Contemporary News in Chemistry -.-----
THE INSTITUTE OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL BIOLOGY IN PARIS INSTITUT DF BIOLOOIE. R UE P ~ P R RCEURIE. PARIS. FRANCE: M ADAME Y KHOUVINE, I n a previous article* the author described the establishment, through a gift of BARON E. DE ROTHSCHILD, of an Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology in Paris, and gave a short account of the members of the staff selected a t that
to inspect the Institute. Every one could admire the equipment. so modern and so perfect in every detail-every facility and the most modern apparatus have been put a t the disposal of the workers. Finally lunch served in the library brought tagether the guests, who were happy to congratulate the organization an this magnificent work. Some details concerning the buildings as a whole and the distribution of the departments follow. Buildings
time. Since then all of the laboratories have been installed and all are now in full operation. The Institute was officially opened a t the end of ~ a n u a r yby the Minister of Public Instruction and by the Board of the University in the presence of Baron Rothschild. PROFESSOR J E A N PERRINand the MINISTER ua PUBLIC INSTRUCTION publicly thanked the Baron for his generous gift; then the visitors were permitted -
*
K ~ o u v r ~ "The e, N e w French Institute of Phyrico-Chemical B i o l o ~ y . " J. C x r ~ .Ilorrc., 1. 1051-7 (May, 1980).
The architects, Germain Debre and Cristi, drew the plans and arranged all details of interior installations in close collaboration with the director and the hesds of departments of the Institute. They have supervised together the entire execution of the plans. The plot on which the Institute has been erected is located on the me Pierre Curie and has a n area of 1750 square meters. Areas of i20 and 1.57 square m e t e r h a w been reserved for the principal building and for the physiology building, respectively. These two buildings are separated by a driveway 7.5 meters wide and are joined a t the thirdfloor lcvel by a covered footbridge. The Institute is separated from the street by a planted border and an English court. A garden separates i t from the Henri PoincarP Institute. As there is reason to fear thc presence of ancient quarries and as the good earth resembles nothing so much as a hollow shell of clay of varying thickness, eightytwo concrete foundation shafts have been sunk to depths of 6 t o 12 meten-fiftynine for the principal building and twentythree for the physiology building. An old operating shaft of tile from which
1414
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Gallo-Roman debris had been recovered has been utilized for the construction of a constant-temperature chamber. The walls of the buildings are of mill-
JULY, 1931
stone covered with granite for the hasements and for the upper stories they are of red brick. The roofs are terraced. One of the terraces is covered
.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
with earth and is being used as an experimental garden. On another the heliostat has been erected. To avoid as far as possible the transmission of vibrations, the flwrs are constituted of girders and plates in rcinforced cement with iron joists placed crosswise. Several stationary piles deeply sunk in the ground are specially con-
JULY, IS31
structed to avoid thc transmission ol vibrations. General Arrangement of the Interior T h e floor in the workrooms of the physics hall is parquetry, and in all the others of tile. The walls in the former are in plaster, white or black, and in the chcmistry and biology halls, of glazed whitc tile.
VOL.8, NO. 7
CONTEMPORARY NEWS
All the laboratories are as well lighted as possible in the daytime by large windows, in the evening by central lights so powerful that there is no need of local lighting on the stands. All have hot and cold water, compressed air, gas, and electricity of various voltages and amperages. An interior telephone system unites all the laboratories, and, finally, there are two elevators. General Facilities
Ix the Basement: A constant-temperature laboratory, a large machine shop, a glass-blowing shop, a machine room reserved for heavy apparatus (large centrifuges, hydraulic press, grinder, etc.). the supplies of glass and chemicals with an isolated room reserved for dangerous materials, a garage for six cars, boiler room and the rooms for electrical transformers and accumulators. These last merit some dktails. The total power of
1417
the electric installation is 100 kilowatts. The transformer room contains a group giving a current of 200 t o 250 amperes a t I10 volts and a two-phase alternator of 500 cycles. In the b a t t q y room there is a storage battery capable of furnishing 1000 ampere-hours of current a t 110 volts; three batteries with a capacity of 180 ampere-hours a t 110 volts; onc giving 180 ampere-hours a t 2 to 10 volts; and two large batteries of small cells furnishing 3200 volts. The electrical distribution is assured by twenty independent lines. Each laboratory has a t its disposal alternating current of 110 and 220 volts, and direct currcnt a t voltages from 2 to 3200. On the Ground Floor: A secretarial room and a large assembly room with library. There is also on this floor a porter's room and on the fourth floor, technicians' quarters opening on a largc terrace.
1418
JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Physical Depnrtnrent: This has an area of 650 square meters. In the basement are installed all the X-ray devices. The whole ground floor is occupied by eight physics laboratories. In two of these are the stationary piles for galvanometers. On the fourth floor, a large room for actinology, with terrace, is surmounted by a movable turret con-
JULY.
