REPORT OF THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY

There have been made in the chemical laboratory 1,503 com

mercial analyses and other tests listed as follows:

As usual, the greater proportion of these have had to do with coals delivered on contract, and the appended table shows for each hospital average, maximum and minimum, figures for ash, and heating value, for both the anthracite and bituminous fuels, as well as the standards guaranteed.

Tests of anthracite coals furnished on contract to the State Hospitals, 1916-17

Tests of bituminous coals furnished on contract to the State Hospitals, 1916-17

While trade conditions have been unusual this year, the general results as regards quality have not varied widely from those of former years; indeed, the maximum and minimum figures previously reported have not been reached, nor have any important new facts been learned otherwise.

We have now had to do with this subject for ten years, and while market conditions at the various hospitals undoubtedly vary, we believe that however important the laboratory testing of coals may be from the standpoint of making intelligent selections from available supplies, or for checking deliveries or power plant efficiences, the buying and paying for coal on the analysis basis will never be the best business procedure while present trade conditions and practices continue.

Variations from the standards for food stuffs, laundry chemicals, oils, paints, etc., have been few and slight, and the various

miscellaneous samples submitted have covered about the usual lines of commodities.

Along with these commercial tests, there have been made 839 clinical and sanitary examinations for the Binghamton State Hospital alone, listed as follows:

Urine examinations, qualitative
Urine, quantitative determinations
Bacteriological examinations.

Bacterial counts, milk and water.
Bacterial tests of disinfectants

Widal typhoid tests
Stomach contents

358

86

210

107

24

2

1

Total

9

839

Throughout the year we have made a number of studies, of both medical and commercial interest, of problems which presented themselves, as follows: (1) "Chemical Studies on the Central Nervous System," Psychiatric Bulletin, July 1916. This was a completion of certain studies of the proximate and ultimate organic constituents of nervous tissues, which were begun during the previous year. Aside from variations in the mineral matters of the ash, water was found increased in general paresis, acute infectious diseases and youth. Total lipoids were decreased in general paresis and senility, lipoid phosphorous, sulphur and nitrogen decreasing with them. Total proteins were increased in general paresis and decreased in all watery brains, a nearly proportionate change occurring in the protein phosphorous and nitrogen, but protein sulphur is even relatively increased in general paresis. Extractives as a rule showed little change which could be considered constant, but it is a noteworthy fact that

extractive sulphur, as well as lipoid sulphur, is decreased in dementia praecox.

(2) "Studies on the Composition of Neurokeratin,” Jour. Amer. Chem., sec. 38-2558, November, 1916. A number of elementary organic analyses were made, and the various amino acids which compose this protein estimated. The general conclusions were that this brain constituent is one of unusually low nitrogen and sulphur content, as compared with more commonly known keratins, and appears also to differ from them in the structural make-up of its molecule.

(3) Incidental to these studies of neurokeratin, a modification of Van Slyke's method for determining amino nitrogen was developed.

(4) "Direct Microscopical Counting of Bacteria in Water," Jour. Amer. Chem., sec. 39-515, March, 1917. In these studies a method was evolved and tested whereby the total number of bacteria, along with other micro-organisms, in water, may be directly counted without recourse to cultural methods, and with more accurate results. For identifying species, and for studying the general character of the bacterial flora, however, these direct counts are not intended to replace the old-time cultural methods. The morphological characters of the organisms themselves are to be considered, rather than the appearance of the growth of their colonies on media, in judging their possible general characters.

(5) Studies of the various methods for determining nitrogen in medical specimens, food stuffs and commercial products. The absolute, the common Kjeldahl, the Varrentrapp, the gaseometric with hypobromite solution, and the micro-Kjeldahl, with subsequent nesslerization of the solution, were compared. In a general way it may be said that with proper attention to details, all may be made to give accurate or practical results, and each has its own field where it is particularly of use.

(6) Micro-crystalline study of alkaloid picrates, with their melting points. In this, studies with photomicrographs were made of about twenty of the more common alkaloids for purposes of identification in medicines and in forensic cases. These will perhaps be further continued at some later date.

(7) A direct combustion method for sulphur in lubricating and fuel oils. These studies were preliminary to the inclusion of limits for sulphur in our oil specifications, this element having been found not only to be an index, within limits, of the source of the crude oil used, but also to be quite detrimental in motors and other internal combustion engines. Just as these were completed the results of similar studies were published in the Journal for Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, anticipating them by about one month.

(8) Studies of the general characters of motor gasolines as purchased here. It was found that the Baume gravity, by which gasoline is ordinarily sold, has now but little meaning from the practical standpoint, as much of the gasoline sold on the market is either "blended" from very light and too heavy oils, is prepared by one of a number of "cracking" processes, by the condensation of natural gas, as well as by the old-style fractional distillation from crude petroleum, and almost any gravity test may be made from mixtures of any or all of these. The most reliable test at present is a fractional distillation, having regard for the initial and final boiling points and for the percentage quantities which distil between the various temperature limits. While trade conditions now often prohibit the obtaining of that which is most desirable, the following general conclusions were arrived at: For summer use, 75 per cent should distill below 125° C. (257° F.), and for winter use 90 per cent. All should condense above 25° C. (77° F.). With the present available grades it is often difficult to secure these proportions below even 150° C. (302° F.). All oil distilling above this 150° C. limit must be regarded as kerosene. The so-called Detroit standards for gasolines are even more liberal than these.

(9) A few other studies were also made on the physical testing of lubricating oils, especially directed toward learning the practical significance of the commonly used "flash point" and "fire point" tests. These, as is well known, in the case of light burning oils, etc., show simply the temperature at which sufficient volumes of the oil vapors distil into the overlying air, to form an explosive or continuously burning mixture, and if the same were