May 16, 19(12.] 



SCIENCE. 



785 



qualitative tests of the substances studied, 

 as well as the fundamental facts of phys- 

 ical chemistry (also recommended and 

 elaborated by the Chicago conference), I 

 should say that there we had a course emi- 

 nently satisfactory. If time permits, a 

 year might be spent with great profit on 

 this work. Then should come a course of 

 the same general order, but more difficult. 

 Starting with a metal, a mineral or some 

 technical product, the student should pre- 

 pare a series of salts or other compounds 

 of some ten or more metals. He should 

 study the problem of obtaining the desired 

 compounds; submit his plans to the in- 

 structor for criticism; prepare his sub- 

 stances, and analyze them qualitatively 

 and quantitatively. The analyses should 

 not be complete, but merely for effective 

 purity and undesirable impurity; for 

 economy of labor sJiould be taught, and no 

 work done that is not of direct value under 

 the given circumstances. By a proper 

 selection of material, the teacher will be 

 able to present to his pupils, during two or 

 three terms, all of the important qualita- 

 tive and quantitative methods of separa- 

 tion. Nor is it necessary for each student 

 to do exactly the same work; indeed, I 

 should call it undesirable. Students would 

 then learn from each other as well as from 

 the teacher, and a laboratory 'atmosphere' 

 would then be created where students may 

 learn by a process of cutaneous absorption 

 — as they seem to do in Germany. The 

 work, moreover, should be reported regu- 

 larly in the accompanjdng seminar; cur- 

 rent and older periodical literature should 

 be searched for additional information 

 bearing on each student's topics; innumer- 

 able little opportunities for research will 

 present themselves, and the most ought to 

 be made of them ; a well-planned course of 

 lectures should parallel the laboratory 

 work and expand its horizon, for the whole 

 field of chemistry cannot be reviewed in 



the laboratory; and then, I venture to 

 believe, the instructor will have a class of 

 interested, if not enthusiastic, students. 

 Special schemes of separation, the 'system- 

 atic' analysis now so widely current, the 

 examination of milk and honey, can then 

 be taught as the special things they are, 

 and made to take their proper places in 

 the economy of chemistry. 



CONCLUSION. 



In conclusion, allow me to summarize the 

 propositions I have tried to maintain : 



1. The practicing chemist, be he teacher, 

 analyst or manufacturer, is of one kin. 



2. For that reason, the training for 

 these professions ought to be identical for 

 several years, at least. 



3. At present this training is inadequate. 



4. There is needed a much broader foun- 

 dation in pure chemistry. 



5. The 'chemical instinct' needs cultiva- 

 tion. 



6. Analytical training should be general 

 rather than special. 



7. The college should establish bona- 

 fide courses in preparations, on a working 

 scale. 



8. Acquaintance with current thought 

 must be fostered. 



9. Time must be made for this program 

 by cutting off all but the most important 

 non-chemical topics. 



10. Time can also be saved by eliminat- 

 ing qualitative analysis, because it is use- 

 less as an art and inefficient as a disci- 

 pline. 



11. The place of qualitative analysis 

 should be taken by properly organized 

 laboratory courses. 



Perhaps it will be best to leave the 

 twelfth and last conclusion to the charity 

 of my hearers. 



Arthur Lachman. 



Univeksitt of Oregon. 



