October 21, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



523 



logical, Agricultural and the Teaching of 

 Chemistry. Below is given a full list of the 

 titles, but space will not permit abstracts of 

 all the papers presented. 



Dr. C. L. Eeese exhibited some unusual 

 quartz crystals from Alabama, containing 

 petroleum inclusions. 



A paper ' On the Facilities for Standard- 

 izing Chemical Apparatus afforded by For- 

 eign Governments and Our Own,' read by 

 Mr. L. A. Fisher for Mr. H. S. Pritchett, 

 called attention to the work begun by the 

 Coast a,nd Geodetic Survey of the United 

 States. In comparison with Germany and 

 France few facilities are now offered by our 

 government, practically none were in the 

 past, so this is an important forward step. 



Mr. N. Monroe Hopkins showed draw- 

 ings of a new Electric Furnace for a 110- 

 Volt Current of High Efiiciency. It is easy 

 of construction and inexpensive. 



' Catalysis,' Dr. J. H. Kastle. Assump- 

 tions regarding catalytic processes from 

 work on sulphonic esters involving the 

 quadrivalence of oxygen were given. 

 Briihl, in his work on hydrogen dioxide, 

 prefers to regard water as containing 

 oxygen unsaturated. 



'Volumetric Apparatus,' G. E. Barton. 



' Some New Forms of Apparatus,' J. M. 

 Pickel. 



' A New Apparatus for Determining the 

 Relative Viscosity of Thick Oils and Soft- 

 ness of Plastic Matter,' A. W. Dow. 



' Viscosimeter,' P. H. Conradsen. 



Dr. F. W. Clarke called attention to the 

 solubility of certain natural silicates in dis- 

 tilled water, in his paper on ' The Alkaline 

 Reaction of Certain Natural Silicates.' The 

 alkaline reaction is given very quickly by 

 some and more slowly by others. This is 

 an interesting point for geologists. 



Dr. C. Loring Jackon, with I. H. Derby, 

 gave the properties of pure, freshly prepared 

 ' Ferrous Iodide.' 



One of the most interesting sessions was 



that set aside for the discussion of the 

 methods of teaching chemistry. Many out- 

 siders were attracted by this part of the 

 program. Dr. F. P. Venable, who had 

 the leading paper, spoke ' On the Use and 

 Abuse of the Formula in Teaching Chemis- 

 try.' Dalton seems to have been the first 

 to use a regular system of symbols in mak- 

 ing clear his idea of atoms. Berzelius then 

 took up the practice, which gives us a uni- 

 versal but short-hand language in chemis- 

 try. "While there is no question of the value 

 of formulas and equations in teaching chem- 

 istry, some of the limitations of their use 

 should be recognized. Symbols and equa- 

 tions can only partially represent the mathe- 

 matical relations of the science, for there is 

 no mode of indicating the physical forces 

 always accompanying chemical reactions. 

 Frequently the best constructed equation 

 represents only one of the many reactions 

 occurring at the same time, and there is no 

 way to indicate conditions, relation of mass 

 and so on. While useful, the dangers may 

 be classified under four heads: methodism, 

 mechanical, mathematical and idolatry. 



Dr. Ira Eemsen, in his paper on ' Teach- 

 ing Organic Chemistry,' deprecated ' formula 

 worship ' and insisted upon having the 

 thing talked about actually before the stu- 

 dent and allowing him not only to see but 

 handle the substance as much as possible. 

 In laboratory work it is more essential to 

 have the student familiarize himself with a 

 few simple compounds first until a basis is 

 established, avoiding the mechanical and 

 acquiring the true spirit and right idea. 

 Many teachers make the mistake of talking 

 over the heads of students. This serves 

 well to exhibit the professor's own mental 

 adroitness, but does not aid the pupil much. 



Dr. Hart, when speaking on ' The Teach- 

 ing of Industrial Chemistry,' insisted that in- 

 dustrial application of what had beenleai-ned 

 was the crowning point of all teaching of 

 chemistry. He held the idea that only a 



