346 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Oct. 



of latent heat — or new views of the relations of geology to Moses 

 —or a new poem — or a new work — all of which were sent, and an 

 answer requested, if possible, by return mail. During my Presi- 

 dency I calculated that I was obliged to answer as many as four 

 hundred or five hundred letters annually, and to these should be 

 added at least one hundred recommendations to students eoinor 

 out to teach school, and for other purposes, and to graduates." 



Along with this we may place the jDractical dijficulties of the 

 Professor of Chemistry : 



" I have already given some idea of the state of preparation in 

 the College for chemical experiments when I joined it. Not only 

 was I obliged to lecture in the fourth story and in a sort of chapel, 

 but there were no instruments or ingredients worth naming pro- 

 vided by those who preceded me. For four gentlemen had lectured 

 on that subject before me, viz., Col. Hufus Graves, Professor 

 Olds, Professor Amos Eaton, and a Mr. Cotting, who was after- 

 wards appointed State Geologist in Georgia. 



" I must have given at least two fourth-story courses of lectures. 

 But when the chapel building was erected in 1826, an opportunity 

 was presented for fitting up a laboratory. The basement story 

 at the east end was mostly above ground, with cellar rooms adjoin- 

 ing. I had ample space for a large lecture-room, apparatus-room, 

 and office, and means enough were furnished for supplying eco- 

 nomically furnaces, cisterns, gasometers, and apparatus. The only 

 difficulty was that the room was beneath all the others, and par- 

 tially under ground. But at that time the idea generally was that 

 such was the proper place for a laboratory. Because the chemist 

 eliminates many mephitic gases, therefore place him where he 

 cannot get them out of his room; or if they do escape through 

 the ceiling, they will let all in the rooms above him get a whifF of 

 the atmosphere which he is obliged to breathe in concentrated 

 purity. Nevertheless, I spent at least a third of my time for 

 eighteen years in that laboratory, and found it in most respects 

 very convenient. I do not doubt that its dampness and the 

 unwholesome gases which I got rid of only by opening the doors 

 and windows, have contributed to bring on and aggravate those 

 pulmonary and bronchial difficulties that now press so heavily 

 upon me, and will soon terminate my days. But probably a person 

 in good health need not fear active employment in such rooms. I 

 have found analytical chemistry to be more trying in such a place 

 than the mere preparation for lectures, because the former requires 

 such long-continued attention." 



