McGill University Thèses et mémoires publiés en 1946

Mapping and investigation of the Formaque Gold Mines Ltd. has shown that rocks approximating to quartz gabbro were emplaced during the folding of Keewatin and Temiskaming volcanic and sedimentary rocks in Algoman time. The quartz gabbros were altered by albitizing solutions coming from within the magma, giving rise to the “granodiorites” (albite - oligoclase tonalites and tonalites) of the Bourlamaque batholith. Remnants of metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic roof rocks occur in the batholith as roof pendants and possible extensions into the “granodiorites” from the marginal volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Magmatic differentiation apparently went on in successively deeper zones and finally …  Lire la suite

This investigation is concerned with the potash status of the podzolised soils of the province of Quebec, and particularly with the effects upon it, of the application of limestone and superphosphate to these soils. A Greensboro loam from the Sawyerville area in the Eastern Townships has been selected for study, partly because of the extensive area in the province occupied by this soil, and partly because of the availability of experimental material from fertilizer plots located on it. The investigation has consisted of a study of two independent problems, each having a bearing upon the more general problem under observation, …  Lire la suite

By measuring the intensity of a boron line excited in the presence of different elements it was found that those elements which have tines of just longer wavelength than any boron line arising from the same upper energy level. as the one being measured and which are due to transitions between two excited states, the upper of which is not excited at the voltage being used, lessen the intensity of the boron line. The energy is transferred from the boron atom by collisions between the atoms of the two elements. In an arc the concentration of the dampening eleffient depends …  Lire la suite

An attempt...  Lire la suite

The majority of the polymer used for the production of synthetic rubber products an the American Continent is obtained by the emulsion eopolymerization of butadiene and styrene. In practice, it has been found necessary to stop the reaction af'ter 80% conversion of the monomers. owing to formation of insoluble gel at higher conversions. Hence, recovery of unreaoted monomers from the reaction system is an economic necessity, representing a considerable proportion of the plant equipment and operation encountered in commercial production of the polymer. In both the styrene and the butadiene recovery systems insoluble, so-called, popcorn polymers are for.med which differ …  Lire la suite

Two specially synthesized cellulose nitrates are subjected to thermal decomposition, for the purpose of gaining information regarding the reaction mechanism. For these studies, an all-glass apparatus was constructed which recovered the reaction products quantitatively, and with which it was possible to work at fairly low pressures and at a variety of temperatures. This equipment was designed to accentuate the primary decomposition reaction. Analytical methods are adapted for estimating the composition of the reaction products, both volatile and non-volatile. The analytical data are tabulated, and certain generalizations are apparent on the basis of this data. In conclusion, an attempt is made …  Lire la suite

215 kilovolt electrons have been produced by two successive applications of ultra high frequency voltages. The electrons travel through two cavities which are resonant to an electrical oscillation having a wave-length of 10.7 cm. Simple radar equipment is used to generate a peak power of 110 kilowatts which comes in a pulse lasting one micro-second and occurs one thousand times per second. With one-half of the power dissipated in each resonator, the resulting electric field strength is 92,000 volts/cm. over a distance of 2.5 cm. The maximum voltage across the accelerating gap is 2.5 x 92,000 volts. Owing to the …  Lire la suite

Since 1939 the value of readily available whole blood, plasma and serum has received widespread and deserved recognition. For most purposes whole blood may be considered the ideal material for replacing lost blood, yet certain conditions, such as burns, in which hemoconcentration is to be combatted, call primarily for replacement of circulating fluid. In such cases plasma or serum may be the materials of choice. The chief advantage of plasma and serum, however, lies in their stability over long periods which makes possible the accumulation of large stores without wastage. The problem of maintaining such plasma or serum in the …  Lire la suite

