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T H E JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
ually becomes more strongly refractile until finally t h e definite shape of t h e spore is reached. T h e spore is surrounded b y a thick membrane while t h e capsule of t h e mother cell weakens. T h e spore formation is most noticeable in t h e threads. On germinating, t h e spore gradually takes a n elliptical shape, t h e refractile properties lessen a n d t h e spore swells until i t breaks a t t h e ends a n d t h e young rod is formed. At first t h e rod is not motile b u t it soon becomes so. T h e motility continues only a short time b u t t h e r o d will s t a y together in longer or shorter threads which are immotile. B . subtilis possesses vacuoles a n d granular bodies, especially when t h e rods form in chains a n d begin t o sporulate. T h e bacillus possesses a capsule a n d flagella which arg long a n d numerous, being peritrichic. Pleomorphism in B . sztbtilis is very striking, rods taken from t h e same media varying from z p t o j p in length. T h e bacillus stains readily a n d uniformly by carbol-fuchsin a n d methylene blue. Gram's method gives a positive stain. Bacillus subtilis forms no gas in dextrose broth or lactose broth. Bouillon tubes show opacity after After twenty-four twelve hours incubation a t 3 7 . 5 ' . hours a thick-wrinkled, white pellicle forms on t h e surface of t h e bouillon, a deposit forming in t h e b o t t o m of t h e t u b e shortly afterward. T h e bouillon was alkaline. No indol production takes place in dextrosefree bouillon.
On gelatin plates crateriform colonies of rapid growth soo'n liquefy t h e plate if g r o w n v e r y much above 2 0 ' . At 18'--20', however, while liquefaction can be seen, t h e colonies, unless numerous, do not spread greatly. T h e colonies are nearly circular. Microscopically t h e colonies are round a n d entire, although after 2-4 days, when liquefaction is decided, t h e edges of t h e colonies are ciliated a n d t h e colonies themselves become dense a n d floccose ( a thick grayish white mass in t h e center joined t o t h e edge of t h e colony b y light g r a y t h r e a d s ) . On agar plates colonies are small a n d irregular. hlicroscopically t h e y look like wreaths with small branches sticking out a t t h e surface. Gelatin s t a b shows a t first a white t h r e a d along t h e needle p a t h from which fine threads shoot o u t into t h e gelatin. I n a short time, 8-10 hours a t zoo,t h e liquefaction becomes crateriform, which gradually becomes saccate a n d t h e n tratiform, always holding a thick scum of pores on t h e surface of t h e liquefaction. On t h e agar slant t h e growth is moist a n d glistening, filiform becoming crumpled a n d soon spreading over t h e entire surface of t h e agar. T h e center of t h e stroke is 'lightly raised. On potato t h e growth is very rapid, white, thin a n d moist-looking. T h e growth very rapidly spreads over t h e whole surface of t h e potato. B . subtilis quickly coagulates milk without t h e formation of acid. B . subtilis is a non-pathogenic bacterium, aerobic or facultative anaerobic which grows most It is very widely distributed in rapidly a t 3 7 . 5 ' . nature, a n d may easily be isolated from water or vegetable growth. DBPARTXBNT O F BIOLOGY, LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
SOUTHBETHLEHEM, PA.
