42 Keport S.A.A. Advancemen'i of Science. 



scientific trainin^^ in after-lite, and during the time T have l)een at 

 the South African College I have observed many cases which support 

 lius statement. Since the opening of the Laboratory we have had 

 always a large number of students who' studied, specially, practical 

 Chemistry with a view to using the acquired knowledge for some 

 practical purpose or profession. Some of these specialists havt,- 

 become pharmaceutical chemists, others have become wine experts, 

 others are now brewers, but the largest number of these speciaUsts 

 took up assaying and metallurgical work. Since 1885 more than 

 a hundred of these specialists have studied assaying, and the 

 majority of these have found employment, and hold good positions 

 m connection with the mining industry throughout South Africa. 

 During the last years the number of these specialists had to be 

 limited, because there was no room in the Laboratory for them, all 

 available stands being taken up by the " full course " students. As 

 soon as the extension of the Laboratory is complete, these specialists 

 who make the study of Chemistry a profession, will be received again. 

 In this Laboratory, as well as in Chemical Laboratories connected 

 with the other Colleges, the principal work of the Professor and his 

 assistants is teaching, and it will probably remain so for some time 

 to come, however desirable it is that original research in the various 

 branches of Chemistry and its application to the industries should 

 have a home in the Laboratories of the country. During the first 

 years after the opening of this La1)oratory a good deal of research 

 work was done, more particularly in the application of Chemistry 

 to Viticulture, Tobacco-growing, Chemistry of Fermentation, and 

 Mineral Chemistry. But not long after the opening of the Laboratory 

 the time of the Professor was completely absorbed by teach- 

 ing, because, in addition to the teaching of Inorganic and 

 Organic Chemistr}', also Agricultural Chemistr)-, Chemical 

 Technology, Metallurgy and Assaying w^ere taken up, besides 

 the ordinary Laboratory instruction. As these subjects are 

 divided in Continental Colleges between three or four Professors, 

 It is evident that one Professor cannot do full justice to all of them, 

 and that he has no time for research work if he prepares himself 

 conscientiously for the lectures of the several courses, and if he keep.s 

 himself abreast of the progress of his Science. It is very singular 

 that the subject of original research is constantly mentioned in con- 

 nection with the Laboratories and the Science Chairs of the Colleges, 

 and that this question is never asked with regard to the Chairs of 

 Classics, Literature, History, Hebrew, and Modern Languages. It 

 is only a few months ago that objections were raised in certain 

 quarters to the establishment of a Chair of Botany, because it was 

 held that the time of the Professor of Botany would not be fully 

 occupied by teaching. If it is expected of a Professor to have his 

 time fully occupied by teaching he cannot be expected to devote a 

 portion of his time also to the prosecution of the numerous problems 

 in his sphere of learning which call for investigation and research. 

 There is no person better able to point out the subjects and problems 

 which require investigation and research in that particular branch. 



