394 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



the junior and senior years and present the results of their work at the 

 meetings. In some ways it is unfortunate that tliis -jnethod of stimulating 

 interest and efficiency in things scientific is being superceded by the more 

 prosaic method of formal instruction. A roster of the membership of the 

 Academy contains names of men and women of which any state might well 

 be proud: Presidents of universities, experts in government work, scientific 

 educators in many fields and of a national reputation; and research men who 

 were and still are at the head of their respective fields of investigation. Still 

 a fourth influence tending to the strengthening of chemical training in the 

 colleges during the eighties and late seventies was that many graduates of 

 our colleges went to European universities for their graduate work and be- 

 came enthusiastic in research. Later they returned to the colleges where 

 their enthusiasm diffused itself through the student body. 



To obtain a clear idea of the changing attitude towards the science of 

 chemistry one has only to study the catalogues of the colleges of the state and 

 observe the changes which the curricula have undergone through 1 e years. 

 Only a few of these stretching back through the earlier decades v as I able 

 to consult. It would be interesting to have a detailed comparison of all of 

 them between 1840 and 1890. But with only a few exceptions those that 

 were consulted followed along the same lines, and it is reasonable to suppose 

 that others followed in nc^arly the same path. To make the <'onii)arison more 

 .striking it is only necessary to recall that in most of the colleges of Indiana 

 today four years of chemistry may be taken, the time per week \'arying from 

 six to sixteen or more hours. 



Before 1885 it is safe to say that, in most of the colleges chemistry was 

 one of several subjects taught by one in'ofessor. Oflcn this subject was not 

 the one Avhich the instructor was best fitted to teach. It must be said, how- 

 ever, that often such a num made uj) in interest and enthusiasm what lie lack- 

 ed in technical knowledge. Quite commonly there were no laborat oriels; or 

 if there were they were equippetl with a])paratus for only the most 

 rudimentary study of the subject. It is said tlial some courses were com- 

 pleted without the performance of a single exp<'rimcii1 citlicr 1).\ the student 

 or the instructor. 



In 1857, under Professor Hovey, Wabash colhgc ntiuircd two terms of 

 chemistry in the senior year. Two years later one of the few books of ref- 

 ference mentioned in the catalogue is Webster's dictionary. In 18G7 a 

 scientific course was established. In this course no (Jreek was required but, 

 in its place, somewhat more work in science and modern languages was al- 

 lowed. For some years this course was under tlie ))an of the faculty and 

 those who chose it were considered to be less meritorious and able men. In 

 1877 a year of work was given to the science men — two terms in the sopho- 

 more year and one in the senior. By 1888 two years could be taken, and these 

 by juniors and seniors.. This represented the maximum possible. 



In 1879 Asbury college (Depauw later) gave two terms only of chemistry. 

 In 1882 a chau' of chemistry and physiology was created. In 1886 a student 