Vol. 6. No. 7
THE:RADIOACTIVITY OF THE WATERS OF SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW Y O R E By RICHARD B . MOOREAND C. F. WHITTEMORE
Received Juhe 9, 1914
At t h e request of t h e Commissioners of t h e State Reservation a t Saratoga Springs, Kew York, t o t h e Director of t h e Bureau of Mines, a n examination of some of these waters was made by t h e authors with a view t o determining t o what extent t h e waters a n d t h e v -s evolved from t h e m were radioactive. T h e work \ . m e involved t h e direct testing of t h e gases evolved from t h e springs for thorium a n d radium e m a c d t i o n ; t h e examination of t h e waters: ( a ) for their t o t a l activity; ( b ) . of a certain number for t h e activity due t o dissolved radium salts; a n d t h e determination of t h e activity of t h e residues deposited b y t h e springs, where such residues could be obtained. T h e springs tested were selected from t h e three main groups which are found a t Saratoga, namely, High Rock P a r k , Congress P a r k , a n d Geyser Park. High Rock P a r k is a t t h e northern end a n d Congress P a r k is in t h e center of t h e town. I n t h e former group, among others, are included t h e Peerless a n d New R e d springs, while t h e principal spring a t Congress P a r k is H a t h o r n No. I . Several springs were also examined in Geyser P a r k which is two miles t o t h e southwest of t h e town. I n this group are included t h e Coesa Spring, H a t h o r n No. 2 , Hathorn KO. 3 , a n d others. One spring, t h e Crystal Rock, not belonging t o t h e State Reservation is included in t h e list. This spring is situated several miles t o t h e north of Saratoga. T h e activity of a n y water may be due t o the presence of ( a ) dissolved thorium or radium emanations, ( b ) dissolved thorium a n d radium salts. All mineral a n d deep well waters are more or less radioactive, b u t t h e activity is usually due t o t h e presence of dissolved radium emanation, not t o dissolved radium salts. Therefore, t h e fact t h a t a water is radioactive has of itself little significance. W h a t must be determined is how active t h e water is a n d what proportion of this activity is due t o dissolved emanation a n d what proportion t o dissolved salts. Tests on t h e activity of t h e evolved gases were made on t h e ground in t h e following manner: A glass funnel t o which was attached a rubber t u b e connecting with a small rubber bulb in t u r n connected with one of t h e openings t o a n electrosobpe, was inverted over t h e spring a t a point where t h e evolution of gas was greatest. By pressing t h e bulb, a continuous and fairly constant supply of t h e gases from t h e spring was passed through t h e electroscope. By stopping t h e flow of gas a n d immediately making a series of readings across t h e scale, each reading being of short duration, i t was possible t o ascertain whether t h e activity was entirely due t o t h e presence of radium emanation. If thorium emanation was present a very sudden drop in activity would be noticed and, after a few minutes, t h e curve obtained b y plotting activity against time would flatten o u t , due t o t h e decay of t h e thorium emanation. I n no case was thorium emanation found in a n y of t h e 1
Published by permission of the Director of the Bureau of Mines.
J u l y , 1914
THE JOl'RS=IL OF INDCSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
gases evolved from t h e springs, t h e activity being entirely due t o t h e presence of radium emanation. I n order t o obtain a q u F : i itative result on t h e latter: a definite \-olume of t h e gas was collected in a n inverted graduated bottle. After noting t h e volume: t h e t e m perature a n d pressure, this gas was introduced into t h e electroscope a n d readings a t once made. T h e necessary correction for t h e increase in activity obtained a t t h e e n d of three hours was made as i t II-X not possible under field cond;tions t o wait for :his maxim u m activity t o be attained. In order t o get t h e activity of t h e n-ater;, samples were collected a t t h e springs a t a point nearest t o t h e source of supply. T h e bottles were hermetically sealed a n d shipped to t h e laboratory in ST'ashington by express. T h e y were t h e n boiled in t h e a p p a r a t u s designed by Schlundt a n d IIoorel a n d t h e evolved gases cont.aining t h e radium emanation n e r e introduced into a standardized elecposcope. On account of t h e large amount of carbon dioxide contained i n some of t h e waters i t was found advisable t o a d d a sufficient a m o u n t of c. P . sodium hydroxide before boiling. I n order t o differentiate between t h e activity due t o radium salts in solution a n d t h a t due t o dissolved ernanation, samples of some of t h e waters were treated with c. P. hydrochloric acid, boiled for fifteen minutes a n d t h e n sealed i n flasks a n d allowed t o s t a n d for a month. At t h e end of this period t h e y x e r e boiled in t h e usual way a n d from t h e activity obtained i t was possible t o calculate t h e a m o u n t of radium salts in solution. Samples of t h e (deposits from some of t h e springs were also collected a n d fused with sodium carbonate according t o t h e method of S t r u t t . ? Column 2 in t h e table of results gives t h e activity per liter a t s t a n d a r d temperature a n d pressure, of t h e t h e springs; Column 3 gives t h e total gases evolved activity per liter of t h e water, a n d Column 4 t h e activity per liter of t h e water due t o dissolved radium. Column j shows t h e activity of t h e material deposited either in or just around t h e outlet of t h e spring.
