Remarkable events from the scope of duties of the investigation office

Hans Schmalfuß reports in the memorandum "The Chemical State Institute Hamburg in its configuration during the years 1917 to 1932" so about the tasks of the Investigation Office:

The responsibility weighs heavily on the experts, especially for the courts. The laborious investigations require a great deal of acumen, unusual care, - and renunciation: Little of what is accomplished in quiet seclusion penetrates to the outside. But some work exceeds the average of scientific research in importance and in inner content: There are poison murders to be solved; there must be burned papers of the Hanoverian bank or faded documents from the 14th century made legible again (Tgb. No. 59/17 and 148/20). Or: Image forgers are shown the original signature "Grimou" (854/26). Fraudsters are convicted of illegally opening envelopes with steam and resealing them with fish glue (400/25). Many documents are examined: Soon they are forged, soon not. The news of the special skill reaches Greece. The investigation office must provide information there (F3 IX, 525).

Even jocular tasks are not lacking: Did a disciple of Bacchus - certainly in intoxication - pour ink on the sandstone bust of Bacchus at the Council Wine Cellar? The investigation office must restore the God's immaculateness (337/18). - Or: a neighbor's tomcat visits the gutter daily to defecate there. Perhaps the animal only wants a beautiful view; but the house owner relates the matter differently: to himself and his house. And so the investigation office must recognize that tomcat excrement in the long run even corrodes gutters.(190/28).

Then again there are antiquities whose secret shall be unveiled: an old Peruvian knife is made of copper, covered with silver (40/29). The pommel of a venerable sword from Liesbüttel, in the district of Rendsburg, is made of tin and copper.(G^I/195). Siamese ring money is made of zinc, which contains traces of iron. (92/19).

The oldest work of art in Hamburg, a door knocker on the tower door to St. Peter's Church from 1342, began to weather. The investigation office considers this danger insignificant, but advises to secure the knocker from thieves (13/25). What does the dust of our art hall, which borders on the railroad area, consist of? Coal, pieces of fabric, sand and gypsum with a little iron oxide. (444/20).

The Investigation Office helps to protect valuable structures: be it that drainage water occurs in the Elbe tunnel or that the Elbe bridge is attacked (372/22 and 726/18).

A concrete sewer pipe lies 17 years in the ground. A coal truck drives over it. The pipe collapses under the load. Why? Gypsum-containing groundwater had leached out the pipe and carried away calcium aluminate (348/20).

Why did a German cable rust and an English one not? Was the German zinc coating worse? No. The hemp coating of the German cable was soaked in acidic oil. And fatty acid dissolves zinc. The English had better success with acid-free rock oil (227/22).

In Guatemala, calves died en masse. It was suspected that pests had killed the calves. But it turned out that the forage grass lacked protein. The malnourished calves fell victim to the pests only out of weakness. Now protein was added to the feed. And the dying stopped (403,436/24).

Iodine was found in Neuengammer brines from 125 and 810 m depth (608, 636, 676/22 and 42/23). Neuengammer gas consisted of 25 to 64% methane (550/21 and 572/22). Gas from the Lübeck gas eruption contained 76% methane, 13% carbon dioxide and 7% nitrogen among few other gases,(183/26). Gas that rested 25 m below our botanical garden was almost pure nitrogen (183/26).

Coincidences similar to firedamp happened unexpectedly in the attics of some houses of the settlement. Harmless visitors had gone about their business without putting out their cigars or pipes, or they had even taken an open light with them. On flowing mine gas, mixed with air, ignited so (367/26 and F3VII, 371 a).

Similar were sad accidents in which acetylene (narcylene) was used to put to sleep for bloody procedures. Within wide limits, acetylene air mixtures are similarly dangerous as oxyhydrogen gas.

During gymnastics at school, an iron horizontal bar broke. The examination showed that the bar was manufactured grossly defective (52/31).

These few cases are selected from thousands. However, they suffice to give a rough idea of the benefits of the versatile investigation activity.