The pre-eminent role of hypertension and cardiovascular-renal disease in human pathology has resulted in intensive research into the underlying etiology. In spite of this fact the progress of elucidation has not been commensurate with the vigor and diligence with which the investigations have been conducted. This is, perhaps, largely due to the involvement of so many apparently unrelated factors. Notwithstanding the uniformity of the symptomatology and pathology evoked by different clinical and experimental conditions various groups of investigators have, according to their predilections, implicated the nervous system, the kidneys, dietary influences, primary disease of the blood vessels of unknown etiology …  Lire la suite

Arthritis is usually one manifestation of a generalized disease of the body. Though there are a few forms of arthritis, like the traumatic and the infectious, that are localized in the joint, it is not primarily a joint disease. This interpretation of the arthritio syndrome was adopted by the American Committee for the Control of Rheumatism foimed in 1928 (302). The etiology of a few forms of arthritis is recognized, but the majority of the arthritides and the rheumatic disturbances are not fully understood. Relatively little inquiry has been made into the nature of the generalized processes involved in rheumatism …  Lire la suite

The results obtained from the study of brown heart in field grown swedes for the years 1935 to 1945 inclusive, are reported, together with the results of greenhouse experiments. This work has been carried out in cooperation between the Departments of Agronomy and Plant Pathology. The months of August and September are critical with respect to brown heart development. The disorder is positively correlated with the amount of precipitation received during these two months and negatively correlated with the hours of sunshine. Brown heart develops very rapidly with the greatest increase occurring over a one to two week period in …  Lire la suite

The determination of the isotopes of various elements is of interest to scientists in many fields, particularly physics and chemistry. Improvements in the technique of measuring the relative quantities of different isotopes in a sample of an element are of particular interest now, with the large number of artificial radioactive substances which are becoming available. The most prevalent methods of determining isotopes make use of some form of mass spectrograph; but, according to modern theories of atomic structure, spectroscopic means, although more difficult in some ways, and less sensitive to traces of isotopes, may be applied without expensive equipment. With …  Lire la suite

DuPorte, E. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

The large-scale production of synthetic rubber has shown the necessity of obtaining fundamental knowledge concerning the chemical structure of polymers and copolymers. The mechanical and chemical properties of the final polymer and ease of processing have been found to be dependent on many factors other than the choice of monomers. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution have been shown to be of prime importance. [...] It is the purpose of this present investigation to test the validity of the copolymerization equation using several pairs of monoolefins and diolefins, and to determine the monomer reactivity ratios for their bulk copolymerizations. …  Lire la suite

The rapid increase in the use of transfusion therapy has made imperative some understanding of the mechanisms underlying the still too-frequent reactions to blood transfusion. The incidence of all such reactions is difficult, if not impossible, to estimate accurately, Mortality from blood transfusion has, however, been variously quoted as being from 0.2 to 1 per cent. Fatality from the introduction of compatible blood is not unknown and is usually due to pulmonary oedema. The commonest cause of fatality is, however, acute renal insufficiency with anuria and uraemia subsequent to the introduction of incompatible blood. Recovery in cases of transfusion anuria …  Lire la suite

In the investigation of the properties of nitrodicyandiamidine, a flashless propellant component, it was found that the substance is a weak acid since a number of stable metal salts could be isolated. Salt formation of nitrodicyandiamidine may be used as a basis for its quantitative estimation. Similar to other urea and guanidine derivatives it couples with aryldiazotates to yield arylazo substituted nitrodioyandiamidine, reacts with hydrazine hydrate to form N (1,1 bishydrazino) methyl N1 nitrourea, and decomposes when formaldehyde is added to its aqueous alkaline solution. Also at elevated temperatures it undergoes rearrangement reactions. The formation of the N (1,1 bishydrazino} …  Lire la suite

A fact which impresses one in looking back upon education in England in the eighteenth century from the vantage ground of the twentieth is the inadequate and the haphazard provision for the training of children. The explanation of this fact is to be found mainly in the belief, prevalent then, that edttcation was not one of the functions of government. The only form of instruction in which the central government showed any interest was that given in the schools of industry; these were the sole educational institutions supported by government taxation. 2 It is true that, as ,. the century …  Lire la suite

