370 CURRENT TOPICS. [J. F. I.

were added. The soup was not very palatable without proper seasoning. With seasoning a very palatable dish was prepared. For bread a mixture of So per cent. wheat flour and 20 per cent. soy-bean flour was used. The product was darker in color than wheat bread, but was excellent in flavor ; the loaves did not attain the usual height. When more than 20 per cent. soy-bean flour was used, the loaves tended to become soggy; probably IO per cent. would yield the best results. Unlike bran, admixture of soy-bean flour does not decrease the nutritive value of the bread, for soy- bean flour contains a high per cent. of protein or nitrogenous food, and this protein is of high quality and 90 per cent. digestible. For the same reasons soy-bean flour is preferable to corn meal.

J. S. H.

At the International Hydrographic Conference held in Lon- don in the summer of 1919, twenty-three countries were repre- sented. The purpose was to compare and study the methods used in the several countries in order to determine the best among them and to standardize the hydrographic publications of all countries as far as possible. In the “ Light Lists ” now are in- cluded “ wireless direction-finding stations ” and “ sound-ranging signal stations.” It was recommended that all countries adopt “ time zones ” at sea, as Great Britain, France, and Italy have already done. A committee of which Rear Admiral Simpson, United States Navy, is a member is to present to the various ,gov- ernments the arguments for the establishment of an International Hydrographic Bureau.

G. F. S.

A Positive Ray Spectrograph. F. W. ASTON. (Phil. ibfac~., December, IgIg.)-After the positive rays have passed the cathode they traverse two very narrow slits. The resulting ribbon of rays is then spread out into an electric spectrum upon passing through a static field between two parallel plates. A part of the spectrum is allowed to traverse a diaphragm and subsequently a magnetic field between the parallel pole pieces of an electro- magnet. This magnetic field deflects the rays in a direction oppo- site to that in which they were bent by the electric field. Rays which have the same relation of mass to charge now are brought to a focus and can be photographed. Preliminary tests indicate that the instrument gives clearly defined foci and leads the ex- perimenter to hope that it may be used to determine whether neon is an element or an isotopic mixture. .

“To make slits with beautifully parallel sides to almost any degree of fineness, .OI mm. being easily obtainable,” Mr. Aston bores a hole in an aluminum cylinder and then flattens the hole out by crushing the cylinder.

G. F. S.