PROCEEDINGS AT THE MEETINGS OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY. January 19 1852. PROFESSOR President in the Chair. DAUBENY The following donations were announced “Berattelse om Framstegen i Fysik,” 1849 af E.E dlund. “Ofversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps- Akademiens Forhandlingar 1850 from the Royal Stockholm Academy ‘‘Denkschriften der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften :” Zweiter Band. “Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften,” Band VI. Heft I-V from the Imperial Academy of Vienna. “Proceedings of the Glasgow Philosophical Society,” Vol. 111. No. 3 from the Society. “Pharmaceutical Journal,” Vol. 11 No. 7 from the Editor. “Journal of the Franklin Institute,” Vol. XXII No. 2 from the Institute. c‘ The Literary Gazette,” Nos.1823-1826 from the Publishers. ‘‘Prideaux’s Scale of Equivalents :” from Mr. Whipple. The following papers were read 1. :‘On the Analysis of the Water supplied by the Bristol Water- works Company :” by Thornton J. Herapatb. 2. “On a quick approximative Method of Estimating minute quantities of Iron by means of a Colorimeter :” by the same. 3. “On the Decomposition of Citrate of Lime in contact with Putrefying Curd :” by Henry How. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY. Dr. Hofmann made a verbal communication on Liebig’s new method of estimating the quaritity of urea contained in urine. He stated that various methods had previously been recommended for estimating urea among others that of converting the urea into carbonate of ammonia and ascertaining the quantity of nitrogen.This method as well as some others required delicate and careful manipulation ; others again have been proved to furnish incorrect results. Professor Liebig had been often applied to by his physio- logical friends at Giessen to devise some simple method of effecting this object such as a medical man might himseIf readily apply; and he had succeeded in discovering a process which appeared to offer the means of estimating urea with great facility It consists in treating the urine under examination with nitrate of red oxide of mercury. Urea combines with this substance and forms a snow-white almost insoluble compound which is immediately precipitated when urine or a fluid containing urea is mixed with a solution of the nitrate of mercury containing no free acid.The precipitate contains one atom of urea one atom of nitric acid and four atoms of red oxide of mercury. As nitric acid is set free in the process and as this free acid prevents the further action of the nitrate it is necessary to neutralize the liquor after each addition of nitrate with baryta-water. Liebig has fouBd however that the presence of common salt in the urine prescnts a difficulty in theapplication of the process which ‘he has not yet com- pletely got over. February 2 1852. DR. LYONPLAYFAIR, Vice-president in the Chair. The following donations were announced ‘‘ Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge,” Vol. 11. “Appendix I. to Vol. 111. of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge containing an Ephemeris of the planet Neptune :” by Sears C.Walker. “Report to the Smithsonian Institution on the History of the Discovery of Neptune:” by B. A. Gould Jun. “Fourth Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smith- sonian Institution for 1849.’’ ‘‘Notices of Public Libraries in the United States of America :” by Charles C. Jowett from the Smithsouian Institution. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY ‘<Reports from the Secretary of the Treasury of scientific investi- gations relating to Sugar and Hydrometers made under the super- intendence of Professor A. D. Bache :” by Professor R. S. M‘Cul-loch from the Author. c* Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science,” in 1850 from the Association.“The American Journal of Science and Arts:” by Professor Silliman No. 36 for Nov. 1851 from the Editor. “Journal of the Franklin Institute,” Vol. XXTII Nos. 3 and 4 from the Institute. ‘(The Pharmaceutical Vol. 111 No. 8 from the Editor. The TAiterary Gazette,” No. 1827 from the Publishers. ‘‘Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akadeniie der Wissenschaften,” Band. VII Heft 1 and 2 from the Imperial Academy of Vienna. ‘‘Stahl’s Fundamenta Chyrnis :” from Mr. George Whipple. Six Medallions of foreign Philosophers :” from Mr. D. Boru. The following papers were read 1. “On a New Method of obtaining Hippuric Acid in considera-ble quantity without Evaporation of the Urine; and on some of its products of Decomposition :” by Edward Riley Assistant in the Museum of Practical Geology.2. “On Populin :” by M. Rafaelle Piria. February 16 1852. PROFESSOR President in the Chair. DAUBENY Frederic Claudet Esq. of University College; Christopher Leefe Dresser Esq. of Leeds; Charles B. Mansfield B.A.; of Half-Moon Street; Joshua Hutchinson Robson Esq. of 6 Highbury Park; and Rees Reece Esq. of Ather Peat Works near Dublin were duly elected Fellows of the Society. The President announced the names of the Vice-president and four other Members of the Council who retire from office and the Vice-president and four other Members of Council together with the remaining Officers and Members of the present Council who were proposed by the Council to be elected at the next General Meeting of the Society.PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY. The following donations were announced “ The American Journal of Science and Arts :” by Professor Silli- man for January 1852 from the Editor <‘ The Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society,” for February 1852 from the Society cc The Literary Gazette,” for January 31 and February 14 from the Publishers. “Specimens of Zinc ores in the natural and prepared states; Metallic Zinc showing the hot and cold fractures ; Rolled Zinc ; a Mould illustrating the method of making Zinc Casts; a Cast of the Head of Sir Robert Peel :” from the Vieille Montagne Zinc Works. ‘c Specimens illustrating the Manufacture of Kelp and Iodine in Ireland :” from Mr. John Ward.The following papers were read 1. “On the Variation in the relative Proportion of Potash and Soda present in certain Samples of Barley grown in plots of ground artificially impregnated with one or other of these Alkalies:” by Dr. Daubeny F.R,.S. 2. “On the Compounds of Cotton with the Alkalies:” by J. H. Gladstone 3’h.D. March I 1852. PROFESSOR in the Chair. GRAHAM G. 13. Buckton Esq. of Gloucester Place Hyde Park was duly elected a Fellow of the Society. The following donations were announced (‘The Pharniaceutical JournaI,” for March from the Editor. ‘‘ The Literary Gazette,” for February 28 from the Publishers. ‘c Specimens of Hippuric Acid in different states of purification ; of Benzoic Acid prepared from Hippuric Acid; and of Glycocol in the pure and impure state :” from Mr.Edward Riley. The following papers were read 1. ‘c On the occurrence of Capric and Caprylic Acids in some Fousel Oils:” by T. H. Rowney. 2. ‘‘On Dr. Keller’s supposed formation of Metacetonic Acid from Flour and Leather:” by R. W. Forster. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY. March 15 1852. PROFESSOR President in the Chair. DAUBENY The following donations were announced “ The Literary Gazette,” for March 6th and 13th from the pub- lishers. ‘I Experimental Researches in Electricity ;J’ Twenty-sixth series On Lines of Magnectic force &c.” by Michael Faraday D.C.L. F.R.S. from the author. Ir On a Method of obtaining a perfect vacuum in the receiver of an Air-pump:” by Thomas Andrews M.D.F.R.S. from the author. The following gentlemen were duly elected Fellows of the Society Alfred Smee Esq. F.R.S. Finsbury Circus; Alfred Fletcher Esq. Denmark Hill Camberwell James Higgin Esq. Man-Chester. The following papers were read 1. On the Detection of Alum in Flour with remarks on the Preparation of Distilled Water and Pure Potash :” by J. H. Pepper. 2. “ Contributions towards the History of Tannic Acid :” by Dr. Strecker Dr. Hofmann made some observations on Liebig’s new process for estimating Urea and described the methods which this Chemist uses for preparing his standard solution of mercury and for esti-mating the amount of chloride of sodium in urine. VOL. V.-NO. mir. n