There was once a time when it was the fashionable thing for orators and debaters to argue whether history created great men, or whether history was created by great men. Although, as Kimball Young (76) has pointed out, the topic bore a close resemblance to the futile and fruitless "chicken or egg" controversy, its existence was justified in that it was instrumental in attracting the attention of men to the importance of studying the phenomenon of leadership. During the past few decades political organizations, industry, labor, and the military have recognized the importance of leadership in the further development of …  Lire la suite

A meter for the measuring of radio noise should give results which are comparable with the effect of the noise as heard in the loudspeaker of a radio receiver and at the same time be accurate and rapid in operation. Radio noise from different types of apparatus differs in character; some types of noise have high amplitude but are of short duration, whereas others are more nearly sinusoidal in form. Furthermore the characteristics of the radio receiver upon which the noise impinges will have an effect on the noise characteristics, so that the wave shape of the noise pulse at …  Lire la suite

The chief purpose of this investigation was to study the influence of quinine and atabrine on the parasympathetic (vagal) innervation of the gastric glands in the dog, both in acute form of experimentation and in a dog with a permanent gastric fistula. The problem arose as a sequel to previous work with quinine done in this laboratory. Repeating the old experiments of R. Heidenhain ' 1 \ who was the first to observe the effect of quinine on the parasympathetic nervous system in 1868, Stavraky (1933) ^2' found that quinine hydrochloride, administered intravenously to the dog, paralyzed the secretory fibres …  Lire la suite

In the past four years, considerable interest has been aroused by a condition in game fish known as black spot, a condition characterized by the presence on the fins, under and on the scales proper and in the myotomes of the fish of small black spots about the size of the head of a pin. They are caused by the encystuent of larval stages of certain trematodes the adults of which occur in the digestive tract of fish-eating birds or mammals. These encysted larvae or "metacercariae" do not all belong to a single species of trematode. They may occur in …  Lire la suite

[...] The distributive law, under which in any orthodox algebraic system, addition and multiplication enter into postulational wedlock, is absent from our calculus of numerical functions, even though many instances of it are true. We are thus compelled to investigate a novel variant of ordinary algebra, a system in which the distributive law does not necessarily hold. In want of a better name, we shall refer to such a system, subject to certain restrictions to be enumerated in § 2, as a calculus.  Lire la suite

Few living political thinkers are better known than Professor Harold Laski. Educated at Oxford, he came to this continent during world war I and taught first at McGill and afterwards at Harvard. At both universities he promptly got into hot water with the authorities for publicly expressing (to them) objectionable opinions. Receiving an appointment as lecturer at the London School of Economics, Laski returned to England in 1920. A prolific writer, he has built up a solid and enviable reputation for exact scholarship (all who have met or heard Laski testify to his phenomenal memory) brilliant rhetoric and complete sincerity. …  Lire la suite

The initiation of experimental research in the investigation of geological problems is credited to Sir James Hall, a Scottish geologist of the late 18th and early 19th century. His first investigations were in the field of igneous rocks. Prior to the publication of Hall’s investigations, geological thought had been guided purely by observation, reasoning and analogy. That some of the principles, which had by then been developed, should be tested by direct experiment had not occurred to anyone, and consequently Hall’s decision to embark on a course of experimental work was quite revolutionary. A contemporary pillar of the geological world, …  Lire la suite

The Refining and the hydrogenation of fish oils in the preparation of solid fats for general industrial purposes have been in general use for a comparatively short time. So an attempt was made to determine the most satisfactory conditions for the refining of fish oils and to investigate the rate of hydrogenation of these oils in the presence of nickel catalyst. The author studied also the variation of iodine value with hydrogen absorption, the mecanism followed by the hydrogenation, as given by an interpretation of the results, and the order of the reaction. The oil used for this investigation was …  Lire la suite

