54 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Nov. 28: 
A New Form of Condenser for Water Analysis and a 
Compact Distilling Apparatus. 
BY FRANCIS P. SMITH. 
A compact form of distillation apparatus had for some time. 
past seemed to me a desirable thing, and when the desirability 
presented itself in the form of a necessity, my ideas took the 
definite shape that I shall present to you this evening. 
The first ready-made object to which I objected was the long 
and cumbersome Liebig condenser, which, when placed in an 
inclined position and connected to a retort, usually occupies a 
space of somewhat more than a yard in length. Besides this, 
the connection between a retort neck and a condenser is fre- 
questly a very unsatisfactory one. 
My first step was to secure a piece of block tin pipe 3-16 of 
an inch in diameter and about twenty inches long. One end 
was cut off square by means of a jack-knife, and the other 
slanting, so as to facilitate the dropping of the condensed liquid. 
I mention the means employed because in this way it is possible 
to make a perfectly clean and even cut, with no burr such as a 
saw would leave. The pipe is next twisted around a circular 
rod about 1-2 an inch thick in a regular spiral, beginning four 
inches from one end and ending the same distance from the 
other. By this means it is possible to produce at small cost an 
excellent spiral block tin condenser, which may be used for a. 
variety of purposes. A tube for containing the water may be 
made of a piece of glass tubing of sufficient diameter, closed at 
each end by arubber stopper provided with two holes, one for 
the exit or inlet tube and the other for the block tin pipe. 
When in use for a water analysis or Kjeldahl distillation it is 
conveniently set up in a vertical position, attached to a large 
iron tripod by aclamp, and the generating flask is fastened to the 
same support by a similar clamp. 
A feature in this connection is the employment of a so-called 
evaporating burner for heating the liquid to be distilled. Play-. 
ing upon the bottom of an Erlenmeyer flask this gives a number 
of heated points from which the bubbles seem to rise readily, 
and even strongly alkaline solutions boil easily and without any 
of the characteristic bumping usually so annoying. The flames 
should be about half an inch high and should come nearly the 
same distance from the bottom of the flask. The Wurtz tube is 
added as an additional safeguard against bumping. 
The mounting of the entire apparatus upon one stand gives. 
