Ammonium Nitrate

Was reading a blog that I came across and it brought back a really old memory of me in the Chemistry Lab at St. Joseph's Pre -University College in Bangalore. Ended up commenting on the below blog. But hey its a nice story of 3 hours of pain and a very irritating shop keeper.

http://www.chronicwriter.com/2010/02/393-those-lab-experiment-days.html

The experiment I vaguely remember was burning some salts and seeing the color change or give out black soot (Not really sure, but there is black soot in this very fuzzy part of the incident). In fact the significance of the salt is that the spatula that was used to transfer the salts had to be heated to remove the residual salts from the previous experiments. The Bunsen flame is a very hot flame people.( around 1000 degrees Celsius).

After a few seconds of heating the spatula and seeing a little salt burn away, I know that the spatula is cleared of the residual salts. But I'm not sure if the spatula is ready to be put into the next jar of some random salt X. The mind lost of a complete sense of rationality decides to check the spatula in the only way it knows. As my fingers move towards the spatula there is no fear or sense of mortal harm. Just the thought of continuing an experiment lingered when.....

......fraction of a second later.....(might have been even a millionth of a second for all I know)......

A sharp pain tore through me and my fingers rushed upwards in one fleeting motion and then downwards immediately between the warmth of my thighs. Rushed off to the tap dripping water four small drops at a time in a lab that seemed more like a Frankenstein laboratory. As the water ran down my fingers, the pain reaching the very marrow of my being, a tear was swelling up. With my free hand, I flicked it away with my little finger and went on to hold my arm slowly facing the damage.

A white fatty soft covering was stretched across three fingers on my right hand. Left in awe at the sight, as the pain returned, my hand once again returned below the tap. What then followed was desperate calls to friends to find some sort of remedy for the pain. While a few friends decided to ask the lab attendant, I decided to use the best sort of solution at that point in time. Eliminating running water as the lab seemed to have a limited supply of it anyway and also eliminating ice cubes since it was really not an option at that time, when

ICE = AMMONIUM NITRATE (loses heat in water)

Looking quickly around my fingers plunged themselves into a jar of Ammonium Nitrate. Holding onto the same glass container with my thumb and little finger, I went to get a better solution. Well personally I felt like a genius for the first few seconds experiencing the relief. Then when the effect started to wear off and the thought of having my fingers dipped into Chemical Salts in a lab was not really helping the situation. As it turns out the first aid box didn't seem to have any solution to the situation I had gotten myself into. Taking matter into my own hands I ran about frantically jumping from table to table plunging my fingers into every single glass jar containing Ammonium Nitrate. When the lab seem to finally have run out of them I decided to find outside help. 'Burnol' seemed to be the most suggested remedy at that point in time (A name too this day I have not forgotten).

I then ran to the sports Department considering the most likely place to get a first aid kit. But alas it was not meant to be. I ran out cussing the entire sports department for the lack of basic facilities. Even entered a few staff rooms too but to no avail. Having finally managed to get hold of some ice cubes, which I neatly wrapped in a handkerchief, I returned for my lecture. The lecture was a painful experience with the arranging and rearranging of the ice cubes and alternating between the cold ice to the heat between my feet and armpits.

The second lecture started and having had enough of showing that I'm the man capable of bearing excruciating pain, I decided to go out and find the nearest pharmacy. As my memory recalled it was a few blocks away. Literally running out of the college, passing teachers in the corridors and the shoving my fingers in the face of the guard on duty. The first few steps outside the campus felt like I was entering into a zone where I controlled my destiny. Reached the pharmacy within a minute and asked for a tube of Burnol.

Here is where the shop keeper on any other day a seemingly nice guy really rubbed me the wrong way. He enquires " The big tube or a small one?" I blurt out "any one just give me the damm burnol." The guy seemed to take his time to reach the burnol at the back of the counter. Then he slowly makes his way across and starts to put it in one of those small brown paper bags. Having seen enough and having borne enough for a life time worth of pain, I scream " Just give it"!

Quickly applying it to my fingers I realised why it was recommended, as the pain started to subside. A wave of relief finally broke over me as a wave crashing on the rocks glistening in the hot mid day sun.