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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1114 



the bottom of the cupboard and on the 

 single shelf above — with the smaller articles 

 in the drawers — and much empty space is 

 provided above the apparatus, in order that 

 articles at the back may be taken out with- 

 out distuAing those in front. Can not 

 some way be devised of saving this space, 

 and at the same time making it unnecessary 

 for the student to get down on his hands 

 and knees on the floor to explore the dark 

 recesses of the desk? 



A desk designed by Dr. Fales seems to 

 solve this problem (Fig. 1). The door is 

 without hinges, and is pulled straight for- 

 ward. Attached to it is a set of shelves 

 and racks of the same width as the door, 

 and extending to the back of the cupboard. 

 These are planned so as to provide a place 

 for each item in the outfit. This moves on 

 a small wheel in the center of the foot of 

 the door, and is supported behind by 

 a wheel running in a brass-lined groove. 

 Thus, when the front panel (or door) is 

 pulled out, the whole rack comes out into 

 the light, each side can be examined at a 

 glance, and any article on it can be taken 

 out in an instant. The outfit, placed in the 



box in which it is drawn from the supply- 

 room, occupies 10,000 cubic inches. When 

 set out in the rack, it occupies 24,000 cubic 

 inches. When placed in the ordinary desk, 

 with its cupboard and drawers, it occupies 

 44,000 cubic inches. Since in the rack- 

 cupboard it thus occupies only about half 

 the space commonly required, two outfits 

 for two different students can go where one 

 went before. In addition, actual measure- 

 ment shows that the student can take out 

 any needed article or chemical in one third 

 of the time required with the common 

 arrangement, and instead of taking 3-A: 

 minutes (by measurement with a stop- 

 watch) to ascertain that he does not have a 

 chemical asked for by the instructor, he 

 reaches the same conclusion with greater 

 certainty in six seconds. The effort to 

 pull out an ordinary laboratory drawer, 

 when empty, requires by measurement, a 

 force of four to twelve pounds. That neces- 

 sary to draw forth the rack with its com- 

 plete load of apparatus and chemicals 

 (weighing 40 lbs.) is only two pounds. 

 And finally, the construction of the desk 

 costs no more than does that of the usual 

 desk with two drawers and a cupboard. 



There are teachers of chemistry who feel 

 that mechanical devices for making labo- 

 ratory work more efficient are beneath their 

 notice. But, after all, the laboratory is 

 essentially a study in which materials take 

 the place of books, and manipulation and 

 thinking take the place of reading and 

 thinking. A book is arranged mechanically 

 for convenient and rapid use, whether it is 

 to be read straight through or employed for 

 reference. Why should not similar atten- 

 tion be given to the mechanical arrange- 

 ment of the laboratory? Of course, the 

 publisher and printer arrange the book — 

 not the author. But the architect does not 

 know enough about chemical work to devise 

 anything helpful — and we are lucky when 

 he does not knock out part of our plans by 



