9681 | | 64 21 15 1 0 14 6 3 4 1 3 3 8 1 ...... For the purposes of this tabulation, references to The Journal of the American Chemical Society have been excluded. References to the current year (1926) are not included in the tables except in the totals because of the fact that certain journals published near at hand are more readily available than others and references to the current year would, of course, be more numerous for these journals than for others. The total number of references thus considered was found to be 3,633 and these were found to be distributed among 247 different journals or periodicals. In Table I are given the results of this tabulation for the leading 28 periodicals, arranged in order of total number of references. A short study of this table will show that a large total number of references is not the only criterion of desirability which should be applied. It must be realized that a periodical which has been in existence for only ten years, having, let us say, but half as many references as one which has been published continuously for fifty years, would be more desirable, dollar for dollar invested, than the latter, assuming the cost per year to be comparable in the two cases. It is also possible that a journal may have been of such quality for a long period of years that it is now little used and that in later years its quality may have improved or the nature of its material changed in such a way that it is now a very valuable journal. The reverse change is even easier to imagine. It is for such reasons that the distribution as to years of publication of articles referred to is given after the column giving the total number of references. The distribution of references not included in the above table is shown in Table II. The importance of such a tabulation is realized when the relative positions of periodicals are compared in Tables I and III. For example in Table I, Liebig's Annalen der Chemie is third while Zeitschrift für Physik is in fifteenth place, while in Table III Annalen is ninth and the Zeitschrift für Physik is in sixth place. It must apparent that to the American chemist the current number of the latter journal is of more importance than a current number of the classical Annalen der Chemie. The use of these tables is left to the individual reader who will know best how to adapt them to a local need. The following conclusions formulated from them by the writers may prove of assistance in making such applications. (1) It is assumed that the first need of any American college chemistry library is a complete file of the publications of The American Chemical Society: The Journal of the American Chemical Society, Chemical Abstracts, The Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. (2) The complete file of the Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft is indispensable. It must come as a surprise to many chemists, even though they were conscious of the vast number of references to this journal, that 18.88 per cent., or almost one in five, of all references are to this single journal. (3) The file of The Journal of the Chemical Society (London) should begin with 1891 and be complete to date. Even though funds for back-files are not available, this journal should be included in the current subscription lists of every library. This will be realized if reference is made to Table III. (4) The file of the Zeitschrift für physikalische Chemie should be complete from 1895 to date, and it should be on the current subscription lists. From its present trend of usefulness (vide Table III) it is believed that this journal deserves consideration before Liebig's Annalen der Chemie. There is another reason for placing this journal next, because by so doing the balance between organic and physical chemistry is better maintained. (5) Next in importance, perhaps, is Annalen der Chemie (Liebig's). It should be borne in mind that many of the classical researches to which students studying organic chemistry should be constantly referred are found in the back files of this journal. The quality and usefulness of this journal has apparently been very uniform since its first publication. Because of this fact, the back files should be gin as far back as possible. Original reprint of this journal is now almost impossible to obtain. Anastatic reprint is available, however, at not unreasonable cost. It should be remembered that such reprint when reproduced from old and time-worn original print may not be first class. (6) Certainly no American college library of chemistry should be without The Journal of Physical Chemistry to-day. Apparently the quality of this periodical has been much improved recently. (See Table I.) Back files should certainly start as early as 1920 and wherever possible with 1910 issues. (7) Next in importance, the writers place The Journal of Biological Chemistry. This journal should only be considered by colleges where members of the staff in chemistry or biology are interested in this field. Students looking forward to the study of medicine should be provided with this journal. Back files might well begin in 1920. (8) Attention should be called to the recently growing importance of so-called "practical" journals for academic work. Publication of research has been at such a pace that the regular channels of publication are overcrowded. The natural result of this is that many articles of academic interest are now being regularly published in non-academic journals. An excellent example of this is found in the marked in Certainly it should be insisted that a reading knowledge of German be required of every student majoring in chemistry in college. French can hardly be accepted as