844 



SCIENCE. 



[N.S. Vol. XVI. No. 413. 



much influence vipon the legitimate se- 

 quence of studies. If chemistry, there- 

 fore, be studied only as a contribution to 

 a liberal education, it seems to me to make 

 little difference in what part of the higher 

 curriculum it comes. If, on the other 

 hand, the student is to become a specialist 

 in any other science, especially physical 

 science, the position of chemistry in the 

 course of study becomes more important. 

 And if, finaUy, a student is to become a 

 specialist in chemistry the position of this 

 science in his course of study becomes most 

 important. 



We find in a study of chemical phe- 

 nomena that there are certain natural 

 forces which are highly efficient in effect- 

 ing chemical changes. These are light, 

 heat and electricity, all of which by mod- 

 ern theories are regarded as special forms 

 of vibration in the elementary particles of 

 matter or ether. Since an artisan should 

 be acquainted with the character of the 

 tools he uses, and since light, heat and elec- 

 tricity become important tools in chemical 

 processes, it would seem natural that at 

 least that part of physics relating to these 

 forces should precede purely chemical 

 studies. There are, however, very few 

 purely chemical problems that require the 

 higher mathematics, and thiis it happens 

 that the student of chemistry who has a 

 working acquaintance with arithmetic, 

 algebra and a superficial knowledge in 

 geometry and trigonometry, is able to per- 

 form most of the mathematical operations 

 which the study of chemistry requires. 



Further than this, chemistry may be re- 

 garded as a college study only and not in 

 the light of the university proper. Our 

 American universities, almost without ex- 

 ception, are built around the college as the 

 central school, meaning by the coUege that 

 part of the course of instruction which is 

 destined to give the foimdation of a liberal 

 training without specialization. Wherever 



specialization enters into a college, the col- 

 lege to that extent becomes a university of 

 higher learning; in other words, a kind of 

 a graduate school before graduation. 



I have often thought that it might be well 

 to confine the college to the old-fashioned 

 type, especially since it is only an integral 

 part of the university, and to reserve spe- 

 cialization until after the degree of A.B. 

 has been secured. 



Thus, for the purpose of this address, it 

 is not necessary to dwell upon the partic- 

 ular year or. part of the curriculum when 

 chemical studies should enter. I have, 

 however, very grave doubts of the wisdom 

 of teaching extensive courses of practical 

 chemistry in the high schools. It is not 

 expected that any one should obtain a 

 professional knowledge of chemistry in a 

 high school, and yet working laboratories 

 have been established in most of our high 

 schools entirely similar to those used for 

 training professionals. It may be an erro- 

 neous opinion, but I have always held to 

 the view that in childliood and youth we 

 find the proper periods of life for learning 

 languages. Now a knowledge of one 's own 

 language, especially if one be an English- 

 speaking person, is quite impossible with- 

 out a study of the sources whence it has 

 sprung. Therefore, an English scholar 

 must first of all have a working knowledge 

 of the classical languages, so-called, that 

 is Latin and Greek, and also a practical 

 knowledge of German, at least, which is 

 one of the languages evolved from the 

 Anglo-Saxon, or rather the Saxon part of 

 the Anglo-Saxon. While it is convenient 

 to know other ancient languages and all 

 modern languages, it must be confessed 

 that the period of childhood and youth is 

 not long enough to become practically 

 acquainted with more than three or four 

 languages, besides the vernacular. Hence, 

 while not neglecting nature lessons and the 

 teaching of the explanation of the ordinary 



