January 10,1934
INDUSTRIAL
AND ENGINEERING
CHEMISTRY
15
Personalia
very rich ores in the Belgian Congo made impossible the economic recovery of radium in this country, and Doctor Kohn then joined the staff of Rohm & Haas Co., Inc., as a research chemist. From CHANCHB o r ADDBBSS. When tending in any change of address, please also 1917 to 1920 he was located at their plant in Bristol, Pa., and was forward information regarding position held, company or business connec largely responsible for the first successful manufacture of hydro· tion, and class of products manufactured to AMERICAN CHBMICAL SOCIBTT, sulfites in this country. In 1920 he was transferred to tlieir 728 Mills Bldg., Washington, D. C. heavy chemicals plant at Bridesburg, where for a time he was in charge of manufacturing processes. Of late he had been engaged ELMER B. BROWN, for the past ten years research chemist at the Keischmann Laboratories, New York, Ν. Y., joined the re in research work, first on synthetic tans and during the last few search staff of the Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., on October years on synthetic resins. Doctor Kohn's work as a chemist had extended over a wide 1, 1933. range of subjects and to the end he was abreast of, and deeply Arrangements have been completed whereby F. M. DEBEERS, interested in, the latest advances in pure chemistry and physics. former president of Swenson Evaporator Co., will handle the Those associated with him realized that he was a man o f unusual chemical engineeringequipment of the Croll-Reynolds Co., mental ability. He possessed and demonstrated that quality Inc., in the Middle West. Mr. deBeers will retain his head so rare and so essential in a research worker, of approaching a quarters a t 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, 111., and will problem from a new point of view. He could quickly shake off also continue to represent Leader Industries, Inc. all preconceived ideas inherited from the earlier work of others and, looking at the problem in its essentials, approach it along BTJRT H. CARROLL, until recently a member of the staff of the Bureau of Standards at Washington, upon completion of the new lines, frequently with very fruitful results; for example, work which he had in hand at the bureau, resigned to become the Kohn-Crede method of measuring the acidity of vegetable a member of the staff of the Research Laboratory of the East tanned leather. For many years it was realized that, while the presence of mineral acid was deleterious in vegetable leather, man Kodak Co., Rochester, Ν. Υ. there was no reliable method of estimating the amount present. FBBD W. DTJGGAN has recently been transferred from the Re While chemists were advocating elaborations or refinements to search and Development Department, Carbide and Carbon improve the existing chemical methods, Doctor Kohn introdTiced Chemicals Corp., Charleston, W. Va., to the New Products an entirely new conception—i. e., the use of pH measurements Division, National Carbon Cr>., Cleveland, Ohio. as a proper basis for estimation. His woric was published in 1923 and is only now beginning to receive the general recognition PHILIP P. GRAY resigned his position with Pease Laboratories, Inc., January 1, 1934, to accept a similar position with the it merits. Doctor Kohn was a man of genuine culture, interested in Walierstein Laboratories, 171 Madison Ave., New York, Ν. Υ. private life in art and music. He possessed a gentle and kindly ARTHUR E. KBNNELLT has been awarded the Edison Medal for disposition. He was at all times considerate of his subordinates 1933 "for meritorious achievements in electrical science, and a congenial fellow worker. electrical engineering, or the electrical arts, as exemplified by his contributions to the theory of electrical transmission and to the development of international electrical standards." H E N R Y STEPHENS WASHINGTON On the occasion of his seventieth birthday, December 15,1933, HENRY STEPHENS WASHINGTON, a member of the staff o f the ARTHUR DEHON LITTLE was presented by his staff with a Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for more "than specially bound and inscribed volume of the Morse Collection twenty years, died at the age of sixty-seven, January 7, 1934. of Japanese Potteries. Actual presentation was made by Doctor Washington was internationally known for his work in Roger C. Griffin, director of tests, and a member of the board the fields of mineralogy, oetrology, and volcanology. He was a of directors of Arthur D. Little, Inc. Mr. Griffin is a son of member of numerous scientific societies, and several foreign Roger B. Griffin, Doctor Little's original partner when the governments had conferred high decorations upon Mmfox*fis organization was formed a s Griffin & Little in 1885. achievements. Many of his investigations had been conchxcted in foreign lands and during a part of the war he served, as scienMARIUS EMMANUEL POZZI-ESCOT, a French chemist for 30 years professor of chemistry in the Peruvian Agricultural and tific attaché to the American embassy in Rome. Doctor Washington had been ill for a long time. Veterinary High School, Lima, member of the AMERICAN CHBMICAL SOCIETY since 1919, and one of the oldest living
members of the Société Chimique de France and Société Chimique de Belgique, has been elected honorary president of the Chemical Society of Peru. Nearly all the JPeruvian chemists have studied with him.
CALIFORNIA FOOD AND D R U G LAW
I N VIEW of the bill introduced in this congress for tiie purpose of giving the federal authorities wider control over food and GEORG SCHULTZE has resigned his position as research chemist drugs, the amendment to the California law which became effec•with the Vacuum Oil Co., Paulsboro, N . J., to accept a re- . tive August 22, 1933, is interesting. search position and instructorship in Professor Bodenstein's In brief, the provisions of the act cover not only truth in labelLaboratory at the University of Ôerlin, Germany. ing and branding, but in advertising claims that may be made LEON A. SWEET, formerly with the Commercial Solvents Corp., for drugs, health foods, home remedies, and edible products. has accepted a position as senior research chemist with Parke, In addition to the label on the package, regulations are provided to control the printed advertising, testimonials, pamphlets, Davis & Co., Detroit, Mich. radio announcements, and even claims of sales representatives. F. W. YOUNG, formerly with Filtration Engineers, Inc., and This is covered in a phrase which reads that a product is "feo be more recently with The Pulp Filter Co., has joined the sales considered misbranded if "it is falsely or deceptively adverorganization of Oliver United Filters, Inc. tised, represented, or described in the State of California." It is also indicated that any statement or claim regarding a product shall be substantiated by scientific references, for violations of the provisions of the act are based upon examination or analysis certified by the chief of the laboratory of the State Department of Public Health. As one reads the text of this bill, he becomes impressed with the extent to which the people have gone in an effort to protect themselves and do something in the public interest. I t is perhaps SIEGFRIED K O H N too early to judge the success of the measure, but there i s an apparent determhiation to depend upon facts scientifically esSIEGFRIED KOHN, for many years one. of the senior chemists of as the basis for the proper sale and distribution of Rohm & Haas Co., Inc., died December 5, 1933. For the past tablished drugs and foods within the state. It will be well to study- this two years Doctor Kohn had suffered from a heart affection which measure and to ascertain results under it before we proceed t o full limited his activity, although until the end he continued his consideration of the proposed new legislation offered a s a federal laboratory work. Doctor Kohn was born i n Vienna in 1879. He graduated in measure. 1904 from the University of Vienna, performing his thesis under Professor lieben. From 1905 to 1910 he lived and worked in Austria, in the latter part of this period holding an important WHO MAKES IT? post in the largest firm of heavy chemical manufacturers in that country. In 1911 he came to America, being employed first by W. W. ROBINSON, JR., 4270 Creed Ave., Los Angeles, the Tennessee Copper Co. at Copper Hill, Tenn. From 1912 Calif., is seeking a source of supply of diamixioiso— to 1917 he was connected with the Radium Co. of America in propanol in industrial quantities. Sellersville, Pa., first as a research chemist, and later as technical director in charge of plant operations. He was one of the very first to produce radium from carnotite ores. The discovery of
Necrology