A method was developed for the accurate estimation of the acetyl content of trityl cellulose acetates. Monotrityl cellulose diacetate (I) waB prepared and fully characterized. The nitration of I, to yield a 11cellttlose-6-nitrate diacetate11 , was found to be accompanied by considerable deacetylation. The nature of this deacetylation was studied. The replacement by iodine of tosyloxy and nitrate groups in the cellulose molecule was studied. At least 0.52 of the nitrate groups in a 'bellulose-6-nitrate'' were definitely shown to occupy the primary position. Some of the results indicate that application of the 110ldham - Rutherford Rule" to cellulose mey prove …  Lire la suite

The interval between the two World Wars has witnessed the rise of various new trends in the sphere of international politics. It has seen the creation of the League or Nations which was interpreted by many to be the corner-stone of a system of collective security based on the respect or international obligations legally contracted. It has seen nations seeking, in the name of collective security, to maintain at all costs the then existing balance or powers. It has seen other nations trying, also in the name of collective security, to bring about change in what they considered to be …  Lire la suite

The purpose of this work is to investigate the law of dissimilation of aspirates as it was originally stated by Grassmann, and as it applied in Greek. It is conceivable that changes in the science of philology, particularly with regard to newly suggested etymologies, may render necessary a restatement of some of the attendant factors, though the basic idea of the law must remain unaltered. For the accomplishment of this purpose, a list of those words which were affected by the law has been compiled. The basis for the selection has been the etymologies of Walde, in the “Etymologisches Woerterbueh …  Lire la suite

[...] The first section of this thesis describes the studies which led to a satisfactory process for recovering acetic acid. The latter two sections, although of much less importance to large scale manufacture of RDX, contributed to the knowledge of the intricate mechanism of the Bachmann Process. The combined efforts of numerous research workers, each making his small contribution in this way, have provided a very considerable knowledge of polymethylene nitramine chemistry.  Lire la suite

Winkler, C. A. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

L'actualite politique n'est qu'un aspect du vaate tableau que Romains fait de la societe fran~aise au cours de la periode 1908 - 1914, mais elle est si souvent melee a la vie doa parsonnages qu'elle parait devoir meriter une etude particuliare. Loraqu'un ecrivain se propose d'etudier l'histoire de la vie d'une societe, il lui fait considerer et les faits euxmemes et l'attitude des hommes envers ces faits. Dans Les Hommes de Bonne Volonte, Romains a reuni une quantite de faits politiques et un grand nombre de personnages qui representant des attitudes differentes envers lea hommes et lea evenements de leur …  Lire la suite

Tertiary hexadecyl mercaptan was investigated as a modifier in the emulsion copolymerization of butadiene and styrene. This mercaptan disappeared slowly during the first 50-60 per cent of the polymerization but underwent a rapid increase in rate of disappearance thereafter. This rapid rate of disappearance at high conversion cannot be accounted for on the basis of changing styrene content during polymerization or upon mercaptan addition to the polymer double bonds. Changes in viscosity of the polymer during polymerization were studied. A decrease was observed in the same conversion range where the rate of the mercaptan disappearance increased. Tertiary hexadecyl mercaptan was …  Lire la suite

In the course of his discussion of Aeschylus' use of the Prometheus myth, George Thomson has observed that "this myth has a history of its own". It is the purpose of the present study to trace this history, as far as that may be ascertained from the materials at our disposal. In claiming this purpose, the author desires to differentiate his task from that of the many compilers of handbooks to whom he is indebted. It may Suffice for a compendium of Greek mythology to present all the variant forms of a myth, while making adequate reference to the literary …  Lire la suite

The Electromagnetic Theory of Clerk Maxwell will forever remain outstanding work in theoretical physics. The fundamental equations of this theory are the laws governing electric and magnetic fields perfected and generalized by the concept of displacement current. Singular and unimportant as it may seem at first, it makes a most important advance in our understanding of the universe. The Maxwellian Theory which proves that the velocity of light is the same as that of the ratio of the electric and electrostatic units and the identity of the velocity of light and electricity leads us to the conclusion that light is …  Lire la suite

