July 14, 192 1] 



NATURE 



625 



if necessary, for five or six such batches to work 

 at the same time, and it can be arranged that 



Fig. 2.— View towards S.E. showing evaporating pans, centrifuges, and box filters 

 Research laboratory through screen. 



students from the main laboratory will, during 

 their organic course, pass for a week at a time 

 into the larger-scale laboratory. 



Regarding the second question, the operations 

 carried out will lead to the production of material 

 which can not only be used for further work on 

 the intermediate scale, but will al.so be utilised in 

 the small-.scale laboratory for the ordinary 

 students' preparations. It is more, however, in 

 connection with the preparation of initial material 

 for research that the new laboratory will be of the 

 greatest service from both instructional and 

 utilitarian points of view. No one who has con- 

 ducted a school of research containing twenty or 

 more research students can have failed to realise 

 the waste of time entailed by having to go back to 

 the beginning every time the supply of material 

 is exhausted. It is evident that much time will 

 be saved if large quantities of the initial material 

 can be prepared as soon as the conditions for its 

 preparation have been ascertained. The general 

 design of the laboratory has been worked out in 

 conjunction with the late Dr. J. C. Cain, after 

 consultation with Mr. F. H. Carr, then in charge 

 of Messrs. Boot's research laboratories at Notting- 

 ham. The generaj erection of the plant has been 

 due to the skill and interest of Mr. James Robin- 

 son, of Messrs. Mather and Piatt, Ltd. 



Description of the Laboratory. 



The laboratory occupies a floor-space 50 ft. by 

 47 ft., exclusive of the adjoining fitting-shop and 

 research laboratory. It is 22 ft. high, and is covered 

 by an asphalted ferro-concrete roof arranged for semi- 

 indirect north lighting, the light being transmitted 

 through safety (armoured) glass and reflected from 

 the white ceilings and from the white glazed surface 



of the walls. The advantages of this type of lighting 

 are well known, and in the present instance the 

 success of the arrangement is com- 

 plete, a clear, steady light being ob- 

 tained throughout the day. The 

 floor is water-tight and acid-proof. 

 It is paved with red tiles laid in such 

 a way as to shed into the two main 

 drains (Figs, i and .'a), which run 

 parallel to each other throughout 

 the length of the room. With this 

 arrangement — a. most necessary one 

 in a laboratory of this kind— it is^ a 

 simple matter^ to give the flo6r"° a 

 wholesale wasn-down with , fii'e- 

 hoses, six of which are situated at 

 various convenient points. 



The centre of the laboratory is 

 occupied by a platform (Figs, i and 

 2), approximately 6 ft. by 40 ft., 

 supported on stanchions '5 ft. above 

 the floor. On and above this, 

 fixed on suitable steel structures, 

 are types of apparatus, such as 

 open-top tubs, which, in general, 

 are most convenie'ntly emptied 

 through a bottom run-off by 

 gravity. 



All fixed chemical apparatus, ex- 

 cept that on the central platform, 

 is set in concrete foundations 

 carried to a height of 6 in. above 

 the floor-level, whilst the motor, air compressor, and 

 vacuum pumps are bedded in concrete blocks raised 

 to i?-i8 in. above the floor. 



NO. 2698, VOL. 107] 



Fig. 3.— Series of general reaction pots. 



The power for stirring, air compression, etc., is 

 obtained from a 15-b.h.p. totally enclosed and ven- 



