962 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. I 



problems which confront the teacher of 

 elementary chemistry to-day. 



The experiences here recorded have been 

 gathered from the routine of instruction in 

 a technical school, and it may be considered 

 doubtful by some whether observations 

 made in the laboratory of a technical 

 school in which the instruction in chem- 

 istry becomes a part of a "step up" system 

 of requirements (that is, one in which 

 successful work in subjects of later years 

 is directly dependent upon a thorough 

 grounding in earlier subjects to a degree 

 that does not obtain in the less rigid se- 

 quence of studies in the college) should be 

 taken as a basis for conclusions bearing 

 also upon college work; but, while such 

 doubts may be justified in the case of a 

 limited number of institutions in which 

 chemical instruction is merely a part of a 

 general college couree, it is increasingly 

 true that more and more students from all 

 colleges are seeking the technical schools 

 to complete some of the professional courses 

 which they offer. In the case of the uni- 

 versity the technical school may well be a 

 part of its own system ; in the case of the 

 college it means that its reputation for effi- 

 ciency in teaching is to be unexpectedly 

 tested by some other group of instructors, 

 and it should be as much a matter of con- 

 cern to them to see that their students have 

 an adequate preparation in the sciences as 

 to see that they are soundly taught in 

 mathematics or the humanities. Many of 

 the colleges have much room for improve- 

 ment in this respect. 



Let us first look at the situation as it 

 apparently exists at present in some of our 

 typical institutions as indicated by the 

 following brief summaries. The term 

 "entrance requirement" is assumed to 

 represent the work of a year with the ordi- 

 nary time allotment for chemistry in the 

 preparatory schools. The data have been 



obtained through direct correspondence 

 with representatives of the institutions 

 mentioned. 



1. Yale College.— Does not require chem- 

 istry for entrance. Students may take an 

 examination for advanced standing, but 

 rarely do so. 



2. Harvard College.— Those who have 

 passed the entrance requirement take the 

 same lectures as those who have had no 

 chemistry, but they have special laboratory 

 work and more advanced instruction in a 

 special division. They are also allowed to 

 take a first course in organic chemistry in 

 the freshman year. Admission of such 

 students to work in qualitative analysis has 

 not proved successful. Those who present 

 more chemistry than the entrance require- 

 ment are individually considered, but are 

 rarely excused from college work on the 

 basis of secondary school work. 



3. Cornell U^iiversity.—Tlae entrance 

 requirement is nearly the same as that of 

 the College Entrance Examination Board, 

 but the passing of this examination does 

 not secure credit for introductory inor- 

 ganic chemistry in the university. The 

 student may take an examination for ad- 

 vanced standing if he desires. 



4. Columbia University.— Those who 

 pass the College Entrance Examination 

 Board examination are admitted to a spe- 

 cial course of lectures in chemistry, includ- 

 ing a somewhat advanced treatment of the 

 subject. 



5. Syracuse University. — For one year 

 of chemistry in a normal school credit is 

 given for elementary chemistry in college, 

 provided the student takes another course 

 in chemistry and passes well. After one 

 year of chemistry in a secondary school, 

 pupils are allowed to take the regular 

 examination in elementary chemistry, 

 and if they pass, credit is given for that 

 course. If chemistry is accepted for ad- 



