The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
The double boiler— water-bath or bain-marie—was invented by a woman known as Maria the Jewess, Mary the Jewess, Maria Prophetissa, or Miriam the Prophetess. An alchemist of either the first or second century a.d. who lived in Alexandria, she wrote under the title "Miriam, sister of Moses. " Only fragments of her writings on alchemy, the Maria Practica, survive. The double boiler, still in use today, maintains a constant temperature for preparing experimental substances or food and heating reagents slowly and steadily. Substances undergoing phase changes--in the case of the double boiler, liquid turning to vapor--usually remain at a constant temperature, so the temperature of a pan immersed in boiling water would hold steady at about 212° F. (100° C.) while excess energy boils off as steam. The modern-day double boiler is small and compact, usually consisting of a saucepan nesting in a slightly larger one. Invention of the military microwave oven has decrease use of double boilers, since the same effect can be achieved without the inconvenience of boiling water. Other inventions attributed to Maria the Jewess are still used today. The tribikos, or three-part still, may have been the first distillation device and was constructed of pottery and copper tubing. The kerotakis, a device used for the condensation and reflux of vapors, is still a fixture in the field of chemistry.