596 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 



by the very fact of teaching is put out of touch with his profession ; 

 and the profession advances so rapidly that in a few years he is 

 side-tracked. He teaches engineering as he knows it; but that is 

 not as it is. 



Some teachers who are fortunately placed combine consulting 

 work with teaching, and if a nice balance can be maintained this 

 must give good results. There is always, however, a temptation to 

 give too much attention to the consulting work with its strenuous 

 demands and to slight the teaching. 



It would seem that the ideal way is to spend alternating periods 

 of a few years in teaching and practical work. This has been done 

 in several cases on personal initiative with good results; and in at 

 least one institution it now has the approval of trustees, president, 

 and faculty. 



If a man had just spent three years in advanced practice in engin- 

 eering what would he find to criticise in any one of the many good 

 modern American technical schools? 



Let us consider this briefly in detail. 



Mathematics. The devotee of pure mathematics delights in ab- 

 stract processes. We have all heard of the toast offered at a ban- 

 quet which concluded a -congress of mathematicians: "Here's to 

 Higher Mathematics, may she never be degraded to any human 

 use." This was only half-meant. 



I know a man who says that a mathematical question loses all 

 interest for him as soon as it proves to have a practical application. 

 His feeling is right; the work of his kind has been of infinite serv- 

 ice to humanity, but he is not of the stuff of which engineers are 

 made. 



The mathematical subjects in technical schools have always 

 been taught to engineers by mathematicians and they have very 

 naturally presented and emphasized the things that had greatest 

 interest for them. These are not usually the things of most use to 

 the engineer. In some cases, no doubt, such teachers have resented 

 suggestions as to their teaching; but in most cases I believe they 

 receive suggestions gladly and are anxious to do all in their power 

 to make their service most efficient. I believe we are to blame who 

 have allowed suggestions to be lacking. He who has spent any 

 considerable time in modern mechanical engineering work knows 

 that for most of the figuring only a knowledge of the elements of 

 the mathematical subjects given in the technical courses is needed. 

 But it must be a working knowledge. Occasionally a problem arises 

 requiring more advanced knowledge for its solution. Why not 

 then apply to what Mr. A. P. Trotter in a recent paper calls a 

 "tame mathematician" for a solution which can be applied by the 

 engineer. If a man can be an expert mathematician and an able 



