September 6, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



293 



sons including 70 cliemists and 12 engineers/>- 

 K. Oehler & Co., in Offenbach, have 300 

 workmen and 45 chemists. f Other works 

 of large capacity like the Badische Aniliu 

 nnd Soda Fabrik of Liidwigshafen, Bayer 

 & Co. at Elbersfeld, Casella & Co. in Frank- 

 furt ^Xm likewise employ large numbers of 

 educated chemists and engineers. This 

 practice now extends to most of the more 

 important manufactures. Its value was 

 early recognized in metallurgy and it has 

 been adopted in other lines. As a conse- 

 quence a demand has been made upon the 

 educational institutions and an influence 

 has been exerted upon the management 

 leading to provision of better facilities ibr 

 work both in investigation and instruction. 

 In connection with the working force of 

 the German color factories, it is worthy of 

 remark, that experience has led directors to 

 employ educated engineers alongside the 

 research chemists and so to recognize the 

 fact that engineering capacity is necessary 

 to the practical and industrial application 

 of chemical reactions. These reactions ef- 

 fected in the laboratory cannot always be 

 obtained in the works in a large way with- 

 out the invention of special apparatus, and 

 frequently the most brilliant discoveries in 

 science prove to be nothing more than mere 

 suggestions to the industries, doubtful step- 

 ping stones to new processes or new pro- 

 ducts. The discoveries of aniline and aliza- 

 rine are examples of this principle . The am- 

 monia soda reaction remained dormant near- 

 ly half a centur J' until it was made practical 

 through the genius of Solvay and by means 

 which scarcely involved chemical reactions. 

 The Leblanc soda process, with its beauti- 

 ful reactions — partly, it is. true, because of 

 the political situation — remained dormant 

 nearly a quarter of a centui-y befoi-e the 



* Grandhomme. Die Fabriken der Actien-Gesell- 

 sohaft Farbwerke Meister, Lucius und Bruning. 



t Dir. E. Franck. Zeitsohrift fiir Angewandte 

 Chemie. 1895. 444. 



genius of Muspratt restored it to life. The 

 sugar industry, the conception of Margraff 

 and Achard, required the invention and con- 

 struction of much special apparatus before 

 it could develop into the astonishing dimen- 

 sions it presents to-day. The Weldon pro- 

 cess could be established in the industry 

 only after a most earnest struggle extend- 

 ing over three years, and the final result 

 showed that the complete reaction could be 

 obtained only when working in the largest 

 way. 



The study of the ultimate history of any 

 or all of these industries will show that, as 

 they grew, they made demands upon the 

 educated men and so both directly and in- 

 directly contributed to the su.m of useful 

 knowledge in nearly all its branches, chem- 

 istry inckided. 



For this reason the demand is growing 

 for a combination of chemical and engineer- 

 ing knowledge in the same person.- The 

 value of this has been noticed in the lives 

 and works of many of the leaders in chem- 

 ical work, and its recognition among edu- 

 cators is advancing. This is illustrated in 

 the views of Victor Meyer,* expressed as 

 follows: "I coincide completely with Dr. 

 Lippmann in his wish not only for an ex- 

 tension of his technical instruction in our 

 own university in its present scope, but also 

 for the fui'ther development of the same, 

 and I would add thereto the expression of 

 my own opinion that instruction in tech- 

 nical drawing ought not to be omitted in 

 the curriculum of any university in which 

 numerous young chemists seek their educa- 

 tion and are likely ultimately to desire oc- 

 cupation in factories and works." Similar 

 expressions have come from other high 

 authorities in the field of education, and 

 the wisdom of the establishment of the 

 technical schools with provision for thor- 

 ough education in all the special branches 

 that may find useful application in the 



* Chemical News, 1894, 97. 