During the recent conflict, cyclotrimethylene triamine, more familiarly known as RDX, was recognized by both the Allies and the enemy as the most powerful explosive available in large quantities. The production of RDX stemmed from two main processes, (a) the Woolich Reaction (1), and (b) the Bachmann or Combination Method (2). The former essentially consisted in reaction between hexamine and fuming nitric acid, while in the latter hexamine is acted upon by nitric acid, ammonium nitrate and acetic anhydride in the presence of acetic acid. Although recent research on the explosive has been concerned mainly with problems of production, a …  Lire la suite

During the Fall of 1939, a request was received by the Department of Psychology, McGill University, from the Vice-Principal (Officer in Charge of the English-speaking Division) of the Montreal Technical School, for assistance in establishing a screening technique which would select with greater accuracy from the increasingly large applicant list, a group of candidates, equal in size to the accommodation facilities of the School's classes and shops, likely to succeed in the four-year Technical (Day) Course. [...]  Lire la suite

As social and medical progress have gradually emancipated mankind from many of the more acute and fatal diseases, so have the diseases associated with old and middle age come into prominence. Among these latter is arteriosclerosis - a disease which, with its sequelae, has assumed major importance as a cause of death and physical incapacity. Study of' the disease has yielded an immense amount of information but, up to the present, little understanding of its fundamental properties, and nothing of value for its prevention or cure. Any study which may elucidate the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis is, therefore, of value; and …  Lire la suite

This thesis describes an experiment involving rats fed a series of diets containing four different types of shortening (compound animal-vegetable, blended vegetable, hydrogenated vegetable and lard), incorporated at 0, 8, 16 and 24% by weight and baked at 375° F. and 425 F. The diets were mixtures of milk powder, flour, shortening, bone meal, and salt. The proportion of these ingredients was adjusted to maintain protein at 16% by weight. Gains decreased with increasing fat level apparently due to a reduction of the proportion of protein to non-protein calories from the replacement of carbohydrate by fat. Lard was slightly more …  Lire la suite

(1) This research is part of N.R.C. project XR-79,a search for desirable stabilizers for guncotton. Three substituted ureas, N,N'-diethyl-N,N'-bis-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)· urea, N-ethyl-N,N'-bis-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-urea, and N,N'-bis-{3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-urea were synthesized. These compounds are analogues of the co~mon stabilizer, centralite. Tho first two were new compounds, and were characterized; the third was synthesized by a new method. (2) The necessary intermediate, 4-athylwAinoveratrola, was synthesized in four ways, and characterized by derivatives. The benzenesulfonyl and acetyl derivatives were also employed in the purification of the compound. Practical methods of hydrolyzing these derivatives were discovered. {3) In addition to those already mentioned, the following new compounds ware prepared …  Lire la suite

In educational literature, there have been many exhaustive justifications of individual subjects of the curriculum. Often these disquisitions are as exhausting as they are exhaustive; if the subject is generally included in school courses, the justification is scarcely warranted, and if not, the justification becomes an apology. This is hardly true of music, however. Unlike algebra, Greek and botany, music is an integral part of the daily life of millions, regardless of their age, intellectual attainments, social position, or economic affluence. In spite of this -- or perhaps because of it -- some educators today allow music little or no …  Lire la suite

The second World War which began in 1939 set off a chain of reactions which resulted in the evacuation of all people of Japanese racial origin from the Pacific coasts of both Canada and the United States. It was to be expected that unpleasant consequences for this minority group would occur as a result of Japan’s close affiliation with the axis countries, but it was a surprise to many that mass evacuation was the result of the declaration of war between Japan and the Allied Powers. In times past historians have recorded other evacuations. The British army fearing possible aid …  Lire la suite

