CHEMISTRY IN NEW YORK 99 



departure of the investigator are not very good. It would be, 

 consequently, very much more difficult to obtain such speci- 

 mens here. I would suggest, therefore, that a chemical mu- 

 seum be established in New York, to perform for the Amer- 

 ican chemists the functions that the Smithsonian Institution 

 so admirably carries on for the benefit of American naturalists. 

 This museum would not attempt to be a popular show-place, 

 but would embody, in the first place, as complete a collec- 

 tion as possible of chemically pure materials of the rarer kinds, 

 so as to supplement, but not in any manner compete with, 

 the stock of commercial supply-houses. Any scientific in- 

 vestigator would be entitled to borrow or purchase mate- 

 rial required for immediate experimentation, and all used 

 articles would be replaced as quickly as possible. 1 



In the second place, it would be the depository for speci- 

 mens of new substances obtained in American research. 

 Every chemist would be invited to send to the museum a 

 small quantity of each substance newly prepared by him, not, 

 indeed, as an evidence of the good faith of his investigation, 

 but, rather, to enable future workers to obtain such material, 

 either for comparison, or for further experimentation with 

 the least possible delay. Many substances that are now car- 

 ried away from universities by students who subsequently 

 abandon chemical research, or which belong to the families 

 of deceased chemists who do not know what to do with them, 

 would thereby be rescued from oblivion, and might ultimately 

 become of the greatest value for a special purpose. 



Thirdly, this museum would invite chemical manufacturers 

 to send standard samples of their products, and thereby facili- 

 tate the commercial relations between consumer and manu- 

 facturer. 



To such a museum there could be attached a competent 



1 A museum of this kind was provided for in Dr. Loeb's will. [EDITOR.] 



