Remarks on Orbits and Dynamical Parallaxes

In connection with statements made at the preceding session, some results presented at the Nice Conference on systematic and random errors affecting the elements a and P as well as a3/P2 may be recalled. If many orbits have been calculated for one binary, it is instructive to plot log P, log a, and log a3/P2 versus log Δt/P where Δt is the time interval covered by observations. As a general rule, when Δt ≃ P the systematic trends vanish, and the scatter of the plotted elements reaches a low value, not considerably changing thereafter. It may well be of interest, then, to have several orbits based on the same observations but computed by different authors and methods.

B. The Non-Linear Calculations for Pulsating Stars

(Ed. note: The custom in these Symposia has been to have a summary-introductory presentation which lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours, during which discussion from the floor is minor and usually directed at technical clarification. The remainder of the session is then devoted to discussion of the whole subject, oriented around the summary-introduction. The preceding session, I-A, at Nice, followed this pattern. Christy suggested that we might experiment in his presentation with a much more informal approach, allowing considerable discussion of the points raised in the summary-introduction during its presentation, with perhaps the entire morning spent in this way, reserving the afternoon session for discussion only. At Varenna, in the Fourth Symposium, several of the summaryintroductory papers presented from the astronomical viewpoint had been so full of concepts unfamiliar to a number of the aerodynamicists-physicists present, that a major part of the following discussion session had been devoted to simply clarifying concepts and then repeating a considerable amount of what had been summarized. So, always looking for alternatives which help to increase the understanding between the different disciplines by introducing clarification of concept as expeditiously as possible, we tried Christy's suggestion. Thus you will find the pattern of the following different from that in session I-A. I am much indebted to Christy for extensive collaboration in editing the resulting combined presentation and discussion. As always, however, I have taken upon myself the responsibility for the final editing, and so all shortcomings are on my head.)

The Congressional Caucus of Today

The convening of the 64th congress makes timely a brief discussion of the organization and operation of the Democratic caucus system in the house of representatives during the last two congresses; since the Democratic party remains in control of the present congress, it is to be presumed that the past caucus system will be continued in substantially the same form.The caucus system used in the 62d and 63d congresses was adopted by the Democrats, upon their accession to control of the house in 1910, to replace Cannonism, which had become of ill repute among the voters, and which had been partly over-thrown at the preceding session. The unwieldy size of the house, as well as the exigencies of party, required some extra-legal machinery to coördinate and direct the action of the members; the substitute chosen by the Democratic leaders was an adaptation of the senate caucus, formerly known as Aldrichism. The essence of Cannonism had been the control of the house by the speaker through his power of appointment of committees and his domination of the rules committee, backed by the power of the majority party caucus; the essence of the new system is direct control of legislative action by the caucus itself.

IX. Chemical Examination of the Petroleum of Rangoon

At the close of the preceding session, the Council of the Society did me the honour of entrusting me with the chemical examination of several articles sent not long ago to the Society by Mr Swinton, Secretary to Government at Calcutta. The articles in question are, 1. Specimens of the black varnish used in different parts of Hindostan and the Burmese territories, with specimens of the juices of which these varnishes are said to be compounded; 2. Specimens of naphtha from Persia, and of petroleum from Rangoon; 3. Specimens of wood-oil, a variety of fluid turpentine; 4. Specimens of crude caoutchouc, and of solutions of it in wood-oil.The only one of these articles which has hitherto yielded results of such interest as to induce me to lay them before the Society, is the petroleum of Rangoon, which appears to contain a compound inflammable principle hitherto unknown.