On Raoult'a Method for Molecular Weight Determination.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 34, 1901, Page 567

3. “Raoult's Method for Molecular-weight Determination,” by Professor Easterfield and James Bee. (Transactions, p. 497.) These methods, the professor said, were practised in the laboratory of the Victoria College, and were easily within the reach of first-year students. They gave accurate results, and were performed in turn in the course of instruction by each member of the class. One of these methods, which was devised by himself, was to determine readily the densities of vapours at the actual boiling-point, a very difficult process by the usual methods—so difficult that densities were usually taken at a much higher temperature, leaving the density at the moment of vaporization uncertain. Already valuable results had been obtained with many substances, but so far his process had not been successful with mercury, in dealing with which special apparatus would be necessary. He thought, from his researches so far, that it might yet be demonstrated that the mercury atom consisted of two molecules. The second part of the address was illustrated by an experiment in measuring and calculating molecular density by Mr. James Bee, of Wellington College, illustrating the simplicity and brevity of the method. Two very large trout from Spring Creek, near Blenheim, belonging to Mr. T. E. Donne, and mounted by Mr. A. Yuill, taxidermist to the Museum, were on exhibition.