It's 1920, and your new copy of Standard Methods has just arrived....

What would you be doing when you determined "The Reaction" of your de-watered sludge?  What would you determine using the "Sedgwick-Rafter" method?

And what would these be used for:  USGS Platinum Rod-1902; English Standard Candle; Lovibond Tintometer?

And what tests would use these reagents:  Pear's Precipitated Fuller's Earth; Lacmoid Indicator; Tolidin Solution; Silk Bolting Cloth; Liebig's Meat Extract?

Now, down to basics:

1) give the concentration of 1 grain/US gallon in more modern units

2) what was Clark's Scale used for?

3) what molar concentration is N/2 hydrochloric acid?

4) what in the world is B. COLI?

Chuck Lytle

These are all guesses, google was not used.

Rounding off, I believe 1 grain/gallon would be about 17 mg/l.  IIRC, there are 7000 grains to a lb, based on the weight of a "standard" barley corn.

The English Standard Candle was used for turbidity measurements.

Based on my homebrewing knowledge, I"m guessing the Lovibond tintometer was for some type of color determination.

Another guess from memory, Sedgwick-Rafter was a microscope slide marked off in gradations to help in counting colonies?

N/2 HCL would be a 0.5 normal solution of HCL.

GSain goes to the head of the class.

For all of this and more, stay tuned for an upcoming edition of WEF's Laboratory Solutions where all will be revealed.

How about analyzing for lead, copper, and zinc in a water sample using a couple of chemicals, filter paper, a balance, a battery, and some Nessler tubes?

Ah, the good old days when chemists were CHEMISTS.

Chuck Lytle

For those inquiring minds who have to know, I just discovered in the latest edition of Laboratory Equipment that the Lovibond Tintometer is still made.  From the picture, it looks very high tech.

See for yourself at www.lovibond.com

Chuck Lytle