Letter from Melbourne

摘要

A friend from a country where they have seriously cold winters, knowing of my interest in chemistry-at-large, sent me a WARMerGotCHI?, a disposable hand warmer that fits snugly in the palm. It is manufactured by the Kiribai Chemical Company of Osaka and comes sealed in a 'polybag', which must be impervious to oxygen for reasons that will become apparent. Removed from the bag, and thus exposed to the air, the "WARMerGotCHI reaches a temperature of 40°C within five minutes and will stay above this temperature for 5-6 hours. The instructions on the package warn that the WARMerGotCHI should not be used for warming anything other than the hand and even then not in direct contact with the skin for any length of time. It can be kept in a pocket but should never be used in conjunction with an electric blanket.