Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 145: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

March of Science A most remarkable inven- tion that would be of great use in spaceships is what has been called “‘A vest pocket laboratory.’’ Devised by Dr. J. T. Stock and F. A. Hill respectively Head of the chem- istry department and Senior Lecturer in chemistry at the Norwood Technical College, this equipment was specifically designed to obviate the diffi- culties caused by cramped laboratory space—a condition that will certainly obtain on future spaceships. In effect, the equipment is a complete organic chemistry laboratory unit only thirty-six by twelve inches. It includes sixty-one com- ponents in the form of the modern interchangeable glass- ware grouped about an up- right wooden stand. Terry clips hold the apparatus to the stand, and it is assembled in three sections. First there are analytical pieces—water- bath, pipette, melting point apparatus, condenser, a con- tinuous-extraction set-up and rotary fractionating equip- ment with distillation appara- 144 tus. Steam distillation, frac- tional distillation and vacuum distillation are accomplished by three separate assemblies in the second section. The third section is a kind of in-between assembly of Willstatter filters, Schwinger filter, ice bath, dry- ing tube, separating funnel, and water inlet and outlet. A modified bunsen burner—or more than one—supplies any heat necessary. Dr. Stock is working on other pieces of miniature equipment, and it is to be hoped that in time there will be sufficiently different models to pack a complete scientific investigation laboratory into one of those tiny cabins that lie high in the nose of spaceships. In a letter to Chemistry and Industry, Mr. William Mitchell makes a humorous suggestion with reference to element 99— mentioned in March of Science last issue as having been given the provisional name of “‘eka- holmium.”’ Mr. Williams sug- gests that we call this element simply “99.” “Then when it comiclooks.com