SS8 REPORT — 1900. 



Following these examples, the older universities gradually came to see tha 

 necessity for providing accommodation for the practical teaching of chemistry, with 

 the result that well-equipped laboratories have been erected in all the centres of 

 learning in this country. 



Since Liebig, by the establishment of the Giessen Laboratorj', must be looked 

 upon as the pioneer in the development of practical laboratory teaching, it will 

 be interesting to endeavour to obtain some idea of the methods which he used in 

 the training of the students who attended his laboratory in Giessen. From small 

 beginnings he gradually introduced a systematic course of practical chemistry, and 

 a careful comparison shows that this was similar in many ways to that in use at 

 the present day. The student at Giessen, after preparing the more important 

 gases, was carefully trained in qualitative and quantitative analysis; he was then 

 required to make a large number of preparations, after which he engaged in original 

 research. 



Although there is, as far as I have been able to ascertain, no printed record of 

 the nature of the quantitative work and the preparations which Liebig required 

 from his students, the course of qualitative analysis is easily followed, owing to the 

 existence of a most interesting book pubHshed for the use of the Gies.s^-n students. 



In 1846, at Liebig's request, Henry Will, Ph.D , Extraordinary Professor of 

 Chemistry iu the University of Giessen, wrote a small boolc, for use at Giessen, 

 called * Giessen Outlines of Analysis,' which shows clearly the kind of instruction 

 given in that laboratory at the time in so far as qualitative analysis is concerned. 

 This book, which contains a preface by Lieb'g, is purticularly interesting on 

 account of tlie fact that it is evidently the first Introduction to Analysis intended 

 for the training of elementary students wliicli was ever published. In the preface 

 Liebig writes : ' The want ot an introduction to chemical analysis adapted for the 

 use of a laboratory has given rise to the present work, which contains an accurate 

 description of the course I have followed in my laborritory witli great advantage 

 for twenty-five years. It has been prepared at my request by Professor AVill, who 

 has been my assistant during a great part of this period.' 



This book undoubtedly had a considerable circulation, and -was used in most of 

 the laboratories which were in existence at t'lat time, and thus we iind, for example, 

 rhat the Eng-lish traasiatioa which Liebig 'hopes and believes will be acceptable 

 to the English public ' was the book used by Hofmann for his students at the 

 College of Chemistry. In this book the metals are first divided into groups much 

 in the same way as is done now ; each pvoup is then separately dealt with, the 

 priucipal characteristics of the metals of the group are noted, and their reactions 

 studied. Those tests whicli are usel'ul in the detection of each metal are particularly 

 emphasised, and the reasons given for selecting certain of them as of special value 

 for the purposes of separating one metal from another. 



Throughout this section of the book there nre frequent discussions as to the 

 possible methods of the separation, not only of the metals of one group, but of 

 those belonging to different groups ; and the whole subject is treated in a manner 

 which shows clearly that Liebig's great object was to make the student think for 

 himself. After studying in a similar manner the behaviour of the principal acids 

 ■with reagents, the student is introduced to a course of qualitative analysis com- 

 prising, 1. preliminary examination of solids; 2, qualitative analysis of the 

 substance in solution. 



Both sections are evidently written with the object not only of constructing a 

 system of qualitative analysis, but more particularly of clearly leading the student 

 to argue out for himself the methods of separation which he will ultimately adopt. 

 The ioook concludes with a few tables which differ considerably in design from 

 those in use at the present day, and which are so meagre that the student could 

 not possibly have used them mechanically. '•« 



The system introduced in this book, no doubt owing to the excellent results 

 obtained by its use, was rapidly recognised as the standard method bf teaching 

 analysis in most of the institutions existing at that time. Soon the courte began 

 to be further developed^ book after book was published on the subject, and 

 gi'adually the t'eathin'g of 'qualifativ'e analysis asSume'd th'e sliajte aird ibrm with 



