92 
The first Professor of Chemistry. In 1609, Johann Hartmann 
was appointed Professor of “ Chymiatrie,” at the University 
of Marburg. Previous to this date, chemistry had been 
taught in universities by instructors in medical science. 
The first Public Chemical Laboratory, for instruction in 
chemistry proper, was opened at Altorf, near Nuremberg, 
Bavaria, in 1683, under the charge of Johann Moritz Hoffmann. 
A public address was delivered on this occasion, and after- | 
wards published under the title, ‘Laboratorium novum 
chemicum, ete.,” Altorf, 1688. 
In this same year, 1683, the first laboratory connected 
with a state establishment was opened in Stockholm, under 
the patronage of Charles XI. The first director of this la- 
boratory was Urban Hiiirne. 
The paper of Dr. Bolton was discussed by Professors 
Seeley and Joy, the former urging that in the opinion of 
many, chemistry proper dates from the time of Lavoisier, 
and cannot be said to have existed before; and the latter 
regretting that Dr. Bolton had not continued his history 
down to more recent times, and adding a brief sketch of the 
progress of chemical science, nearly to the present day. 
JANUARY 19th. Geological Section. 
PRESIDENT NEWBERRY in the chair. Twenty persons present. 
THE PRESIDENT exhibited drawings and specimens of the 
remains of the great extinct beaver, Castoroides Ohioensis, an 
animal closely allied to the beaver of modern times, but of 
giant size, being about five or six feet in length, and weigh- 
ing probably from 200 to 400 pounds. 
The first description of this animal was given by the late 
Col. Foster, in the report of the first geological survey of 
Ohio, 1838, and was based on two specimens of the mght 
ramus of the lower jaw. It was subsequently found that the 
generic characters, as then given, were somewhat imperfect ; 
but the genus still holds, the great size of the bones and the 
structure of the teeth being quite adequate to distinguish it 
from the modern Castor. More recently, nearly an entire 
head was discovered in a peat-bed near Rochester, and this 
has been fully described by Prof. Jeffries Wyman, in the 
proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 
