Deckmber 4. 1003.] 



SCIENCE. 



713 



thorough aud accurate drill in the details 

 of cue laiifiuage, is certainly to be preferred 

 as a preparation for an engineering college 

 course. In my own estimation, when ac- 

 companied with history and a year spent in 

 civics and natural science, it is not only 

 to be preferred as a school course for pre- 

 paring the student for college, but also a 

 course for those numerous students who 

 can not go through college. 



Taking the students as they come and 

 may be expected to come for the present, 

 the electrical engineering course miist in- 

 clude the following branches of learning 

 which are preparatory to the more strictly 

 professional studies: 



1. That fidler training in the construc- 

 tion of the English language which is 

 requisite to clear thinking and clear wri- 

 ting, preferably accompanied by an addi- 

 tional language for added strength. 



2. The collateral art of expression in 

 drawing. 



3. Mathematics through an appropriate 

 amount of calculus, including the integra- 

 tion and solution of equations involving 

 derivatives and instruction in the iise of 

 coplanar vectors, and perhaps quaternion 

 quantities, all of which should be taught 

 a.s applied logic, with special emphasis laid 

 on interpreting the meaning of eciuations. 



4. The science of chemistry, .soi;ndly 

 taught. 



5. The science of physics, soundly 

 taught, with particular emphasis laid on 

 the elementary mechanics. 



C. Applied mechanics. 



.Mechanics — the pliilosophy of matter, 

 force and energy — is the backbone of the 

 electrical engineer's college training. 



Instruction in the science branches 

 should be accompanied by well-conceived 

 an<l properly conducted laboratory work, 

 mostly of quantitative character, accom- 

 panying and illustrating the class-room in- 

 struction ; and all instruction whether in 



natural science, mathematics or languages, 

 should be under the direction of men who 

 are engineers or in full sympathy with the 

 aims and ideals of engineering. 



A limited amount of manual training 

 may well accompany these studies, and 

 likewise, if time can be found for it with- 

 out over-burdening the reasonable physical 

 I)owers of the student, a limited amount of 

 l)roper instruction in surveying (including 

 the use of the compass, transit and level) 

 will always prove a force for quickening 

 the student's perceptions and at the same 

 time put him into possession of processes 

 of probable future value. 



In a few of our engineering colleges 

 which rigidly demand the best preparatory 

 work from the high schools, and which are, 

 at the same time, best manned in their 

 facilities, not le.ss than two years are re- 

 quired to cover the ground above described, 

 if the Mork is done in a reasonably satis- 

 factory manner. But the above ground 

 can not be covered with anything like rea- 

 sonable success in much or any less than 

 three years in the larger number of engi- 

 neering schools that are usually accorded 

 high rank. After covering these branches, 

 it seems to be the tendency in many col- 

 leges to fly off into superficial or descrip- 

 tive courses, relating to engineering prac- 

 tice, during the remaining time of the 

 allotted four years. This is especially ap- 

 parent in those colleges where the faculties 

 are ambitious to sec their graduates take an 

 inwicdiatc place of considerable responsi- 

 bility in the world. This is a fault that 

 destroys much of the ultimate advantage 

 which the students may derive from their 

 engineering course. It is a fault, also, 

 which casts just suspicion on engineering 

 education alike in conservative academic 

 circles and in well-informed industrial 

 circles. 



A resort to mainly descriptive courses of 

 instruction during the latter portion of the 



