392 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 39. 



ing college. Here algebra and geometry 

 should be begun and a broad and thorough 

 training be given in general and technical 

 science, while the specialties of engineering, 

 like bridge and locomotive design, should 

 be left to a post-graduate year. These 

 views met with decided opposition from Mr. 

 William Kent, who advocated geometrj^, 

 algebra and Latin as most important sub- 

 jects to be taught in the high schools. 



' The Requirements of Engineering Col- 

 leges in ISTon -professional Studies,' by Pro- 

 fessor Louis E. Reber, gave statistics relat- 

 ing to 37 institutions. The various subjects 

 were classed as culture, indirect technical 

 and technical. The average time devoted 

 to culture studies was given as 16 per cent., 

 while the technical subjects occiij)y from 

 50 to 60 per cent. Three colleges have no 

 language studies in their technical courses, 

 although requiring more or less for admis- 

 sion. The tendency toward specialization 

 in engineering work seemed marked, one 

 institution having no culture studies of any 

 kind in the entire four years of the course. 



'Graphic Methods in Engineering Edu- 

 cation,' by Professor L. M. Hoskins. This 

 paper urged the importance of more thor- 

 ough instruction, not only in graphic 

 studies, but also in general analysis by 

 graphics. It was claimed that geometiy 

 often yields almost whollj^ to algebra as an 

 instrument of investigation and that this 

 results in a lack of clearness. The discus- 

 sion on this paper developed the general 

 opinion that technical students are usually 

 very weak in arithmetical computations, and 

 that graphic methods should not be used 

 for cases where a slide rule gives sufficient 

 precision. 



' The Elective Sj^stem Applied to Courses 

 in Mining,' by Dr. M. E. Wadsworth, gave 

 an outline of the method adopted at the 

 Michigan Mining School. The discxission 

 on this paper by several members indicated 

 that elective courses in engineering were 



not in general regarded with favor, as the 

 proper sequence of studies can not be 

 thus well maintained. The experience of the 

 Massachusetts Institute of Technologj^ was 

 cited as tending to a restriction of the elec- 

 tive system. 



'Specifications for Text-books,' by Pro- 

 fessor Ira O. Baker, treated of the princi- 

 ples which should be kept in view in pre- 

 paring a text-book. Typographical ar- 

 rangement, subdivisions, nomenclature and 

 notation were discussed in a suggestive 

 manner. The practice of jmblishers in 

 bringing out volumes with wide margins 

 was somewhat severely criticised in the dis- 

 cusion which followed, as also was the prac- 

 tice of inserting appendices iilled with mat- 

 ter clipped from periodicals. 



' The Place of Drawing and Shop Work 

 in Engineering Schools,' by Professor C. H. 

 Benjamin.' This paper advocated a promi- 

 nent place for free-hand drawing, it being 

 regarded as equallj' important with me- 

 chanical drawing. Shop work should be 

 taught to illustrate principles as well as for 

 the advantages of manual training. Stu- 

 dents should be required to paj'^ for work 

 that they spoil. The educational value of 

 both di-awing and shop work was regarded 

 as high. In the discussions of this paper 

 the methods of the workshops of the Wor- 

 cester Polytechnic Institute were described 

 by the Superintendent. 



PAPERS ON SEPTEMBER 3. 



' Theses and Degrees,' by Professor Storm 

 Bull, was a jjlea for the propriety of giving 

 the bachelor's degree at the completion of 

 a course of technical study. The profess- 

 ional degree of civil or mechanical engi- 

 neer propei'lj' demands a thesis of a differ- 

 ent character from that prepared for the 

 bachelor's degree, and should be given only 

 after two or three years of practice. If a 

 third degree is advisable after advanced 

 study it should be Doctor of Engineering 



