July 27, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



105 



and chemistry, the only difference in the 

 work of the mechanical engineering depart- 

 ment and the chemical department was that 

 the time devoted to shop practise by stu- 

 dents in mechanical engineering was spent 

 in the chemical laboratory by those who 

 had taken up the chemical course, and the 

 time in the chemical laboratory was de- 

 voted entirely to analytical work. Such 

 important subjects as organic chemistry, 

 industrial chemistry and physical chem- 

 istry received no attention. All the work 

 of the department was done in one room, 

 which was also used for the little laboratory 

 work that was given to the students in 

 other courses. 



As an illustration of the slight demand 

 there was for chemists, the catalogues show 

 that in the first six classes that graduated 

 from the institute there is only one grad- 

 uate who followed in after years the pro- 

 fession of chemistry. 



Starting in 1868 with only one instructor 

 in chemistry, and only one room for the 

 laboratory, the department of chemistry, 

 at the present time, 1906, has six instruct- 

 ors and separate laboratories for general 

 chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic 

 chemistry, industrial chemistry, sanitary 

 chemistry and biological chemistry. 



The work of the department has in- 

 creased in a like manner. Where in 1868 

 instruction was only given in two main sub- 

 jects, general and analytical chemistry, in- 

 struction is now given in fourteen different 

 branches of chemistry. The cause of this 

 increase, besides the increase demanded 

 by the growth of the institute, is due to the 

 difference in the positions now opened to 

 chemists. In the early years of the insti- 

 tute the position offered to the graduate 

 from the chemical department were prac- 

 tically that of the analyst, one who could 

 make an examination of iron and steel. 

 No knowledge of organic chemistry, or 



physical chemistry, or industrial chemistry, 

 or sanitary chemistry was expected and 

 electrochemistry was an unknown science. 

 If the graduate from the chemical depart- 

 ment could make a chemical analysis, that 

 was all that was demanded or desired. To- 

 day, this is very different, for the positions 

 offered to chemists require at least a funda- 

 mental knowledge of the various branches 

 of chemistry, and one who is only fitted 

 for an analyst has very little prospect of 

 ever rising to any prominent or satisfactory 

 position. This is due to the fact that there 

 is hardly a large manufacturing company 

 that does not now require a chemist, not 

 merely to make analyses, but for the study 

 and the improvement of processes. 



Sanitary science in all its branches, 

 agricultural chemistry and electrochem- 

 istry all demand chemists, and in every one 

 of these branches will be found men trained 

 in chemistry at the institute. 



America is also beginning to follow the 

 German plan, namely, to have connected 

 with the most important manufacturing 

 processes a research laboratory where chem- 

 ists are employed in strictly research work, 

 not with the work that is being done day 

 by day in the factory, but on problems 

 that, starting from theoretical ideas, may 

 be tested to prove their commercial worth. 



An interesting statement in a recent ad- 

 dress by James M. Dodge, then president 

 of the American Society of Mechanical En- 

 gineers, which is confirmed by the experi- 

 ence of our own graduates, reveals the fact 

 that the average annual salary of the tech- 

 nical trained man is over $2,150, and for 

 the nontechnical, but trade trained man, 

 $790, so that the gain in average annual 

 income due to a technical training is over 

 $1,360. This amount capitalized at 4 per 

 cent, gives to a man receiving a technical 

 training a potential increase in value of 

 $34,000. There are over one thousand liv- 



