INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
April, 1925
433
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES Thomas B. Osborne T is rarely that a young man, with a taste for thc so-cal1i.d 'practical affairs of life, and skill and practice in mechsuical iuvention, turns from it to devote his whole life to the study of a very difficult chemical problem and wins succcss in it. Such is DT. Oshorne's story in brief. The genius of the inventor had shown in earlier work, before he ioined the staff of the Connecticut Agricultural Station, of which S. W. Johnson was then director. Perhaps this genius was in part inherited. His grandfather, Eli Wbitney Blake, named for his uncle, the inventor of the cotton gin, was also an inventor, and the Blake stoue-crusher, which he devised, made possible the unversa1 use of hard rock for road construction and is the hasis of sf1 the present rockreducing machines. Osbonie's invcntioii ui metliode of extracting, purifying. and then lireaking up proteins of diverse character into their smaller and more manageable iragmeots bas been as hard a job as the invention of machines for reducing igneous rocks. He has succeeded in separating in pure condition a large number of vegetable proteins, studying their properties, solubility, licat of combustion, specific rotation, anaphylactic reactions. and resolvina - tliem into their constituent radicals for further study. Thomas He has, one might say, been an anatomist, and later a physiologist, of the protein compkx. When as a boy I first studied chemistry, I learned that the formula of albumin was CrnHitoNmO~sPS. That was that, and as Dogberry said, "Why then, take no note of him *** and thank God you are rid of a knave." The work of others, Ritthausen, Klihne, and Chittenden, had taken note of this unsuhdued knave and bad contributed much, hoth in method and results, but Osborne's work remains prcerninent in this field. By it the ~~
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basis has been laid for new conceptions of the nature of digestion and assimilation, which has alievdv hecome of economic imnorlance to the physician and stock-feeder. It has taken thirty-five years of his life. in the study and laboratory entirely devoted to this particular object, putting aside tempting invitations t o engage in nmre remunerative work elsewhere and the other temptation to exploit his work in popular articles. Pcrhaps the first public recognition of his work came in 1897 in a volume bv Griesmever. _ ,in Miinich. which consisted chie0y of translations and abstracts of Oshorne's work, witli this statement in the preface: "It was my object to bring to light these treasures buried in their American publications, which were skilfully planned and executed with the most scrupulous thoroughness." And still his thirst is unsatisfied. He is now studying protcins as they are found in the cells of the living plant. There is no space to do more than mention the studies which hc and I,. B. Mendel, of Yale, have made of the nutritive value of thhe different proteins, thhe development of a unique and successful method of carrying out long-time nutrition experiments with animals, and their work on the vitamins. These are more familiar to us all. His fellow bank directors and his familiar acauaintances a t the Graduate Club will testify that he is no recluse and that his is B. Oaborne no one-trsck mind. But for one who has been associated with him ior forty years and who has almost daily seen and admired his devotion to this research, his dogged perseveraim in overcoming difficulties, his disappointments and his successes, to write anything more intimate regarding the man liimsdf is not possible. Happy is the director of a n institution who has such a man for his example and his friend. ~~
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E. H. JENXINS
Liquid Hydrogen Sulfide
Active Service for C. W. S. Reserve Officers
Among the troublesome reagents in the average laboratory hydrogen sulfide ranks high. The large number of generators which have beem designed indicate to what extent the preparation of the gas has been a problem, while its storage and distribution for use in the laboratory have also caused some difficulty. There has now beerr placed upon the market liquid hydrogcii sulfide in cylinders containing 25 pounds, equivalent to 100 cubic feet of the free gas. These eyiiuders can be used with a g-asonieter devised by the same company to regulate the supply of gas at a suitahle constant prcssuxe. The pressure is adjustable to meet requirements, and the g-rneter is of such size as to supply the average class of one hundred students four hours per day during one week, so that the change of cylinders, which requires hut a few minutes, is a matter of minor importance. The gas is supplied a t a price comparable with the cost of raw materials ordinarily used for seneration and further economy is obtaincd by the use of a bubbling device intended to minimize waste. These devices are intended to make the use of hydrogen sulfide more pleasant and more ewnomifal.
The present Chemical Warfare Association plans for the training oi reserve officers during the fiscal year 1925-commencing July l-sontemplate calling to active duty approximately 100 omcers ior periods of 15 days. If the necessary funds are allotted, about 25 of the officers will he ordered to Edgewwd Arsenal, and the same number to schwls in the 8th and 9th Corps Areas, with headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, and San Francisco, California. The remaining 25 officers will be given training in Corps Area Headquarters. a t the Headquarters of Procurement Distrrcts, and in the office of the Chief, C. W. S. Three or four officers will probably be sent to the Chemical Warfare Schml to pursue t h e Line and Staff Officers' Course. These officers will be from the Branch Assignment Group. Information is not yet available as to how many officers of the Territorial Assignment Group will receive training, but i t is exnected that about 25 oflicers in that category nil1 be ordered to active duty during the fiscal year Application for this training should he submitted to the Chief, C. W. S., War Department, through the Corps Area Headquarters. Final selection will probably not be made before A p d 30.
