THE SCIENCE vs. THE ART OF CHEMISTRY. 691 

 THE SCIENCE vs. THE AET OF CHEMISTKY. 



By IKA KEMSEN. 



THE attitude of the world in general toward chemistry is peculiar, 

 and, as this paper is intended to show, it is not what it ought to 

 be. This is due in turn to a peculiarity of the science itself, which 

 distinguishes it from most other sciences. We refer to its close con- 

 nection with matters of every-day experience, and of practical impor- 

 tance. It is unnecessary to dilate here upon this close connection. 

 Every one who has any conception whatever of chemistry recognizes 

 it to a greater or less extent. But, owing to this close connection, the 

 unscientific world has grown into the habit of considering the practi- 

 cal problems as the problems par excellence of chemistry, and, hav- 

 ing once recognized some object of the science, they inquire no further, 

 and hence they fail to recognize its most important and only legiti- 

 mate object. 



In this respect chemistry as well as physics is unfortunate ; though 

 at the present day physics has an advantage over chemistry. Time 

 was when the world looked upon physics also as mainly a practical 

 science; but, of late, by the efforts of gentlemen of high standing, the 

 attention of the people has been drawn to some of the higher prob- 

 lems of the science, and these have been rendered intensely interest- 

 ing to every thinking being. Some of the grander results of physical 

 investigation have also become familiar to the world, and have served 

 to increase the respect for the science. The great truths of the con- 

 servation of energy and the transformations of energy ; the applica- 

 tion of the spectroscope to the investigation of heavenly as well as 

 earthly bodies ; the undulatory theory of heat ; the nature of sound, 

 and the beautiful relations of sounds to each other these are all mat- 

 ters with which the world is fast growing familiar; and the popular 

 discussion of these subjects is doing something, perhaps a great deal, 

 to elevate mankind above that condition of superstition and darkness 

 which still is the portion of most of the world. The great generaliza- 

 tions of science are ennobling, and, in the exercise which they afford 

 the intellect, are productive of happiness of a very high order. What- 

 ever good we may recognize, as having been effected by the practical 

 application of electricity, heat, and other natural agents, to the satis- 

 faction of the wants of man and the good is xindoubtedly great an 

 infinitely greater good springs from the dissemination of the immor- 

 tal truths of physics. But the latter good is quietly effected; it con- 

 sists in a growth of the ideas of the world, and thus contributes to 

 the growth of manhood. We do not always recognize it, but it is 

 ever present. With the growth of ideas concerning the physical uni- 

 verse, the ideas concerning the Creator of the universe must grow 



