July 19, 1901.] 



SCIENCE. 



103 



ject, and that, after all, is the case to be 

 diagnosed. The opposite view that nothing 

 should be told the student, but everything 

 evolved, by a series of questions, from his 

 brain — callow and ignorant of first prin- 

 ciples though it be — is still advocated by a 

 few in authority. It is the inductive 

 method gone to seed. 



Applied to chemistry teaching the induct- 

 ive method, though in use earlier in some 

 schools, was largely a growth of the decade 

 beginning about 1885. The first text-books 

 avowedly inductive began to appear. Like 

 other good things, this Socratic, time- kill- 

 ing process was almost run into the ground 

 by enthusiasts. Newth says : " In ac- 

 tual practice the purely inductive method 

 of instruction breaks down. There is so 

 much that the student is required to learn 

 that life itself is not long enough, and cer- 

 tainly the limited time at the disposal of 

 the student is all too short to admit of his 

 going through the necessarily slow process 

 of gaining this knowledge by his own in- 

 vestigation." 



That part of induction which has the 

 stamp of perpetuity consists in the teacher's 

 quizzing the student while the latter is raak- 

 ing an experiment. In this manner a world 

 of thought and suggest! veness may be opened 

 up to the imagination, and the method thus 

 employed subserve a highly useful end. 



In some schools the time allotted to 

 chemistry is not more than it was 25 years 

 ago, and certain laboratories blossomed into 

 full maturity almost at the outset, but not 

 so with the great majority. The chemical 

 theory is taught more effectively now than 

 then by the use of charts and blocks. Laws 

 which cannot well be shown by expisriment 

 are illustrated by simple mechanical devices 

 and diagrams, so that, instead of mere 

 words, the pupil can get a clear mental pic- 

 ture of the given law. Many problems in 

 practical chemistry are introduced and the 

 bearing of equations, valence and stereo- 



chemistry is studied as it was not 25 j^ears 

 ago. Non multa, sed muUum is the watch- 

 word of the best teachers in chemistry, as in 

 other branches. How much these improve- 

 ments are due to the meetings and the 

 Journal of the American Chemical Society, it is 

 impossible to state. In the dissemination 

 of chemical knowledge this magazine has 

 been a great power. The history of impor- 

 tant chemical discoveries, and something of 

 biography are also taught in high- schools 

 to-day. Instead of one text-book, students 

 in the best schools have access to a large 

 number of books and are encouraged to do 

 outside reading in scientific periodicals. 



"What then have we found in high-schools 

 as the result of our inquiry ? 



In 1876 a prevalent view that chemistry 

 has little educational value. 



In 1901 chemistry found in practically 

 every high school curriculum. 



In 1876 school committees very loath to 

 expend anything for laboratories or equip- 

 ment. 



In 1901 the laboratory and lecture room 

 among the first considerations in construct- 

 ing a high-school building. 



In 1876 practically no laboratories, the 

 text-book recitation dominant, very few 

 demonstrative lectures. 



In 1901 chemical work mostly divided into 

 lecture, laboratory and conference periods. 



In 1876 no notes of work. 



In 1901 notes containing description of 

 apparatus, manipulation, chemicals, phe- 

 nomena, inferences, reactions, couched in 

 more or less correct English. 



In 1876 deductive methods almost whon3^ 



In 1901 methods partly inductive, partly 

 deductive. 



In 1876 the student committing facts to 

 memory. 



In 1901 the student more or less an in- 

 vestigator. 



In 1876 a smattering of general chemis- 

 try only. 



