T H E JOCR-\-AL OF I S D C S T R I A L A-YD E-YGI-YEERI-YG C H E J I I S T R 1 7
D e c . , 1912
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917
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NOTE AND CORRESPONDENCE.
OBITUARY-THOMAS PRICE. Professor Thomas Price, a member of t h e American Chemical Society, died in San Francisco, on October 13th, a t the age of 77 years. Professor Price came to San Francisco in 1862 from Swansea, Wales, of which principality he was a native. He had been professor of chemistry in the Kormal College of Swansea, succeeding Greville W-illiams, whose assistant, pupil and friend h e had been, and it is interesting, at this time, to recall t h a t he worked with Williams on his classic separation of isoprene. Professor Price also studied a t the Royal School of Mines in London where Hofmann was then professor of chemistry, and Percy the professor of metallurgy. I n San Francisco, Professor Price was for some years professor of chemistry and toxicology in the Toland RIedical College, where he also took the degree of X.D. With Dr. Lane and Dr. Gibbons, Sr., he started what is now the Cooper Medical College, the medical department of Leland Stanford, Jr., University. The mineral priceite was so named by Professor Silliman, of Yale, in honor of Professor Price, whose work, subsequently confirmed by Silliman and Dana, had shown i t t o be a hitherto unknown borate of lime. Professor Price was always most active in his profession, almost t o the end of his long useful career, and no name was better known to the profession and the laity than his. Few men anywhere have been so generally called upon as a n expert witness in important cases involving toxicological or general chemical questions as was Prof. Price. H e was of a most genial and lovable disposition, a ripe scholar and a deep student, and profoundly modest withal. Professor Price is survived by a son and three daughters. ARTHURF. PRICE.
A SUGGESTION REGARDING THE GRADUATION OF HYDROMETERS. Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: The hydrometers, which are a t present in general use, are the Baume, the Twaddle, and the normal hydrometer. The Baume is used especially among practical men, but it has no scientific standard and shows many inconveniences. I t has two kinds of units of graduation for the heavier and the lighter liquids, and each I degree has a different magnitude of specific gravity; for example: Heavier liquid. . , . . . . Heavier liquid. . . . , . Lighter liquid. . . , . . . . Lighter liquid. v . , . , ,
.
Degree.
SP. gr.
Difference.
1-2
1.0000-1.0066 1.4902-1.4951 1.0000-0.9932 0 7849-0.7808
0.0066 0.0049 0.0068 0.0042
50-5 1 10-1 1 50-51
The Twaddle is from the scientific view point much better than the Baume, but it lacks that for the lighter liquid. The normal hydrometer is scientifically the most rational, but its use is limited to scientific workers. In my opinion it has also some faults, which make it unsuitable for practical men. ( I ) It gives only absolute numbers, which are rarely used among practical men. When it is said that sulphuric acid has a sp. gr. of 1.710, the number is absolute; it is much clearer to say 60 degrees. ( 2 ) The numbers have many decimal figures, which are very inconvenient to read and to remember. When it is said that the specific gravity is 1.710 or 0.807, we have three decimal figures. I t is much easier to say 60 or +j degrees. Hence, as I think, the normal hydrometer did not come into general use among the practical men, and other various hydrometers are used which make things very complex.
Therefore, I wish to propose a hydrometer for industrial and commercial use, 1%-hichwill be graduated to have I / I O O part of the weight of water a t +” C. as a unit, i. e . , water as 100’. With this hydrometer the following conveniences Tl-ould result: ( I ) I t s degrees would have a simple relation to the real specific gravity, and n-ould be scientifically much more correct than the Baume and Twaddle systems. ( 2 ) The unit of graduation will h a r e a name (degree), which is among practical men more convenient than a n absolute number. (3) The number indicating the degrees &ould have fewer decimal figures and be very convenient to remember. When a liquid has a sp. g r . 1.2345, the number has four decimal figures. It would be much easier to read and to remember, if i t is written 123.45.
(4) For the lighter liquids, the figures will become less, because we can write 23.4j instead of 0.234j. (5) The same systems can be used throughout the heavier and lighter liquids. EXAMPLES O F VARIOUSGRADUATIONS. Substance
Usual hydrom.
Benzene Petroleum Sulphuric acid Bromine Acetic acid Alcohol Ammonia water
......
Sp. gr. 0,87907 0.806 1.455 3,1872 1.045 0,9335 0,942
Baume45O Baume 4.5’
,.....
Tw.9 ” (Val yo 5) (15.4%)
87.907’ 80 6 ’ 145.5’ 318.72 318.72’ 93.35’ 94.2‘
T. Kanior.
TOKIOUNIVERSITY,J A P A S ’ . September 18, 1912.
Kew hydrom.
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THE EFFECT O F “LIME-SULPHUR” SPRAY MANUFACTURE ON THE EY ES1GHT.-A NOTE. Editor of the Journal of Industrial arzd Eptgineering Chemistrj,: I have read, with a great deal of interest, the article in THIS JOURKAL, October, 1912, by Mr. James R. Withrow on “The Effect of Lime-sulphur Spray Manufacture on t h e Eyesight.” I n making small batches of lime-sulphur spray in an uncovered kettle in the open air, we have experienced symptoms very similar t o the ones noted, although no permanent blurring of the vision resulted. The eyelids, however, became very red and were badly swollen. Since the trouble with the eyesight came only near the end of t h e “cook,” and was very similar to t h e smarting sensation produced by getting t h e diluted spray in t h e eye, we supposed the disagreeable effects were caused by particles of solid material carried out with the escaping steam. N o experiments were undertaken t o prove this point. The danger of permanent injury t o the eyesight by the polysulphides of hydrogen-in case hlr. \\?throw has a t hand data to prove their existence in the escaping steam-should be clearly pointed out for the benefit of small fruit growers who make up their own lime-sulphur spray in uncovered kettles in batches ranging from one to five barrels. ARCHIEJ . WEITH. DEPARTXENT O F INDlJSTRI.%L RESEARCH. UNIVERSITYO F KANSAS, LAWRESCE.
THE ANDREW CARNEGIE RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP. A Research Scholarship or Scholarships, of such value as may appear expedient to the Council of the Iron and Steel Institute from time to time, founded by hlr. Andrew Carnegie (Past-President), mho has presented to the Iron and Steel Institute the sum of one hundred thousand dollars for the purpose, will be awarded annually, irrespective of sex or nationality, on the recommendation of the Council of the Institute. Candidates, who must be under thirty-five years of age, must apply
