840 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 728 



The present phenomenon lasted ahout two 

 hours, though in its best development not 

 more than an hour. Toward the end the 

 banner gradually decreased in length, the 

 cascading stopped, the cloud cap broke into 

 isolated patches, until finally only a few bits 

 of gray mist remained clinging to the sum- 

 mits. 



The accompanying sketch of the southern 

 two thirds of the cloud was made by Mr. H. 

 W. Packard, of Brockton, Mass., from a photo- 

 graph taken by the writer. 



B. M. Varney 



Habvaed Univebsitt, 

 May 19, 1908 



THE TRAINING OF INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTS 



To THE Editor of Science: May I be per- 

 mitted to offer a few remarks on Dr. Chas. S. 

 Palmer's recent letter' regarding the training 

 of industrial chemists and may I correct at 

 least one rather important error into which he 

 has fallen? He says (p. 726) : 



But the quotations also show another thing, 

 namely, that Professor Kipping has never been 

 in active responsibility of a chemical works [stc] 

 and really does not understand practical industry. 



As a matter of fact Professor Eapping had 

 a very active responsibility in a very large 

 chemical works for a number of years, before 

 he became a teacher. 



So far as industrial chemistry is concerned, 

 it will probably be admitted that Germany 

 is highly successful in chemical manufactures 

 and that, broadly speaking, England and the 

 United States are not. 



It is well known that in the successful Ger- 

 man, American and English works two classes 

 of chemists are employed, the " combined an- 

 alytical machine and foreman " and the in- 

 vestigators. Before being engaged these latter 

 spent eight or more years in obtaining a 

 chemical training, and they have to demon- 

 strate their ability to carry out research — by 

 carrying it out. In the English works from 

 which the loudest complaints come— and I 

 believe that the same is true of the United 

 States — it will be found that their " chemist " 

 is a man of very partial training, which seldom 



> Science, XXVIII., 725, November 20, 1908. 



exceeds, if indeed it equals that represented 

 by a bachelor's degree. Not only has this un- 

 fortunate person had no practise in re- 

 search, but, as a rule, he is loaded down with 

 routine tests and analyses, and then the manu- 

 facturer wonders loudly why the profits do 

 not increase. It speaks volumes for the native 

 ability of his " chemist " that there are any 

 profits at all. In the meantime the dividends 

 of the German works continue to grow. 



Judged by results, can there be any doubt 

 which is the better system? 



Practically, every technical problem is 

 divisible into two parts. One is purely 

 chemical and deals with such questions as the 

 nature of a reaction, or the conditions affect- 

 ing the yield of a substance. The second is 

 more essentially engineering and is concerned 

 with containers, transportation, design or con- 

 struction of plant, etc. We know, however, 

 that in order to carry out successfully inde- 

 pendent investigations in pure chemistry, a 

 man must have a suitable mind and, after 

 leaving the high school, must spend about 

 eight years in training. Nevertheless, some 

 manufacturers take an individual who has had 

 only four years study of chemistry and engi- 

 neering combined and expect him to solve 

 problems in hoth suhjects. Moreover, certain 

 of these employers are willing to pay as much 

 as $600 per annum to the prodigies in ques- 

 tion! 



Dr. Palmer's reference to the numerous 

 "fine young students" who "have informa- 

 tion by the brainful " — whatever that may 

 mean — is rather funny. His complaint that 

 they can not " apply one thousandth part of 

 what they know " simply proves that they have 

 not been trained in research work. It would be 

 interesting scientifically to be informed exactly 

 as to how much chemistry is represented by 

 0.001 of the total chemical knowledge of these 

 wonderful " fine young students." It would be 

 more than interesting to encounter one of Dr. 

 Palmer's theories arrayed in overalls, or in- 

 deed, in any other garments ! 



J. Bishop Tingle 



McMaster Univebsitt, 

 Toronto, Canada, 

 November 23, 1908 



