Am.  Jour.  Pharm.' 
December,  1896.  . 
Method  for  Obtaining  Low  Temperature. 
677 
On  the  other  hand,  intermediate  stages  between  Drosera  filiformis 
and  Dionaea  are  seen  in  D.  intermedia  and  D.  rotundifolia.  In  these 
we  have  the  petioles  distinct,  but  in  Dionaea  it  is  modified  into  a 
phyllode. 
A  SIMPLE  METHOD  FOR  OBTAINING  A  LOW 
TEMPERATURE.1 
By  C.  Edward  Sage,  F.C.S. 
Having  frequent  necessity  to  observe  the  behavior  of  oils  and 
fatty  acids  at  a  low  temperature,  I  have  been  led  to  construct  a 
simple  piece  of  apparatus,  which  enables  one  to  reduce  the  tempera- 
ture of  a  sample  in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 
I  venture  to  bring  it  before  your  notice,  because  I  believe  its  use 
to  be  capable  of  extension  to  many  purposes,  and  a  short  descrip- 
tion will  suffice  to  explain  its  construction. 
A  6-ounce,  wide-mouthed  flask  or  bottle  is  fitted  with  a  good 
cork,  which  is  to  be  pierced  with  three  holes,  one  of  which  is  to  be 
large  enough  to  admit  a  test-tube;  the  other  two  are  for  the  admis- 
sion of  two  glass  tubes.  The  inlet  tube  passes  to  the  bottom  of  the 
flask,  and  the  exit  one  passes  only  a  short  distance  through  the 
cork.  The  flask  is  partially  filled  with  ether,  and  the  sample  to  be 
examined  is  placed  in  the  test-tube  together  with  a  thermometer. 
Air  is  now  forced  into  the  flask  by  the  inlet  tube  and  made  to  bub- 
ble through  the  ether,  whereby  it  exposes  a  large  surface  for  evapo- 
ration, and,  as  this  takes  place  very  rapidly,  the  latent  heat  absorbed 
soon  reduces  the  temperature  of  the  sample.    Instead  of  forcing  air 
1  Read  before  the  Chemists'  Assistants'  Association  (London)  and  taken  from 
the  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  November  7,  1896. 
