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NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE Gas-Tight Stirrer Editor OJ Lndustriat and Engineering Chemistry: In the November issue of THISJOURNAL there appears on page 1134 a description of a gas-tight stirrer, closely resembling a type described by me some two years ago.’ As I have had considerahle experience with such stirrers I venture t o point out that there are certain disadvantages attaching t o the type illustrated in your journal, which do not apply to the stirrer in the accompanying drawing. I n my experience the use OF a parallel shaft kept gas-tight by a packing gland leads to excessive friction with a resulting increase in the power required to drive the stirrer. I n the type shown by the accompanying drawing the shaft is provided with a conical shoulder which exactly fits the conical bearing, so that when the pulley is screwed onto the other end of the shaft it enters a similar cone and thus draws the two cones into close contact. This secures a gas-tight bearing without the use of any packing gland. The second point is that in the figure described by Holm a long length of steel shaft and the packing gland are exposed to whatever gas may be in the flask. This means that if corrosive gases are being used the metal parts will be quickly attacked. It will be seen that this difficulty .is overcome in my stirrer by making the lower part of the glass stirrer conical, and grinding it into contact with a corresponding outer cone on the bearing, so that nothing but glass or ebonite comes in contact with the gas or liquid in use. These small changes make all the difference between a stirrer which will give much trouble in operation and one which will run for long periods without attention. H. G. BECKBR 15, YORIC ROAD RATHMINES DUBLIN, IRELAND Decembe- 4, 1923 1
P!oc. Roy. Dublin SOL.,16, 334 (1921).
.......... Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: In reply to Mr. Becker’s letter, we first wish to point out that the probkm of securing a gas-tight seal is quite different from obtaining a seal against a liquid, such as is the case in the inverted type of stirrer he uses. We have not been seriously hampered by any of the objections voiced, but realize that with highly corrosive gases and liquids objections may be raised t o almost any apparatus that is not made wholly of glass. The form and material of such an apparatus is best determined by the nature of the work in question. GEORGEE. HOLM GEORGER. GREENBANK RESEARCH LABORATORIES. DAIRYDIVISION BUREAU O F ANIMALINDUSTRY WASHINGTON, D. C. January 8, 1924
Amino Acid Distribution in Proteins of Wheat Flours Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: I would like t o point out that the problem on “Amino Acid Distribution in Proteins of Wheat Flours,” which R. J. Cross and R. E. Swain discuss in THIS JOURNAL, 16,49 (1924), had already been discussed by M. J. Blish in THISJOURNAL,8, 131 (1916). Cross and Swain make no reference to this paper, but their findings are essentially identical with the findings of Blish.
R. A. GORTNER UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ST. PAUL, MI”. January 9, 1924
.......
Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: Dr. Gortner is entirely right. Proper reference to the paper by Blish should have been made in our paper. The paper by Blish was entirely overlooked by us in our review of the literature. This may have been due in part to the fact that the review of the paper in Chemical Abstracts makes no mention of the analysis of proteins of different varieties of wheat, but deals wholly with other points brought out in the investigation. R. J. CROSS R. E. SWAIN STANFORD UNIVERSITY CALIFORNIA February 1. 1924
Professional Protection Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: During the past eighteen years I have had inquiries from a number of consulting chemists, which indicated t h a t other men in actual practice had had experiences similar t o my own. I have in mind the fact t h a t consulting chemists are continually promoting sales for the builders of machinery and equipment, without receiving from them any financial recognition. This matter of “professional protection” is OF considerable importance and it is queer that mention of it should have been omitted from codes of ethics issued by chemists. In the professions of architecture and engineering there are, I believe, well-established practices. The advertising brokers seem to have adopted the 15 per cent commission as the basis of their business, and clients are informed that any publicity medium (magazines, etc.) that does not grant a 15 per cent commission t o the advertising broker throws the burden of the commission on the client, and the client is then called on to pay definitely 15 per cent t o the broker. The consulting chemist who promotes the sale and use of a certain appliance, machine, or apparatus, or who instals laboratories for clients is properly entitled to recognition in a substantial way. The client should know that a 15 per cent protection is accorded the consulting chemist and the client should further know that this 15 per cent does not have any influence on the price. Consulting chemists, many of them, have come to me and said that one machine builder offered the following plan: A machine is offered for sale direct to the consumer for, say, $1000. If this machine is recommended to the consumer by a consulting chemist, the machine builder will add 15 per cent
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to the price, or will add any amount that the consulting chemist wants. In this case the price would be $1150 if purchased a t the suggestion of a consulting chemist and $1000 if purchased direct.
