38 QUEEN'S QUARTERLY. 



is not apparent. From the side of the university, the distinction be- 

 tween those students who think mathematically and those who do 

 not, seems effectively to prevent the placing of preliminary honour 

 physics on the " science specialist course." Queen's has taken a nrst 

 step to meet this in providing for non-mathematical students an 

 " Experimental Honour Course " in Physics, consisting of lectures 

 on subjects that may be treated without the calculus, and of directed 

 reading and laboratory work. This provides a solution only for 

 those who elect to follow this particular option of the " science spe- 

 cialist " course. But there are three other options in which pass 

 physics is all that is required. The next step obviously is to place 

 experimental honour physics on the list of subjects compulsory for 

 all science specialists, allowing other classes — chiefly pass — to go 

 into the options in its place. This would rob the course as set forth 

 in the calendar of some of its breadth in pass classes, but it would 

 undoubtedly make for a marked increase in efficiency — general as 

 well as particular. 



. The matter requires attention from the authorities both of the 

 University and of the Education Department, for it obviously puts 

 high school physics at a great disadvantage, even apart from the 

 text-book difficulty. 



W. C. B. 



CELLULOSE AND SOME OF ITS USES. 



The chief constituent of the organs of trees and all other 

 vegetable growths whatsoever is the substance known as cellulose, 

 from the fact that it constitutes the material of the cell walls. Per- 

 fectly pure cellulose, unmixed with any other substance, is never 

 met with in nature, but is always more or less firmly combined with 

 colouring matters, fats, gummy substances, etc. Cotton and paper 

 made from rags (especially Swedish filter paper) may be regarded 

 as fairly pure cellulose. Cellulose is distinguished by its high power 

 of resisting most chemical reagents, being insoluble in water, alcohol, 

 ether, fatty and volatile oils, and even in dilute acids and alkalis. It 

 is soluble in a very few substances, however, the best ones being an 

 ammoniacal copper oxide solution, and a hot concentrated solution of 

 zinc chloride. The exact action of these solvents is quite unknown, 

 however. Cellulose is classified along with sugar and starch as a 

 carbohydrate, although it differs from these substances to a very 



