Re: tasting chemicals

[rcmannix@uci.edu (Richard C. Mannix)]

>I guess I've reached the age where one dislikes admitting to retrospecively
'stupid' things.  But I seem to recall in my chemistry classes of my youth
that when one had positive knowledge of a chemical stew that it was not
unusual to 'taste' or even sniff vapors for identification purposes.  I even
remember (horror of horrors) doing mouth pipetting.  While our current
safety standards render such practices today as 'stupid' is it appropriate
to describe accepted practices of more than 30 yrs ago in that manner?
>
><color><param>0000,ffff,ffff</param>Disclaimer:  the above are the
>personal musings of the author, and do not represent any past, present,
>or future position of NIST, the U.S. government, or anyone else who might
>think that they are in a position of authority.
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With the above disclaimer, I guess what he's attempting to say is "Don't try
this at home!"

Rick Mannix
Health Physicist
Laser Safety Officer
Univ. of Calif., Irvine
949-824-6098
rcmannix@uci.edu