The identification of nicotinic acid as the pellagra-preventative factor has necessitated the development of accurate methods for its estimation. Most chemical methods are colorimetric procedures based upon the Konig reaction (52) in which the pyridine ring is ruptured with cyanogen bromide. The slight color produced is intensified by the addition of an aromatic amine. This reaction is not specific for nicotinic acid but is given by any alpha-unsubstituted pyridine compound (34). The natural-occuring nicotinamide and related compounds which are biologically active must be converted to the free acid by hydrolysis with acid or alkali prior to the application of the …  Lire la suite

In the investigation of the properties of nitrodicyandiamidine, a flashless propellant component, it was found that the substance is a weak acid since a number of stable metal salts could be isolated. Salt formation of nitrodicyandiamidine may be used as a basis for its quantitative estimation. Similar to other urea and guanidine derivatives it couples with aryldiazotates to yield arylazo substituted nitrodicyandiamidine, reacts with hydrazine hydrate to form N (1,1 bishydrazino) methyl N1 nitrourea, and decomposes when formaldehyde is added to its aqueous alkaline solution. Also at elevated temperatures it undergoes rearrangement reactions. The formation of the N (1, 1 …  Lire la suite

Ross, J. H. (Supervisor)  Lire la suite

This study is an attempt to put in systematic form ideas about rural education that have been taking shape over a period of a dozen years. The literature on rural education has been judged from a background of teaching and supervising in rural schools. The reading specific to the topic, “Guidance Needs in Rural Schools”, has been done during the past year; but the general reading concerned with the improvement of rural education has been going on for several years, and at various times has been stimulated by College courses and work in the field. There is very little literature …  Lire la suite

The indefinite knowledge of the constitution and interrelation of the cell wall components has led to the development of highly empirical methods for their estimation. After the removal of the soluble constituents from finely ground plant material with suitable inert solvents, the residue consists almost entirely of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Many of the chemical and physical properties of some of these constituents have not been definitely established. The methods most commonly employed for the estimation of the lignin fraction are based on the principle of insolubility of lignin in strong mineral acids at room temperatures. It has been known …  Lire la suite

Cellulose is attacked and decomposed to simpler chemical compounds by a host or microorganisms in a variety or natural processes. In this manner, a very large part of the carbon of decaying vegetation is reconverted into forms utilizable by other living organisms, and a proper balance or the carbon cycle is thus maintained. A large number of different organisms are associated in the breakdown, and the cellulose itself is in intimate contact with other plant materials, notably hemicelluloses and lignin. The majority of the studies on cellulose decomposition, however, have been confined to the use of pure cultures of microorganisms, …  Lire la suite

Graphitization in iron-carbon alloys has been for several years a favorite subject of research, forming as it does the basis of the malleable iron casting industry, and having in addition a considerable importance in the length of service of iron-carbon alloys subjected to high temperatures for long periods. The instability of iron carbide, or cementite, and its tendency to break down into graphite and other products under suitable conditions has been rather completely surveyed, most noteworthy in this respect being the work of Wells . Graphitization in white cast iron has been investigated and reported by Schwartz and his associates. …  Lire la suite

Research on growth factors essential to the metabolism of microorganisms and higher animals has proceeded with ever increasing strides in the past fifty years. The correlation of microbial growth factors with animal vitamins was a recent development. Indeed, as recently as 1936, B.C.J.G. Knight (15) stated, “It is not unlikely that some of the animal vitamins may be required by bacteria, but at present it has not been shown that any pure animal vitamin is required as an essential nutrient by any”. The work covered in this thesis concerns itself with one vitamin, namely, riboflavin. At first it was proposed …  Lire la suite

Formaldehyde, which is prepared by the oxidation of methyl alcohol, was available only in limited quantities prior to 1923. In that year, however, a commercial method for the production of synthetic methyl alcohol by the catalytic reduction of carbon monoxide was discovered (1). This in turn made formaldehyde more plentiful, as a result of which it became possible to produce hexamine in large quantity by the evaporation of an aqueous solution of formaldehyde and ammonia. Before World War II, hexamine was produced commercially for use in industry as a special form of anhydrous formaldehyde, for example, in the manufacture of …  Lire la suite