December S, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



649 



selected to fit the student's preparation and 

 ability. 



In larger institutions, it is more satisfactory 

 to group those with no previous training in a 

 sejparate class. It is to 'be hoped they had high 

 school physics as a scientiflc foundation. Gen- 

 eral chemistry for such a class should be just 

 what the name implies — a general treatment 

 including traditional descriptive chemistry, 

 physical, industrial, organic, analytical and 

 something of the historical development. 

 Above all, even above the accumulation of facts, 

 this course should give training in real scien- 

 tific thinking. 



This seems like a large undertaking, but it 

 merelj' means that we take the student up on a 

 high mountain and show him the promised land. 

 The fact that (the majority of this class will 

 never study 'any more chemistry is added I'ea- 

 son for a pi-oper bi-eadth of treatment. 



The problem is more difficult for students 

 who may possibly feel satisfied with their 

 knowledge of high school chemistry. They 

 enter college to be stimulated and it is fatal to 

 let them feel that college general chemistry 

 'has but little in the way of novelty for them. 

 Hence I counsel against a mere hasty review 

 for one semester by way of transition to some 

 ■advanced course. Such "rush" courses ai-e 

 deadly, dull and unsatisfactory to teacher and 

 pupil. Nothing short of a full year of rather 

 stiff general chemistry will serve the needs of 

 this class and it can be taught with all the 

 freshness needed to whet jaded intellectual 

 appetites. 



The high school course was good discipline. 

 It furnished much useful information and 

 inspired the student with a liking for chem- 

 istry. It is no reflection on high school teach- 

 ing to insist that under no circumstances shall 

 a year of college general chemistry be 

 omilited. The explanation is found in the 

 immaturity of the student, the high school en- 

 ■ viromuent and the lack of time given to the 

 course. 



The college coui-se must cover again the same 

 ground — ^and mudi more. It need not, how- 

 ever, be a dull rehash. The broader general 

 chemistry in college niusit present more funda- 



mental views. Much more of physical chem- 

 istry, more exact quantitative experiments, and 

 a glimiDse of the newer developments such as 

 radioactivity, atomic structure and colloids are 

 a pi-oper part of such a course. A very simple 

 but reasonably complete system of qualitative 

 analysis may well 'be used as the laboratory 

 drill during the second semester. This teaches 

 system, classification and comparison. The stu- 

 dent greatly enjoys his quest of the unknown 

 and sees a definite. use for a somewhat con- 

 fusing array of facts he may have accumu- 

 lated. That m'ajority who never take ad- 

 vanced chemistry have 'a right to the joys and 

 benefits of qualitative analysis. 



During this diificult freshman year the old 

 facts of high school chemistry musit be dealt 

 with in an interpretative spirit. When taken 

 behind the scenes, so to ' speak, the student sees 

 a new meaning in the subject. There is small 

 . doubt that unless all that has gone before, 

 more or less loosely held in mind, is worked 

 over into a solid foundation the student is 

 dhemieally crippled for life. A certain amount 

 of forceful repetition is 'the essence of good 

 teaching. Even in the second, third and fom-th 

 years, we 'all find it profitable to repeat and 

 expand what was presented in the freshman 

 year of general chemistry. This makes the 

 thorough chemist. 



It may be well to mention a nimiber of spe- 

 cific topics to be stressed for the class. 



The historical development of the system of 

 molecular and atomic weights is far more con- 

 vincing to the student than 'a mere statement 

 of the system as it enow is. In fact a little of 

 the historical introduction to many topics 

 interests the class and develops the research 

 attitude of mind. It may seem absolutely 

 ridiculous to talk of research on the p'art of a 

 freshman, yet clever questioning as the steps 

 of a historical piece of reseaireh are discussed 

 will do much in stimulating the student into a 

 research attitude of mind. 



Structural formulas appal the class on first 

 sight. Later familiarity breeds, not contempt, 

 but apiareciation. The usual confusion of 

 formulas of nitrogen, arsenic, antimony and 

 phosphorus -compounds is easily cleai'ed up by 



