OCTOBEB 11, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



463 



allow ^ a freshman to elect as large an 

 amount of work as our committee sug- 

 gested. The greatest difficulty seems to be 

 with the work in physics, which naturally 

 presupposes some acquaintance with trig- 

 onometry, and which in consequence is 

 usually thrown over to the sophomore year. 

 The work in chemistry, biology and lan- 

 guages could in most cases be provided for. 



HOSTILITY TO THE PLAN 



The replies from about 80 institutions 

 gave evidence of lack of interest in the 

 matter, lack of equipment for the work, or, 

 finally, a distinct hostility to the plan. As 

 illustrating the last situation the answers 

 from two small colleges, one in Pennsyl- 

 vania and one in Illinois, may be quoted. 

 The first reads as follows: 



In reply to your letter I would say that we can 

 not justly give the course you suggest in less than 

 two years, except in rare oases. We have found, 

 in our experience, that the students who took a 

 full B.S. course received the best results. We 

 even discourage the short two years' course, be- 

 cause it has so little of general culture work, and 

 the American college stands for culture. If pro- 

 fessions will continue to admit men on purely 

 technical preparation and disregard the college, 

 the college nevertheless must stand for the ideals 

 that have made it. Your suggested one-year 

 course is unpractical. You require so much labo- 

 ratory work in chemistry and physics that none 

 but the exceptional freshman can take them. The 

 number of hours of your proposed course out- 

 number the hours which educators, knowing the 

 capacity of the human brain and mind, have fixed 

 as a maximum. Should your plan obtain the 

 work must be superficial. For some time we col- 

 lege men have watched the plans of the medical 

 profession and we are astonished that there is so 

 little appreciation of sound pedagogics. (Italics 

 mine.) 



From the president of the Illinois school 

 the following reply came: 



In response to your inquiry concerning our 

 work in science relative to its value for medical 

 education, permit me to say that we offer all and 

 more than you require, but not in the freshman 



year. We carry science study through four years 

 of the college course. It appears to us on careful 

 consideration that what you require as prelim- 

 inary to the medical course could not be well 

 crowded into one year. Three different lines of 

 science study with extended laboratory practise is 

 more than students can advantageously carry in 

 one year, not to speak of the addition of a modem 

 language. Certainly, such crowding could hardly 

 meet the requirements of a good college course. 

 Besides, freshmen are not qualified for the more 

 advanced work in the sciences. Moreover, it seems 

 hardly fair to us that colleges should be asked to 

 do such hurried preparatory work for the profes- 

 sional schools. Why might not law and theology 

 come with similar requests? In what manner 

 could any college do justice to its students under 

 such pressure? Would it not be perfectly fair 

 for the professional schools to adjust their courses 

 to the needs of college graduates ? That would 

 certainly greatly improve professional efficiency. 

 We are quite ready to maintain such courses as 

 the professional schools can recognize; but we can 

 not see our way clear to comply with the requests 

 of your letter of inquiry. 



It is evident that these men do not fully 

 understand the situation and in addition 

 that their answers are dictated by a some- 

 what natural self-interest ; but in the opin- 

 ions of other men better able to appreciate 

 our position, we have noticed a similar 

 doubt as to the wisdom of attempting so 

 much work in a single year. In this con- 

 nection there are two questions to consider : 

 first, the practical one of arranging hours 

 to avoid a conflict of studies, and yet pre- 

 sent all the work suggested to be taken, 

 and, second, the possibility of carrying this 

 number of hours successfully. In actual 

 time the scheme provides for about 25 

 hours of work each week through the col- 

 lege year, divided between class-room and 

 laboratory, and omitting organic chem- 

 istry. Now, allowing for a reasonable 

 division of time in the work in the sciences, 

 this is not more than a fair student should 

 be expected to carry, and not more than 

 students carry well in many of our best 

 schools. It must be admitted that students 



