Marcu 15, 1912] 
few, on a scale commensurate with even 
the limited knowledge which a junior or 
senior really possesses. This should be 
done with the purpose of enabling him to 
eriticize his own work, to study it for pos- 
sible errors, their causes, and, so far as 
practicable, their amounts. He may then 
be encouraged to criticize the published 
work of others, for which, by the way, no 
end of useful material is at hand. In this 
connection, it may not be out of place to 
recommend to chemical analysts, teachers 
and practitioners an annual perusal of Dr. 
Hillebrand’s address referred to above, in 
which he deals with the shortcomings of 
analysts with respect to reagents and 
manipulative methods, which it has not 
seemed necessary to attempt to touch upon 
here. 
Finally, just a word regarding the 
status of the analytical chemist, using this 
term to denote one with whom analytical 
chemistry is essentially a vocation. There 
is, I think, no doubt that this is distinctly 
unsatisfactory. Inthe minds of the general 
public, to be sure, a chemist is essentially 
an analyst but, in the minds of employers, 
an analyst is too often an inferior grade 
of chemist who can be readily displaced 
by a reasonably intelligent boy, and whom 
boy’s wages should satisfy. Our young 
men who have been chemically educated 
almost universally begin their professional 
careers in the technical field in our an- 
alytical laboratory. While we wisely ad- 
monish them to fulfil the task at hand in 
such a way as to earn more than they re- 
ceive, to more than ‘‘make good,’’ in the 
phrase of the day, we also urge them not 
to be content with such positions as will 
permanently restrict them to analytical 
service. This, too, under existing condi- 
tions, is no doubt wise. But it would seem 
that the time has come when employers 
should recognize that work entrusted to 
SCIENCE 
403 
boys who, while possibly capable of carry- 
ing out routine operations, have no abil- 
ity to deal with any of the inevitable 
complications arising from exceptional 
conditions, or work entrusted even to men 
who are underpaid and without the en- 
couragement of future adequate recogni- 
tion, is likely to lack the requisite quality 
for the attainment of the best possible re- 
sults. It may not be practicable to create 
permanently attractive positions for a 
large number of strong men, but there 
should be more of these men in the works 
laboratory than are now found there. 
Moreover, while a works laboratory is con- 
fessedly not a savory neighbor, the chem- 
ists should courageously demand that they 
should not be relegated to some ill-lighted, 
half-ventilated and dirty corner, as is too 
often done. This does not mean that quar- 
tered-oak desks, glass shelves or expensive 
trimmings should be asked for, but merely 
such quarters as will permit self-respecting 
men, who take pride in their work, to 
operate under conditions which permit 
them to render their best service. Some 
may say that this is an easy suggestion to 
make on the part of one not immediately 
associated with the stress of industrial con- 
ditions, but one which it is difficult to carry 
out. This is frankly admitted, but the be- 
lief persists that the analytical chemists 
owe it to themselves to make an effort to se- 
cure for themselves and their work a larger 
measure of recognition such as this sug- 
gestion would involve. 
If we consider the current prices for 
chemical analyses, one is prone to think 
that in one field, at least, competition has 
had full play. It were, of course, rank 
heresy in this good city to suggest re- 
straint, and yet it seems full time that 
something should be done, lest the day might 
come when the chemist would have to pay 
the manufacturer for the privilege of ma- 