a substitute although it should, of course, be urged as a complementary tool of value. (10) The conclusions which precede have been drawn from a consideration of periodicals which are strictly chemical in their subject matter. Due to the rise of physical chemistry during the last decade, there are an increasing number of journals usually considered in the domain of physics which must be considered as important for a chemistry student. This fact must not be lost sight of in the expenditure of library funds. The following journals which come in this class are of prime importance to the chemist and might well be considered jointly by the departments of physics and chemistry: Annalen der Physik, Zeitschrift für Physik, Physical Review, Physikalische Zeitschrift and Transactions of the Faraday Society. (11) There is also a group of periodicals of even wider interest than the group immediately preceding. These might well be considered by the entire science division of the college faculty, as material of interest in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, physics, etc., is included. The list follows: Philosophical Magazine, Comptes rendus de l'academie des Sciences, SCIENCE, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Proceedings of the Royal Society (London). Perhaps the writers have not succeeded in answering the general question which they set for themselves at the outset of this survey. Perhaps, however, they have succeeded in pointing the way in which this question may be more readily answered by te chemists, who may profit by the data here tabulated. Perhaps, also, the way has been pointed for workers in fields other than chemistry to answer this question for themselves. If this partial success has been sident achieved, the time and labor expended in this study meest will have been amply repaid. cals d Stat Last ich P. L. K. GROSS E. M. GROSS DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, POMONA COLLEGE SCIENTIFIC EVENTS ZOOLOGY AT THE NASHVILLE MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION THE American Society of Zoologists and section F (zoology) of the American Association for the Advancement of Science will hold joint sessions for the reading of papers at Nashville from Wednesday, December 28, to Friday, December 30, inclusive. The Hermitage Hotel, Sixth Avenue and Union Street, will be headquarters for members of both organizations; the stated price for single rooms is $2.50 to $5.00. Those planning to attend the meetings are strongly advised to write direct to the hotel and make reservations as early as possible, since it may not be possible to accommodate all. On Wednesday evening will be held a biologists' smoker; on Thursday evening the zoologists' dinner; and on Friday evening the naturalists' dinner; all in the Hermitage Hotel. At the zoologists' dinner, Thursday evening, Professor W. C. Curtis, retiring vice-president of section F, will deliver his address on the topic, "Old Problems and New Technique." Sessions for the reading of papers will be held in the school of medicine, with ample provision for meetings and for demonstrations. Members of section F, not members of the American Society of Zoologists, who desire to read papers, should submit titles accompanied by abstracts not exceeding 250 words. These may be sent to the secretary of section F at the address subscribed to this notice any time before November 12, or they may be sent direct to the secretary of the American Society of Zoologists, D. E. Minnich, department of zoology, University of Minnesota, any time before November 15. Papers will not be received by the secretaries after these respective dates. The maximum time allowed for the presentation of a paper is fifteen minutes. The American Society of Zoologists has charge of the program and arrangements. General announcements regarding the matters of transportation, housing and the like, will be found in the preliminary statement of the permanent secretary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, soon to be published. GEO. T. HARGITT, Secretary, Section F LYMAN HALL, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, SYRACUSE, N. Y. THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE OF CHEMISTRY AT PARIS THE American Chemical Society has addressed a letter to the Secretary of State, Frank B. Kellogg, stating its opposition to American membership in the International Office of Chemistry at Paris, to which an invitation to membership has been received from the French government. The letter to Secretary Kellogg, made public by the secretary of the society, Charles L. Parsons, states that the invitation of the French government is still before the department for consideration. The Department of State, however, in commenting upon the letter October 18, stated that the invitation of the French government was received on June 1, 1926, and that a reply had been sent August 12, 1926, that the "United States Government had reached the opinion that the compensatory advantages that would accrue to it through membership in the International Office of Chemistry were not sufficient to warrant the United States Government in becoming a member of the office at this time." The full text of Dr. Parsons' letter follows: HON. FRANK B. KELLOGG, The Secretary of State, Sir: By vote of the council of the American Chemical Society, I was requested to call your attention officially to the enclosed October 10 issue of the News Edition of the official organ of our society. The American Chemical Society has in its organization practically all of the prominent and influential chemists of America and a membership of approximately 15,400. We would respectfully request