IHE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



173 



of the more important chemical works in Ger- 

 many, in which more than one chemist is occu- 

 pied. The result is the following: - 



Of 633 chemists who find occupation in these 

 83 works, amongst which are 13 of inorganic in- 

 dustry, 14 which manufacture organic, inter- 

 mediate products, 10 wood and coal-tar distill- 

 eries, and 9 tar-colors works, as also 10 works 

 for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products 

 and perfumeries, there were 70;? that had passed 

 their examination at a higher German school, 

 as for instance the Gymnasium or other prepar- 

 atory school, 45 ''/o that had received their edu- 

 cation exclusively at the university, Y^^k ex- 

 clusively at a technical high school, 35 'r both 

 at the university and at the technical high 

 school, so that when we divide the two last into 

 equal parts, 65 '/c had studied at universities and 

 35% at technical high schools. Of all these 

 chemists, 68 ^r had passed the doctor's examin- 

 ation, and only 15 ^r the diploma examination 

 of the technical high schools, whilst 15% had 

 passed no examination whatever. 



With reference to the different industrial 

 branches I found, that the metlaurgical in- 

 dustry, the inorganic industry, the coal tar dis- 

 tilleries, and also the blasting powder works, 

 place those chemists, that had been educated 

 exclusively at the technical high schools on the 

 same level as university chemists, but do not, 

 as has been often thought, prefer them. 



The other works, especially those, that pro- 

 duce inorganic and organic products, the tar- 

 colors, the pharmaceutical and perfumery 

 works seem on the contrary to prefer the uni- 

 versity chemists who know nothing about me- 

 chanics. 



I am not sufl&ciently acquainted with the con- 

 ditions of the United States to gauge them, but 

 I am firmly convinced that the requirements, I 

 have described for the education of chemists in 

 Germany are also of application in this country 

 and perhaps still more so than with us, con- 

 sidering that here the principle of division of 

 labor it more accentuated and where also chem- 

 ical industry is beginning to develop itself in 

 various ways. 



In a so highly developed industry as modern 

 technical chemistry in which at present Chem- 

 ists, Physical Experts, Physiologists, Physicians, 

 Apothecaries, Engineers, Architects, and even 

 Jurists, as is the case in our works in El- 

 berfeld, are combined in one work, we can only 

 expect good results by reasonable division of 

 labor and combined action, when all are first 

 rate powers, when above all the chemists, who 



of course form the majority, are energetic, act- 

 ive men, when every one in his special branch 

 is an authority. This applies not only to Ger- 

 many, it applies equally to all other countries. 



Chemists that have to spend from five to six 

 years for their education, naturally ask high 

 salaries, and they are obliged to do this, but 

 you will find that the capital so invested will 

 soon produce good interest. 



Although our great master and poet Goethe, 

 says: "All theories are Grey, but the golden 

 tree of life is Green," it is necessary in the 

 chemical industry, that all who take part in it, 

 study both theory and practice. The seeking 

 of the Philosopher's Stone, occupies the modern 

 chemists now just as much as it did in olden 

 times our forefathers, the Alchimists, with this 

 difference however, that the definition of what 

 is meant by the Philosopher's Stone has been al- 

 tered and is in the present time scarcely possible 

 by empiricism. He only will find this Philoso- 

 pher's Stone who satisfies for himself and his 

 co-operators, the highest demands in reference 

 to general and special, theoretical and practical 

 education, activity and energy. ^/c/«, Soc. Ch. 

 Ind. 



TRANSFORMATIONS OF MENTHOL. 



Beckman & Eichelberg {^Ber. d. Deutch. 

 chern. Ges. 2g. 4.18) have succeeded in 

 transforming menthol into thymol. They 

 obtained by the action of 2 mols. of bro- 

 mine upon I mol. oi I or d — menthone a 

 dibromide, Cio, Hi^, Br^, O; this shows 

 the character of brominated ketone, as it 

 is reduced to menthone by the action of 

 zinc dust and glacial acetic acid ; it also 

 forms a solid oxine (melting point 136- 

 137°) with hydroxylamine. Upon heat- 

 ing this dibrom-menthone with chinoliue 

 to boiling, 2 mols. of hydrobromic acid 

 are eliminated and upon acidulation of 

 the remaining product, thymol is obtain- 

 ed by exhausting the fluid by shaking 

 with ether. 



This transformation of menthol into 

 thymol furnishes an additional evidence 

 for a correct definition of the constitution 

 of menthol. It also explains the fact that 

 menthol contains methyl ana isopropyl in 

 para-position and that the oxygen atom 

 stand'! close to the isopropylic group. 