1931
taining the heliostat. Projectors furnish powerful artificial light. Chemistry Deperlmenl: This occupies an area of about six hundred fifty square meters. I n the basement, three rooms are reserved for microchemistry and the microbalances are placed on stable piles. All the second floor is rcserved for the chemistry department.
VOL. 8, N O . 7
CONTEMPORARY NEWS
Three large laboratories, a balance room. a covered terrace for open-air operations, a photography room, and a lavatory compose the general and organic laboratory department. For biological chemistry, there arc two large laboratories, a covered terrace, a laboratory for the study of fermentations and a special room for autoclaves and thermostats. A large
1419
laboratory is rescrvcd for thc study of colloid chemistry. All the chemistry laboratories have tables and work benches of glazed lava. T h e physics laboratories and those for general and organic chemistry have besides wall conduits for gas and electricity, conduits mounted on small beams transversing the laboratories, and per-
1420
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
JULY, 1931
Ileum aan T H E SMALL ANIMALS
mitting the attachment a t all parts of the room of temporary connections. The encumbrance of floor-space is thus avoided. Physical Chemistry Department: Five laboratories are equipped in similar fashion. Biology Department: This covers 1500 square meten and comprises the laboratories of biophysics, biochemistry, enperimental cytology, animal and vegetable physiology. Biophysics uses two large lahoratories, one for physical measurements, the other
for physical chemistry, a chemistry laboratory, an optics room, and a dark room. These arc equipped like the physics and chemistry lahoratories. The E . ~ p r i n w a t a l Cytology end Histopkysialogy departments have a chemistry room, a room far microscopic obseruations, a dark room, and a room for photography. For thc culture of tissues a room has been especially fitted out for sterilization, a room for aseptic operation for taking samples of tissues, and three small inoculation rooms. The last are lighted by douhle windows to prevent the cntrancc
1422
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
of dust. The walls are finished in neutrslcolored glazed tile. The work benches are likewise of dull ceramic ware, the tables are of lava and there arc pipings of sterile water. Vegefable Physiology comprises two greenhouses separated by a laboratory. two small gas-analysis laboratories, and the garden on the terrace. One greenhouse is exposed to the north and the other to the south; they are constructed of uviol glass. The Animal Physiology Department occupies the whole physiology pavilion. I n the basement are the kitchens for the animals, the crematory, and various stores. The ground floor is given over to the animals. All the sections are well lighted, the floors are of tile, the walls and ceiling of glazed tile so that they may be washed with a hose. For dogs there are five cells and one small room containing two cells separated from the others. Each communicates by a trapdoor with a little yard where the dogs exercise. The kennels have been designed to make them as quiet as possible. The windows are double and the walls are built of sound-proof materials. A powerful ventilator renews the air twenty times an hour and this prevents bad odors. Three rooms in which the temperature can he maintained constant to about one degree are reserved for small animals and two far those of medium sizc. In one of the rooms there are a froggery, a terrarium, and several aquaria. It should be added that in the garden of the Institute there is a basin of running water and a poultry house. On the second floor of the pavilion there are three physiology laboratories and a large physiology operating room. Large windows on the north and south light i t during the day and in the evening illumination is assured by diffused lighting fixtures without shades. I n this physiology room, not only ordinary operations but also aseptic operations can be performed, since an annex to the room contains sterilization apparatus
Jur.r,, 1931
and the room contains washstands with sterile water. 0 s the Third Floor is a laboratory for physiological chemistry, in which the hoods are ventilated by air injection to guard against the attack of sulfo-nitric fumes. On the Fourth Floor is the department of aseptic operations. It contains a room for the preparation of animals with largc bathing tanks, and a dryer; a sterilization room; one operating room with shadowless lighting and built like a room for human operations; and finally a constant-temperature post-operation room in which the animals are cared for after operations. *
*
I
Such are the chief characteristics of the Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology. Thanks to the generosity of its founder, here is realized an Institute completely equipped with the most modern facilities, and in which biological research can be pursued with means which are often lacking in France. May the gratitude of all researchers he given to Baron E. de Rothschild. PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT,
BUFFALO MEETING OF THE A. C. S.
Program The 8Znd meeting of the American Chemical Society will be held in Buffalo, N. Y., Aug. 3l-Sept. 4, 1931. Monday of convention week will be devoted in the morning t o a meeting of the Council and in the afternoon to a general program of papers describing some of the new tools ot research. The remaining sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday will he in charge of the various Divisions. On Tuesday morning the program of the Division of Chemical Education will feature a joint symposium with the History of Chemistry Division, on "The History of Chemical Education in America." It is planned to make this symposium a memorial to Edgar Fahs Smith who was the f i s t chairman of this Division