that, before any action is taken by the United States toward participating in the International Office of Chemistry which is still before your department on proposal of the French Republic, careful consideration be given the facts and data presented in this publication. The American Chemical Society is very strongly opposed to the creation of any international center for the control of chemistry, whether it be located in France or elsewhere. We would, accordingly, request that this communication and this publication be duly filed with the proposals which have been received from the French Government covering the International Food Laboratory and an International Office of Chemistry. LECTURES AT THE FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY A SECOND series of ten free lectures on science and travel, illustrated with moving pictures and stereopticon slides, to be given at Field Museum of Natural History this autumn and winter, has been announced by D. C. Davies, director of the museum. All lectures will be given in the James Simpson Theater of the museum, and begin at 3 P. M., and are open to the general public. Following are the dates, subjects and lecturers for the new series: Nov. 6.-The depths of the sea. Dr. Raymond L. Ditmars, curator, New York Zoological Park. Nov. 13.-The Captain Marshall Field Brazilian expedition of 1926. George K. Cherrie, leader of the expedition. Nov. 20.-Abyssinia. (The Field Museum-Chicago Daily News expedition to Abyssinia.) Dr. Wilfred H. Osgood, curator of zoology, leader of the expedition. Dec. 4.-Beneath tropic seas. Dr. William Beebe, director of tropical research, New York Zoological Society. Dec. 11.-Adventures, archeological and otherwise, in Arabia, Egypt, the Sudan, Sinai, Transjordania, Palestine and Syria. Lowell Thomas, author and traveler. Jan. 14.-Birds and animals of Alaska. William K. Finley, director of wild life conservation, State of Oregon. Jan. 15.-Same lecture as Jan. 14. Jan. 22.-The way of the sperm whaler. Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy, American Museum of Natural History. Jan. 28.-Explorations in plant life. Arthur C. Pillsbury. Jan. 29.-The Malay Peninsula. Carvoth Wells. The general public is invited to these lectures. Members of Field Museum may reserve seats for themselves. The five Saturday lectures of the first series remaining to be given are as follows: Nov. 5. The depths of the sea. Dr. Raymond L. Ditmars, New York Zoological Park. Nov. 12.-The Captain Marshall Field Brazilian expedition of 1926. George K. Cherrie, leader of the expedition. Nov. 19.-Explorations at the North Pole of the winds. Professor William H. Hobbs, leader, University of Michigan Greenland Expedition. Nov. 26.-Sun dance of the Blackfoot Indians. Walter McClintock, Pittsburgh. Dec. 3.-The wonders of marine life. Dr. William Beebe, New York Zoological Society. DEDICATION OF THE NEW MEDICAL LABORATORIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FORMAL opening of the university clinics and new medical laboratories at the University of Chicago will take place on October 31 and November 1. On these dates special convocation and dedicatory exercises will be held, which will include the following clinics and addresses: Medicine and the university: JAMES ROWLAND ANGELL, president of Yale University. Reduction of dyes by biological systems and some remarks on the mechanism: W. MANSFIELD CLARK, professor of physiological chemistry, the John Hopkins Medical School. The regulation of respiration: ROBERT GESELL, professor of physiology, the University of Michigan. Studies in drug tolerance, with special reference to the esters of nitrous and nitric acids: ARTHUR S. LOEVENHART, professor of pharmacology, the University of Wisconsin. Some recent investigations on antigens: KARL LANDSTEINER, member of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. Medicine and science: ALFRED E. COHN, member of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. Urea excretion in nephritis: DONALD D. VAN SLYKE, member of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. Clinical demonstrations: ARTHUR DEAN BEVAN, professor of surgery, Rush Medical College of the University of Chicago. The non-excretory functions of the kidney: I. SNAPPER, professor of pharmacology and general pathology, the University of Amsterdam. The present status of cancer research: FRANCIS CARTER WOOD, director of the Institute of Cancer Research, Columbia University. The hospital and the laboratory: RUFUS COLE, director of the hospital of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. Bacterial endocarditis: WILLIAM S. THAYER, professor emeritus of medicine, the Johns Hopkins Medical School. Diseases of the gall bladder: EVARTS AMBROSE GRAHAM, professor of surgery, Washington University School of Medicine. In the group of five buildings, one for physiology, pharmacology and physiological chemistry, one for pathology, one for the medical clinic and one for the surgical clinic, there is an administration building in which are placed many services that will be used in common. Near by are the laboratories for the premedical sciences and for the underlying sciences in medicine that are not included in the new medical group. Hospital and out-clinic service is now available at the university in general medicine, surgery, eye, nose and throat and neurology. The new building on the Midway of the Chicago Lying-In Hospital, affiliated with the university, will provide for obstetric cases at a later date. The Charles Gilman Smith Memorial Hospital, to be built soon, will care for contagious diseases; the Bobs Roberts Memorial Hospital, for children; and the Gertrude Dunn Hicks Memorial, for |