466 



SCIENCE. 



[N.S. Vol. XVIII. No. 458. 



at the age of twelve I could not understand 

 the reason for any of the wonderful things 

 shown that night, but in attempting to re- 

 peat some of the simpler experiments the 

 (juestion naturally arose, as it will to a 

 majority of boys, ivhy did this happen? 

 I have been a good deal surprised, in talk- 

 ing with a large nixmber of chemists, to 

 find their first interest in the subject due 

 in many instances to the quickening in- 

 fluences of an experimental lecture. The 

 atomic theory and the theory of valence 

 are not attractive things to the beginner, 

 certainly not to the beginner who is not 

 familiar with some of the facts leading to 

 the adoption of these theories, but the 

 beautiful phenomena of the experimental 

 lecture naturally arouse an interest in 

 chemistry as the beautiful flower awakens 

 an interest in botany. 



Some have contended that an interest 

 thus awakened is liable to be of too eva- 

 nescent a nature; it is wrongly founded; 

 chemistry is like a toy or glittering spec- 

 tacle soon to be forgotten. I doubt this 

 and flLrmly believe that in some way or 

 other the child should have the opportunity 

 of seeing these phenomena, if only as a 

 soiu-ee of pleasure. No harm can be done, 

 the idea suggested by the word chemistry 

 can not be lowered, all the phenomena are 

 of an elevating nature and, granted that 

 only entertainment is obtained, it is a 

 wholesome source of amusement. 



If we take this ground, obviously the 

 age at which the phenomena of chemistry 

 can profitably be presented to the child is 

 determined only by his degree of intel- 

 ligence and ability to perceive. The child 

 a few months old may not appreciate or 

 even observe a brilliantly lighted Christ- 

 mas tree, while a few months later it might 

 be a source of great delight to him. The 

 pupils in a kindergarten would certainly 

 appreciate a few simple chemical experi- 



ments. The grammar school lower grades 

 would of course more fully develop the idea 

 that it was something more than fireworks, 

 while in the higher grades the subject might 

 properly be introduced under the name of 

 chemistry and the pupils themselves could 

 be intrusted with the performance of a 

 few simple experiments. The difficulty of 

 showing chemical experiments is more 

 fancied than real, for with the simplest ap- 

 paratus, such as glass tumblers, many of 

 the striking color changes may be shown, 

 while the chemicals necessary may be 

 selected so as to be readily obtainable; 

 vinegar, chalk, marble, soda, the common 

 acids, coloring matter of red cabbage, etc., 

 are all such materials. Some dealei-s put 

 up little packages containing chemicals and 

 apparatus for performing simple experi- 

 ments at a very small cost. These sets are 

 advertised in the cheap papers through- 

 out the country. 



While thus we see that the actual experi- 

 ment is within the reach of all, there is a 

 very good book written in the conversa- 

 tional style which furnishes to many young 

 people fascinating reading. I refer to the 

 book written by Mrs. Lucy Rider Meyer 

 entitled 'Fairy Land of Chemistry.' No 

 one who picks up this entertaining little 

 book can fail to be impressed with the in- 

 genuity of the writer as well as with the 

 scientific accuracy of the material. In 

 this selection, a fair sample of the general 

 style of the book, two children are in their 

 uncle's laboratory and are looking at a jar 

 of chlorine. 



" Where did you get it, Uncle ?" asked she. 



" Out of salt," replied the Professor. 



" Why, Uncle! do you really mean that that 

 green smoke came out of salt — the salt that we 

 eat?" 



Professor James looked at his niece with a 

 queer little twinkle in his eyes. 



" What do you think about fairies ?" asked he. 



"Oh ! fairies are splendid," answered Jessie, 

 wondering what fairies had to do with salt. 



