THE EARLY HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY IN INDIANA. 183 



At that period of my eliemical studies, I liad never seen anyone engaged in a 

 quantitative analysis. I frequently went to Dr. Levette's laboratory in the 

 State House to watch him in what I thought to be the most delicate and 

 scientific work which I have ever seen. He was engaged particularly in the 

 analysis of Indiana coals and did much, in connection with Professor Cox, in 

 the development of the mineral resources of the State. One striking experi- 

 ment which I shall never forget was the making of a hard and glistening coke. 

 He conceived the idea that if pressure were placed upon a piece of coal which 

 was in process of distillation that the resulting coke would be hard and firm, 

 resembling to a large extent anthracite. He considered that the hardness 

 and luster of anthracite coal were due to the fact that it had been developed 

 under high pressure. By attaching a mercury guage to the delivery tube 

 of the small crucible in which the coal was distilled he succeeded in getting 

 a residue which in hardness and luster very greatly resembled anthracite. 

 Dr. Levette was the first chemist in Indiana who determined the fuel value 

 of coal by quantitative analysis. 



The great chemical industries of Indiana have grown up largely since 

 my withdrawal from the State and I am, therefore not able to give from my 

 own knowledge any account of the hundred of chemical workers who must 

 have distinguished themselves in the industries of Indiana during the past 

 third of a century. 



Perhaps I may be allowed to refer, as it is a matter which concerns my 

 own activities largely, to the first chemical studies ever made in Indiana in 

 so far as I know on the adulteration of foods. Dr. W. W. Vinnedge was a 

 member of the State Board of Health in the years 1880 and 1881 and perhaps 

 for a much longer period. I had become interested at that time in the adul- 

 terations of sugars and syrups and I suggested to him that the State Board of 

 Health make a small appropriation to enable me to study the adulteration 

 of sugars and syrups offered for sale in the State of Indiana. An appropria- 

 tion of .150 was made for this purpose. With this money, I collected a great 

 many samples of sugars and syrups exposed for sale in the State and exam- 

 ined them in the laboratory of Purdue University. In so far as I know, the 

 first report on food adulteration of an official character ever published in the 

 State was issued by the Board of Health in the publications of the report 

 which I submitted to them, giving the results of my studies. 



I have already called attention to the fact that as far back as 1844, 

 Hanover College had made studies of chemistry in its relations to agi-iculture. 

 It was at this period that Liebig's work in agricultural chemistry first became 

 generally known and although I have no evidence other than this fact, I 

 feel quite certain that it was the knowledge of the work of Liebig coming 

 to the faculty and trustees of Hanover that led them to make this study. 



As a contribution to the history of chemistry in Indiana I must refer 

 to the fact that in 1881 the Legislature of Indiana passed an act creating a 

 State Chemist who was to be the Professor of Chemistry at Purdue University 



