24 



NA TURE 



[March 4, 1909 



this consideration may well encourage us to hope that the 

 combined system which works so admirably in the trade 

 classes may lend itself in a modified form to the solution 

 of the more complex problem of the practical training of 

 the engineer and chemist. 



The problem is certainly more complex, but from the 

 industrial point of view it is really not more serious than 

 that which has already been faced by the handicraft trades. 

 If the manufacturers and industrial leaders can be brought 

 to realise, as the master craftsmen have done, that it is 

 our central purpose to educate our students of all classes 

 in the best possible way for their future work in industry, 

 then I feel assured that we shall gradually secure more 

 and more of their active help and cooperation. Without 

 this help it would obviously be impossible for us to 

 organise the workshop or other practical training of our 

 students, but with it the difficulties may easily be sur- 

 mounted. 



If we are to undertake the organisation of the practical 

 part of the training of our students, the cooperation of 

 the employers will be necessary (i) to keep us supplied 

 with a sufficient number of posts for temporary apprentices 

 or learners in their works, and (2) to enable us to keep 

 some kind of supervision over the students during their 

 training. Probably a visiting inspector would be required, 

 whose duty it would be to keep in touch with the managers 

 of the works in which the apprentices are placed. This 

 officer would be invaluable in making all detailed arrange- 

 ments between the managers and the college, and in 

 arranging for the distribution and re-distribution of 

 apprentices among the various works. 



It is well to remember that in seeking for opportunities 

 for practical training wo are not necessarily restricted to 

 engineering works. In connection with the various 

 municipal enterprises, electric lighting and power works, 

 gas, water, and sewage works, employment may be found 

 if the heads of these departments can be induced to take 

 the necessary trouble. We shall return to this question 

 in considering the position as regards students who are 

 preparing to take their place in chemical industry. 



While the colleges would be deeply indebted to the manu- 

 facturers who would cooperate with them in this matter, we 

 need not neglect to represent to these gentlemen that the 

 advantages would not all be on one side. By the coopera- 

 tion the whole system of the apprenticeship of educated 

 young men would be put on a more businesslike footing, 

 " slackers " and " loafers " would be quickly found out 

 and dealt with or dismissed, and intelligent hard work 

 would be encouraged. I am not blind to the 'fact that 

 there will be difficulties to be got over and asperities to 

 be smoothed before the arrangement can be got into 

 thorough working order, but none of these need be 

 formidable, and we must expect to encounter little troubles 

 in making any important change of practice. 



The training of chemists for industry is a subject which 

 has been much discussed again during the past vear. 

 Early in 1908 a subcommittee of the governing body of 

 the newly created Imperial College of Science and Techno- 

 logy made a report on the subject to that body, but as 

 that report has not been published I shall refrain from 

 making any remarks upon it. Some of the provincial 

 sections of the Society of Chemical Industry have also 

 organised discussions on the subject. The first of these 

 took place at the University of Birmingham. 



At the British Association meeting in Dublin, Prof. 

 Stanley Kipping made this the subject of his presidential 

 address to the chemistry section. This widespread dis- 

 cussion shows at least that there is a healthy interest in 

 the subject in quite a number of quarters. It occurred to 

 me that the best way to introduce the subject on this 

 occasion would be by a brief narrative of the action taken 

 by the Institute of Chemistry some three or four years 

 ago. The institute is a professional body, and it exacts a 

 very high standard of attainment both in science and in 

 the professional application of chemistry. Its examina- 

 tions are largely practical, and any chemist who has 

 attained to the associatcship must be recognised as fully 

 competent to take charge of all the ordinary chemical 

 work of the laboratory. The full qualification of fellow- 

 ship can only be attained after the associate has produced 

 satisfactory evidence that he has been in successful prac- 

 NO. 2053, VOL. 80] 



tice as a protessional or industrial chemist for five years 

 subsequent to his admission to the associateship. The 

 fellowship is therefore a direct guarantee of professional 

 competency. 



Some years ago the council of the institute formulated 

 a supplementary scheme for the granting to its associates 

 and fellows a further certificate in chemical technology. 

 This scheme was only formulated after an exhaustive 

 inquiry had been made, more especially as to the views 

 of those chemical manufacturers who were themselves 

 chemists. S. practically unanimous opinion was expressed 

 by these gentlemen that an ordinary laboratory training, 

 even of the very thorough kind exacted by the institute, 

 was not of itself a sutficient preparation for those who 

 intended to make a place for themselves in chemical in- 

 dustry. In proceeding to formulate a scheme, the com- 

 mittee did me the honour of taking as their starting point 

 a syllabus of chemical engineering which had been laid 

 before the Society of Chemical Industry by me while I 

 was its president in 1899. This scheme was greatly 

 improved under the free criticism and discussion to which 

 it was subjected by the able and practical men outside as 

 well as inside the committee, and the syllabus which now 

 forms part of the regulations of the institute ought to be 

 regarded by our colleges and universities as a very valuable 

 and authoritative pronouncement on the nature and scope 

 of the study of chemical technology. .\s this subject had 

 previously been either ignored or hopelessly misunderstood 

 by the great majority of chemical professors and teachers, 

 I think we must agree that the institute has earned the 

 gratitude of all technical institutions by having placed on 

 record this clear and compact synopsis of the subject. I 

 am glad to have this opportunity of directing the atten- 

 tion of the heads of our technical colleges to this matter, 

 and to suggest that those who are sending up students for 

 the associateship of the institute should encourage them 

 to take in addition the supplementary certificate in chemical 

 technology. 



During the formulation of this scheme there was con- 

 siderable discussion on the question of practical works' 

 training for students of chemical technology. This is a 

 question on which there has often been misunderstanding. 

 It has too readily been assumed that the chemical manu- 

 facturer who declines to throw open his works to students 

 on the same lines as the mechanical engineer does is 

 necessarily narrow-minded and obstructive. He is told 

 from time to time by various learned persons that his 

 supposed secret operations are a mere delusion, which 

 would at once be exploded and superseded by something 

 infinitely better if he would throw his works and process 

 open to the criticism of the bright young graduates from 

 our universities, yet he obstinately refuses to unlock his 

 doors. I cannot plead guilty to any lukcwarmness where 

 the application of science to industry is concerned, but I 

 must confess that I have considerable sympathy with the 

 point of view of the much-abused manufacturer. If he 

 happens to be using a process the conditions of which 

 have been worked out by himself and his staff at much 

 expenditure of time and money, is it at all surprising that 

 he should regard this experience as one of his most valu- 

 able assets? Yet, strangely enough, his rights over this 

 asset are only protected by British law if he is in the 

 fortunate position of being able to secure a patent and 

 maintain it against all comers ; but in very many cases the 

 prospects of being able to obtain or to maintain a patent 

 are so problematical that he does not care to risk every- 

 thing upon them, especially as the publication of a patent 

 at once informs his rivals exactly what he is doing;. In 

 Germany, on the other hand, though the protection of 

 this kind of intangible property is far from complete, 

 cases of piracy by employees or others can be dealt with 

 under criminal law, and the employer is thus placed in a 

 much stronger position to protect his property. 



I quite concede that there are many chemical works 

 which might be thrown open to expert inspection because 

 in their operations there is nothing special to be divulged, 

 and in works of this description there is no intrinsic reason 

 why student apprentices should not be admitted. But the 

 habit of secrecy has become instinctive with the chemical 

 manufacturer, for he is well aware that, though at one 

 time he may have nothing to lose by publicity, yet in the 



