Is there a "best" (most generally useful) instrument for identifying compounds? I mean what's better to have, a chromatograph (GC), a spectrophotometer, a copy of the CRC, Mossbaur effect, NMR, or other (if you had to choose one)?
Of course, some types of compounds are probably better detected with a given device than others. So, if swim wanted to detect LSD or stuff in "ergot" or wanted to know what 'unwanted' stuff was also there, is there a best instrument? Not that all these things are readily available, however, a clever electronics phisicist tinkerer type might be able to provide a 'how to' for making such a device with stuff from the local stores.