APRIL 12, 1901.] 
THE TRAINING OF AN ELECTROCHEMIST. 
Av the meeting of the German Hlectro- 
chemical Society in Zurich, last August, 
Professor Richard Lorenz,* at the request 
of the Society, read a paper on the kind of 
training which is desirable for an electro- 
chemist. The paper contains much which 
is suggestive in reference to the training of 
chemists in general, and calls attention to 
certain defects in the present method, es- 
pecially as applied in many of the German 
universities. 
Lorenz first raises the question as to 
whether electrochemists are entitled to 
recognition as representing a separate and 
distinct branch of science, and, notwith- 
standing the fact that they have not yet 
received such recognition in all the schools, 
answers the question, of course, in the affirm- 
ative. The battle in reference to the ex- 
istence and recognition of electrochemistry 
is, in most places, at an end. Its chief 
enemy is the one-sided manner in which 
chemists, until recently, have been trained ; 
and this one-sided method of training still 
obtains in some universities. We know, 
to-day ‘that a chemical doctor well trained 
in all directions’ is often nothing but a 
special organic chemist. Even if in some 
cases the candidate has learned a little 
analytical chemistry in order to be able to 
pass certain examinations outside of the 
university, he knows absolutely nothing 
of that fundamental branch of science— 
physical chemistry—and his knowledge of 
inorganic chemistry is so fragmentary that 
it cannot be called scientific—of the science 
of inorganic chemistry he knows essentially 
nothing. 
It is quite different at certain polytech- 
nic institutions where inorganic chemistry 
is constantly introduced in connection with 
technica] chemistry and metallurgy. 
Since electrochemistry, as is well known, 
is one of the best developed branches of 
* Ztschr. elect. Chem., 7, 201. 
SCIENCE. 
569 
physical chemistry, the electrochemist 
should be trained in physics and in chem- 
istry. Organic chemists should also know 
much more physics than is usually re- 
quired of them. 
Electrochemistry is also very closely con- 
nected with inorganic chemistry, and the rise 
of physical chemistry and electrochemistry 
in Germany has reawakened an interest in 
inorganic chemistry, which had almost en- 
tirely disappeared. Modern electrochem- 
istry is an exact science, and rests on a 
mathematical basis. Every: electrochemist 
must, therefore, be trained in the elements 
of the higher mathematics, and be able to 
use the differential and integral calculus. 
Later he must apply thermodynamics and 
chemodynamics to the problems as they 
arise. It is not until mathematics is ap- 
plied to special problems that its significance 
is appreciated by the investigator of nature. 
It is difficult to lay too much stress on 
the importance for an electrochemist of a 
general training in physics. He should be 
trained first of all in mechanics, then in 
sound that he may become familiar with 
the conception of wave-motion, also in heat, 
light, electricity and magnetism. 
The physicist, in training a skilful elec- 
trochemist, should not ask ‘‘ What use can 
he make of my knowledge ?”’ and he should 
not adapt his teaching to special needs. 
The electrochemist, as well as the practi- 
cal chemist, can use all physics. They 
may have to do with the magnetic properties 
of the atoms, or with heat phenomena, or 
with photometric relations, or with the 
kind and nature of the vibrations in an 
ozonator, or with fusion, evaporation and 
specific heats in the electric furnace. If 
the physicist were to consider simply the 
‘needs of the electrochemist,’ he would 
teach him simply the chapters which per- 
tain to electrical measurements. This would 
be a serious error and would retard the de- 
velopment of electrochemistry along broad 
