780 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 385. 



problems presented to it ; all research work 

 is a series of correlated problems; the in- 

 stallation of every manufacturing plant, of 

 every new process, the regular operation 

 of every established factory, is a series of 

 problems; every analysis for whatsoever 

 purpose is a problem; teaching is one vast 

 problem. The main preliminary to the 

 solution of any problem is a clear and com- 

 plete realization of its nature. "What is 

 aimed at, what are the difficulties, what 

 means are available? These questions 

 should be as definitely in the mind of the 

 student at every point of his college work 

 as they must necessarily be in his later pro- 

 fessional activity. 



ANALYTICAL SKILL. 



Perhaps no portion of chemical instruc- 

 tion is better given than training in ana- 

 lytical work. Methods have been worked 

 out with such precision, and mechanical 

 aids are so perfect, that given time, patience 

 and care, anybody may become a fairly 

 skilled analyst. Moreover, teachers seem 

 agreed that introductory work . both in 

 qualitative and in quantitative analysis 

 should precede all special analytical 

 courses. Perhaps it may seem superfluous 

 to offer any suggestions for the improve- 

 ment of this portion of chemical training; 

 I shall discuss this later. At this point 

 I wish to speak of these special courses. It 

 has already been shown that they consti- 

 tute the crux of the ' technical ' training 

 of this country. It seems to me that they 

 tend to destroy the unity of analytical 

 practice by inducing the student to 

 specialize far too narrowly and far too 

 soon. Students often spend the whole of 

 their third and fourth years at college on 

 these courses alone, and thus deliberately 

 sacrifice the sole opportunity of their lives 

 to acquire a broad and thorough training 

 for all future emergencies. I have knoAvn 

 students at one of the largest universities 



of the land to avoid all courses on theoret- 

 ical and organic chemistry, on the ground 

 that they would have no use for them at a 

 blast-furnace — that college sending most 

 of its graduates into the iron industry. 

 Surely no college should thus encourage its- 

 students to neglect their opportunities. A 

 little of the vsdse and far-sighted coopera- 

 tion practiced by German employers would 

 furnish immediate relief from this state 

 of affairs. Experience has shown that the 

 employer does not suffer by choosing 

 broadly-trained chemists in place of stall- 

 fed analysts. 



Besides, most of the 'technical methods 

 of analysis' taught in our colleges have a 

 way of getting antiquated. Each yeai- 

 witnesses some new committee of technical 

 societies for the purpose of improving ana- 

 lytical methods. By the time these methods 

 get into the text-books (copper plates being 

 valuable), another committee is under way. 

 If such analytical instruction is reserved 

 until the last term at college, and then 

 based upon the reports of these committees, 

 the student will be more likely to acquire 

 really useful knowledge, and have more 

 time for broader study. 



PREPARATIVE SKILL. 



Until quite recently the only training 

 in the preparation of chemical substances 

 was afforded by organic chemistry; lat- 

 terly, a number of colleges have introduced 

 courses in inorganic preparations as well. 

 These courses constitute excellent disci- 

 pline, as far as they go ; they do not go far 

 enough. The actual preparation of chem- 

 ical substances may serve three purposes. 

 It may be intended to place the substance 

 in the student's hands for study; if no 

 more is sought, it is often cheaper and 

 always quicker to furnish it out of labora- 

 tory stock. It may be intended to illus- 

 trate the reaction. In combination vidth 

 the first purpose this end is eminently de- 



