THE REFORM OF THE MEDICAL CURRICULUM 66 1 



the London Medical Schools) with direct reference to its 

 scientific application in physiology and medicine, but that the 

 curriculum laid down for medical students has been specially 

 constructed and, except in the purely elementary parts, is 

 essentially different from that laid down for chemical students. 

 Let us see if this be so. I take the following first year's 

 course of study from the Regulations (issued in September 1907) 

 in the Faculty of Medicine for Internal Students : 



Inorganic Chemistry 



The Curriculum in Chemistry shall consist of not less than sixty Lectures and 

 one hundred and twenty hours' Practical Work in the course of an Academic 

 Year. The Syllabus is as follows : 



I. — For Lectures 



Illustrations and examples of chemical action. Solution, crystallisation, dis- 

 tillation, sublimation, precipitation. Mixtures and single substances, separation 

 and decomposition. 



Gaseous and liquid diffusion. 



Indestructibility of matter. Elements and compounds. Laws and condition 

 of chemical action. 



The atomic theory. The determination of molecular weights, equivalents 

 and atomic weights. Valency and structural formulas. Equations. Chemical 

 calculations. 



Classification of the elements, including the periodic system. Synthetical 

 production of compounds from their elements. The general characters of the 

 chief types of compounds. Acids, bases and salts. Chemical nomenclature and 

 terminology. 



The principles of gravimetric and volumetric analysis. 



Production and properties of the more important and typical elements and of 

 their most familiar compounds. 



The character of chemical changes, including the study of simple exothermic 

 and endothermic reactions, thermal dissociation, electrolysis, catalysis, mass-action 

 and rates of reaction ; the conditions which determine and influence such changes 

 and the attendant phenomena. Osmotic pressure. 



The above to be illustrated by a detailed consideration of the following : 



Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen. — Chemical nature of the atmosphere ; com- 

 position and properties of water ; natural waters ; the oxides of nitrogen ; nitrites 

 and nitrates ; ammonia, ammonium salts, hydroxylamine ; hydrogen peroxide, ozone. 



Carbon. — Its oxides, carbonates ; relation of carbon dioxide to animal and 

 plant life ; carbon disulphide ; coal and coal-gas ; combustion ; nature of flame ; 

 cyanogen, hydrocyanic acid and the metallic cyanides. 



Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine^ Iodine. — Their compounds with hydrogen ; oxides 

 of chlorine, hypochlorites, hypobromites, chlorates, iodates. 



Sulphur and Phosphorus. — Their compounds with oxygen and hydrogen ; 

 chlorides of phosphorus ; sulphides, sulphates, sulphites, sodium thiosulphate ; 

 phosphates. 



Boron and Silicon. — Their oxides ; boric acid and borax ; silicon fluoride ; 

 nature of glass. 



