Kerosene Refrigerators of 1950 to 1970

 

Kerosene Refrigerators of 1950 to 1970

This article is about refrigerator which runs on kerosene provided by UNICEF during India-China War of 1962 to Assam(India). During that time electricity was not available all over India. The Assam State Electricity Board was constituted with effect from 01.06.1958. Medicines and vaccines are desired to be kept at a certain temperature for which refrigerators are required. During the year 1925 half of homes in United States are provided electric power and with no regular electricity especially in the underdeveloped and developing countries so kerosene refrigerators were used. During this peiods kerosene-based refrigerators are made in Sweden provided by Electrolux brand and at present Electrolux products are now manufactured, marketed & distributed by Videocon Industries in India.

Who made the first refrigerator - Albert T. Marshall, an American inventor, patented the first mechanical refrigerator in 1899.

The temperature in kerosene refrigerators is almost impossible to maintain between the required +2 and +8 Celsius, putting at risk freeze-sensitive and expensive vaccines so at present affordable, battery-free refrigeration system which utilizes the solar array to directly drive a compressor are used in remote areas where electricity is not available. Solar powered refrigerator has replaced the kerosene refrigerator as it is impossible to maintain the desired temperature and most of the vaccines get spoiled. There are another brands like McClary Brand refrigerator which runs on electricity sent from Canada during the year 1972 by UNICEF. At present GE owns the McClary brand and is a very popular appliance brand in Canada. During the early period specially during 1950s refrigerator brands available were all foreign made. Jacob Perkins is known as the father of the refrigerator. Albert T. Marshall an American inventor, patented the first mechanical refrigerator in 1899. Albert Einstein patented a refrigerator in 1930 with the idea of creating an environmentally friendly refrigerator. Godrej manufactured the first Indian refrigerator in July 1958 but still all the refrigerator for keeping vaccines supplied by UNICEF are foreign made. The early made-in-India refrigerators require some amount of serious upper-body strength to pull open its heavy, single door are now replaced by newer generations of machines which are smart and environment friendly.

In 1950s India, refrigerators were still a luxury afforded by a few to keep their dairy, veggies, veal and brew cool. And the brands available were all foreign made.

 

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ZERO WAS INVENTED IN ASSAM by an Assamese mathematician

 

ZERO WAS INVENTED IN ASSAM

by an Assamese mathematician

 

We all know that “ZERO” is credited to Aryabhatta around 500 A.D., an Assamese writer and filmmaker has challenged the theory, claiming that zero was actually invented in Assam. This article was first published in esteemed daily English newspaper “The Assam Tribune” dated April 1^st 2013 at page no. 1 & 3. There is archaeological evidence that the invention of zero happened in Assam long before the birth of both Aryabhatta and Brahmagupta. The evidence of the practice of using zero during the period of 2^nd – 3^rd A.D. in Assam has been found in Golaghat district. The date of the stone inscription having zero has been confirmed by well-known archaeologist Dr. H N Bhuyan. The digit inscribed on the piece of stone were 2, 3, 1, 0, 7 & 8 respectively and was deciphered by Dr. Dharmeswar Chutia. The ancient civilization of ancient Kamrupa (Assam) was as old as the Indus Valley Civilization. 

According to the article published the inventor of zero was an Assamese mathematician. “Unfortunately, due to lack of extensive research, we still do not know who invented zero in Assam and exactly when. This claim is based on facts and data and “it is for scholars and historians to established the veracity or otherwise of the claim. If these findings are found to be true, it would be a great privilege to have an Assamese mathematician as the inventor of zero, as published the newspaper. 

There were trade centres in ancient Kamrupa and Kamrupa had contacts with other countries as well prior to forging ties with India. There is every possibility that the idea of zero moved from Assam to then India. As historians, archeologists and scholars did not pay much attention to the civilization of Kamrup, which it so rightfully deserved, it led to the erroneous conclusion that Aryabhatta and Brahmagupta were the inventors of zero. 

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