BY J. W. SUTTON, XV. 



Synthetical Chemistry has made great strides since Berthelot's 

 discovery of the formation of acetyline with its elements, carbon 

 and hydrogen, in 1862, and it is to this branch of chemical 

 science, that we are indebted at the present time for about 180 

 compounds of the hydro-carbon series, which are capable of 

 being formed by direct union of their elements ; also by the great 

 variety of beautiful colours and shades, used in calico and other 

 printing, it is estimated that a saving of between two and three 

 million pounds annually has been eli'ected by the artificial 

 manufacture from tar waste products, to the calico printers and 

 dyers. This industry which was at one time almost entirely 

 in English manufacturing hands, has practically now become a 

 German industry, for the simple reason that the German manu- 

 facturer is either a trained chemist or has the good sense to 

 understand that the problems at the root of the industry are to 

 be trusted only to those with a sound scientific knowledge. 

 This is one of the many instances in which Germany, if not 

 actually outstripping, are running the English manufacturers very 

 closely, more especially in chemical industries, and the reason is 

 not far to seek, when we learn the amount of money, care and 

 attention that is bestowed on Technical Education in that 

 country — indeed some large employers make it compulsory that 

 all their apprentices shall attend Technical Classes, at least two 

 evenings per week, to learn the science of their own particular 

 industry. Thus are produced workmen who are ever on the 

 alert to improve and cheapen the cost of his own products, 

 instead of mere automatons. It is gratifying to learn that 

 after having discovered the primary cause of our neighbour's 

 prosperity, we have taken the hint, and by similar means are 

 widely establishing universities, technical schools, and national 

 physical laboratories, where sound theoretical, practical and 

 scientific education can be obtained by all seeking it. The 

 deficiency of such knowledge or theory by a large majority of 

 inventors, and the enormous waste of time, energy and money, 

 bestowed upon useless and impossible contrivances, must be 

 glaringly apparent to anyone who studies the patents record of 

 various nations, which might have been saved, had the 

 inventor understood the fundamental principle of Thermo 

 Dynamics, Jules' Law, that the unit of heat can only do 772 

 foot pounds of work, and inventors proposing to violate that 

 law must either be deficient in theory, or lending themselves 