1’01. 16, No. 3
Device for Sodium Flame
Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chellzistry: May I call attention to the fact that the device for a sodium I n such a case the machinery builder is not paying anybody a flame described by Dolid, THIS JOURNAL,16, 53 (1824), is commission for his sales promotion work, but he is showing the similar to one that has been listed for a number of years by consumer that the consulting chemist is making the client pay one of the large chemical apparatus supply companies? The for this sales promotion work. method is very satisfactory as long as the asbestos wick does not This state of affairs has now reached the point wherethemabecome clogged. The wick can, of course, be easily replaced chinery builders should be promptly and courteously called to ac- if necessary. count, and I hope that there will be a free discussion in our jourAnother method, for which apparatus is also listetl, utilizes nal. We do not hope t o receive the answer that the machinery an aspirator of special design by means of which the salt solution builders are making possible the publication of our SOCIETYis drawn in a fine spray into the gas which feeds the flame. j ourn a1. This method is more satisfactory than the other for two reasons: FREDERIC DANNERTH it operates satisfactorily as long as there is solution in the reserNEWARK, N. J. voir, and there is no difficulty from contaminating the flame January 23, 1924 with salts that are not supposed to be there. With the asbestos wick it is almost impossible to avoid the latter trouble when salts other than those of sodium are used. PAULE. KLOPSTEG
Information on Colloid Chemistry Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: About a year ago [THISJOURNAL, 15, 321 (1923)J I asked for assistance in preparation of a comprehensive book on “Colloid Chemistry, Theoretical and Applied,” and I am glad to say that over one hundred and fifty of the best men of all countries have promised contributions to it, thus insuring its international character. Papers have already been received from the following: CANADA F. E. Lloyd W.H. Martin CZECHOSLOVAKIA G. Georgeivics
ENGLAND E. F. Armstrong S. C . Bradford A. E. Dunstan W. B. Hardy 11. Jordan Lloyd E. J. Mardles H. R. Procter
GERMANY F. Emslander H. Freundlich R. Lorenz H . Luppo-Cramei P. Pransnitz H. Schade R. Zsigmondy HOLLAND N. Waterman JAPAN
T. Hagiwara S. Utzino
TUGOSLAVIA
FRANCE A. Lumiere A. Mary S . Leduc
M. Samec MExrco A. L. Herrera. RUSSIA L. Gurwitsch
SWEDEN C. Benedicks UNITEDSTATES E. E. hyrcs, Jr. C. Barus G . Bouyoucos M. M. McCool H. J. Creighton W. P. Davey E. I . Fulmei H. A. Gardner R. A. Gortner H . N. Holmes J. U. Lloyd G. D. McLaughlin H . N. Spencer M. Toch E. C. Washburn F. Zerban
Many others are either in the mail or will soon be-e. E. Hatschek A. E. Searle
M. Ascoli W. D. Bancroft H. Bassett W. H . Bragg E. F. Burton G. Bredig W.Clayton J. Duclaux H. Handovsky
W. H. Herschel D. D . Jackson P. S . Landolt R . E. Liesegang D. T. MacDougal I,. Michaelis Sven Oden Wo. Pauli
g., from:
S. E. Sheppard P. Scherrer G . Storm J. Traube W. E. S. Turner P. P. von Weimarn R . Willstatter P . Wislicenus
An enormous range of topics is being covered, including technology, agriculture, biology, and medicine. Thus there are papers on cancer, tuberculosis, concretions (gallstones, calculi, etc.). If any of the readers of THISJOURNAL can send me reprints of papers germane to the book, or suggestions as to points that they would like to have included or discussed, I shall appreciate i t and make the best use I can of the information. I am looking for all the cooperation I can get to make this book a compendium of our present knowledge of colloid chemistry, so that it may be of the widest possible use, not only to chemists, but also to manufacturers, biologists, physicians, and many others. JEROME
50 EAST41ST N E W YORK,N.
ST.
Y. February 13, 1924
ALEXANDER
CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC COMPANY ILL. CHICAGO, January 8, 1924
Register Your Protest Editor o j Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: A bill, S. 845, “To authorize the Department of Commerce, by the National Bureau of Standards, to examine and test manufactured articles or products for the owner or manufacturer thereof, t o issue a certificate as to the nature and quality of such manufactured articles or products, and t o prevent the ilIegal use of such certificate,” introduced by Senator Fletcher and referred to the Committee on Commerce, has just been called to our attention. We have read this bill carefully and discussed it a t our semiweekly conference. We cannot see that the provisions of the proposed law will serve any useful governmental purpose, nor do we believe that the services to be provided are a proper governmental function. It is not designed to assist in conserving the health of the nation or to protect its coinage and precious metals. It looks to be rather an attempt to increase greatly the force of the Bureau of Standards with no corresponding benefit to the public a t large. Furthermore it seems t o trespass greatly upon the field of activity of the many thousand chemists who are employed by the better type of manufacturer or who are maintaining commercial laboratories throughout the country. I t is our belief that it is time to call a halt in the aggressive and almost universal tendency toward unnecessary and irksome paternalism on the part of many of our legislators. We hope that our fellow chemists will see the merits of our position and that they will be cognizant of what is impending and take such action as they properly may to prevent Senate Rill 845 from becoming a law. CHARLES G . WOODS EKROTH LABORATORIES S E W YORK,N. Y. February 14, 1924
Calendar of Meetings American Chemical Society-67th Meeting, Kew Willard Hotel, Washington, D. C., April 21 to 25, 1924. American Electrochemical Society-Spring Meeting, Philadelphia, Pa., April 24 to 26, 1924. National Fertilizer Association-Kenilworth Inn, Asheville, N. C , week of June 9, 1924. 5th Congress of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry-Copenhagen, June 26 to July 1, 1924.
