DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1929, Page 1

DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS

A WARNING TO PARENTS

DUNEDIN, Nov. 27

“It simply shows the necessity of warning youngsters of the danger of experiments,” said Dr Inglis, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Otago, when lie was asked to comment on the accident in Christchurch as a result of which a hoy named Edward Garrick was injured by ramming chlorate of potash throat lozenges and icing sugar down an iron pipe. The mixture of chlorate of potash and sugar was a most dangerous one, said the professor. When the chlorate and sugar were combined a feather was used for the mixing, and a drop of sulphuric acid on the chlorate immediately caused an explosion. The chlorate supplied the oxygen and the sugar the burning quality. When the chemical and sugar were rammed together a loud explosion occurred.

Dr fnglis said he had not analysed similar lozenges, but he thought they would be almost pure chlorate. The lad had apparently gained some knowledge of the explosive powers of the chemical and sugar combination, but it was impossible to say whfit was the ultimate expectation of bis tests. The accident, said Dr Inglis, should be taken as a warning to parents to prevent their children undertaking dangerous experiments.