9
GAS
WATER
DEPOSIT
Radium Radium Radium Tempera- per liter per liter per gram G r a m Gram X 10-11 Gram ture c___-. 10-11 0 c. x10-11 SPRING 1 2 3 4 5 EmDeror.. . . . . . . . . . . 9.7 22.1 7.0 6 8 .. Peerless, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0 ... New r e d . . . . . . . . . . . . 1o:o 8:O 4.3 ... Hathorn h-0, l . . . . . . . . . 1 0 . 2 4.2 7&:9 21.3 14.2 Coesa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 7.9 10.2 8.1 9.7 Hathorn A-0. 2 . . . . . . 10.0 5.1 16.1 9.9 1i:o Hathorn No. 3 . . . . . . 9.5 8.3 6.6 Geyser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . 7 3.9 ... 1.7 3.4 12.2 8.8 Adams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 . 0 5.1 11.7 5.0 F l a t A-0. 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 . 5 ... 6.5 3.7 Pump well N-o. 4 . . , , , , , 1 2 . 0 67.8 23.1 2.1 6.3 Island. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.8 , . . 10.5 Crystal rock... . . . . . . . 1 o : o 88.0 84: 7 0.9 .. New shonts well., . . . . . . 11.3
x
..
Although there is a fair agreement between t h e activities of t h e gases a n d waters, this agreement is not exact, nor is such t o be expected as t h e activity per liter of a n y gas Grill be largely influenced b y t h e r a t e of flow of t h e gas, which varies with t h e different springs a n d has not yet been measured. A similar s t a t e m e n t can be applied t o t h e results in Column j. The activity of t h e deposits per gram will depend not only 1
Jour. P h y s . Chem., 9 (1905). 320.
2
P r o c R o y . Soc., ( A ) 77 (1906). 472.
533
on t h e a m o u n t of radium precipitated from solution, b u t also upon t h e q u a n t i t y of other material precipit a t e d a t t h e same time. T h e fact t h a t t h e residues are radioactive shows t h a t t h e waters contain dissolved radium salts in addition t o dissolved emanation, b u t this fact is more precisely indicated b y t h e results under Column 4. T h e activity of t h e gases is not high, a result t o be expected owing t o t h e fact t h a t t h e flow of gas in t h e majority of t h e springs is quite large. T h e total activity of t h e maters is rather low, although t h a t of t h e Crystal Rock spring is considerably above t h e average. T h e activity of this spring, however, is not exceptional. A very large proportion of t h e activity due 'to dissolved radium salts, as shown in Column 4, is, however, quite exceptional a n d as this s t a t e m e n t applies t o all of t h e springs under Column 4 , with t h e exception of t h e Crystal Rock, i t is reasonable t o suppose t h a t i t probably also applies t o those not examined for dissolved radium salts. h l a n y of these springs contain considerable amounts of barium bicarbonate, as has been shown b y analyses made b y t h e S t a t e Department of Health of Kew York, H a t h o r n No. z carrying as much as 2 . 8 grains of barium bicarbonate per S. gallon. T h e Emperor spring has 0.14 grain of barium bicarbonate per U. S. gallon, t h e smallest amount of those tested. H a t h o r n K O . z carries t h e largest amount of radium in solution of those examined, b u t t h e Emperor does not carry t h e smallest amount. S o connection could be traced between t h e activities Bnd t h e quantities of t h e other salts in solution. Since these analyses were made, t h e hydrostatic level of t h e waters a t Saratoga Springs has distinctly changed, owing t o thecessation of theextensivepumping for commercial purposes which formerly took place. Accordingly, t h e flow of m a n y of t h e wells has increased. Whether this has also affected t h e radioactivity of t h e water cannot be predicted with certainty.
r.
BUREAUO F MINES,W A S H I X G T O N ~~
THE EFFECT OF FERRIC SALTS AND NITRITES ON THE ORTHO-TOLIDINE AND STARCH-IODIDE TESTS FOR FREE CHLORINE By J. W ELLMSA N D S . J. HAUSER Received May 29, 1914
T h e authors in a previous paper' have suggested t h e use of a hydrochloric acid solution of ortho-tolidine in testing for very small quantities of free chlorine or hypochlorites in water, in place of a n acetic acid solution, which was first advocated b y Earl B. Phelps. T h e latter proposed t h e employment of ortho-tolidine as a quelitative test for free chlorine. T h e authors in t h e above-mentioned paper have modified t h e test as indicated a n d have further developed a colorimetric method for determining t h e q u a n t i t y of chlorine present in a water which had been treated with chlorine or with hypochlorites. T h e effect produced by t h e presence of nitrites or iron i n a water when using this method has been brought t o our attention, a n d has caused us t o make a few experiments, t h e results of which are tabulated below. 1
THISJOURNAL, 5, 915 and 1030.
