i88i.J 
473 
Sham Employers. 
described, at the same time acquainting him with the faCt 
that if the report was not forwarded by fifteen minutes, and 
that to coincide with the other analyst, he would be subject 
to dismissal as incompetent. I may scarcely add that the 
poor trodden-down. chemist was dismissed for the tyranny of 
an ignorant rule-of-thumb alkali manufacturer, who would 
not scruple to violate the day on which we all of us should 
rest, by working him as hard as on any week-day. Many a 
scientific man is rendered careless in his professional habits 
in the laboratory by such employers. He gets into a slip- 
shod habit of performing his analysis, and learns the dis- 
honest method of making up his results, commonly called 
“cooking” by the profession. A systematic “cooker” is 
generally well versed in the average percentage of the 
various samples he gets, and makes up his book accordingly, 
so that it can bear inspection by one of his profession, 
leaving alone a rule-of-thumb master who duly appreciates 
his smartness in executing his analyses. 
There are other very high class “ Sham Employers ” 
commonly met with in the first laboratories. The principals 
of these abodes of learning are outwardly perfection, but 
inwardly “ a goodly apple rotten at the core.” 
Sham Employers are so plentiful that it is dangerous to 
engage in a situation. The only apparent remedy is for the 
employe to make arrangements that references are mutually 
interchanged, but the danger even then is that one “ Sham ” 
will refer to another, and his servants are dumb. Strict 
enquiry through other firms of high standing may throw a 
ray of light ; but the best advice is to try the place, do your 
duty, and care for no man. 
The Institute of Chemistry was to have abolished the 
evils above mentioned. Has it even taken a step in that 
direction ? 
2 I 
VOL. III. (THIRD SERIES). 
