The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-06-13
StauntOn Laboratory.

On recent visit to The rooms of the
Valley Medical and Chemical Institute we
were shown the analytical laboratory un-
Holmes. The room is fitted up with the
most improved style of wood work, spe-
cially designed and made for the purpose,
including desks. with drawers, shelves,
and cupDoards, balance cases, and hood
FUNNEL shaped apparatus entirely en-
closed and connected with flue in the
chimney. In this, all operations that give
rise to- noXious gases and fumes are car.
ripd on.
On one of the desks stood the air bath,
a copper oven with perforated shelves
and finely graduated thermometers, and
heated by the famous Bunsen burner,
which, ty means of the regulator for air
at the bottom, the flame can be changed
from the colorless beat~giving flame to
the colored light giving flame, and thus
the temperature of the bath can he regu-
lated at the will of the operator. Near
by were the burettes for measuring
liquids with great precisiok They con.
sist of long narrow tubes, very accurately
marked and elaborated and fitted with
ground grass shoppers. Further on was
platinum crucibles over the gas fame with
a partially consumed precipitate. This
metal resembles silver in color. but is
harder and practically infusible, being
melted only by the oxo-hydrogen blow
pipes and is for this reason so extensively
used IN chemical operations. Beyond the
cruelhles stood the deaseoatofs. cylindri-
eal-shaped glass vessels, containing sui
phuric acid in the bottom and fitted with
a glass cover so carefully ground, the two
parts when placed together can be carried
al ound as one piece. In these are placed
the crucibles after heating, and, as the
sulphuric acid absorbs all the moisture,
the Grueibles cool down in perfectly edry
atmosphere.
On another table was the combustion
furnace OF the latest pattern, having 20
burners, each burner provided with sep
arate stop-cock and furnished with full
set of lre-clay tiles and slides, and used
| chiefly in the analysis of fertilizers.
Lastly. we were shown pair of the "a
| nous Rotterdam Becker balances of new
| pattern, with short beam and agate knife
edges, and sensitive to the one-tenth of a
| mllilgramme. or, in other words, So deli
cately hung that by weighing on them a
small piece of paper. and then, after
writing your Saaatidls on the paper, and
weighing again, you can by subtracting the
| first weight from the last, obtain the weight
Of the lead rubbed off on the paper.
| Perhaps one of the most interesting
sights was tanning extract in the pro
cess of analysis, the principal Of the de
termination being q praot cal one, viz
the absorption of the tannin by lude pow
der-the lude powder used being specially
prepared for this work by the Research
Station for Leather Industry. of Vie ma
Austria, and imported directly by Prof
Holmes, be being one of the few chemists
of the United States who use the Re.
search Station" methods CT analysis: and
in the case Of a disputed tannin analysis
between himself and firm of chemists of
New York City. he has just received the
report of the committee of chemists to
whom the centeet was referred for settle
ment, deciding in his favor and confirm
! ing his results.
Prof. Holmes is prepared TO give accurate
analysis of all kinds OF minerals, &C., at
reasonable charges.