544 
On Technical Education . 
[September 
thermometer cannot rise above ioo° or sink below zero ; or 
that the only way to separate a substance dissolved in water 
from its solvent is by decomposing the solven by a volta- 
meter. Such dreadful ignorance is almost incredible ; and 
the sooner a system, under which such ignorance fructifies, 
is swept away the better for the country ; for, to use Prof. 
Guthrie’s expression, “ it won’t do.” 
Practical as well as theoretical examinations in chemistry 
have been held during the last few years. 1878 appears to 
be the first year in which they were held. As I am about 
to cast a doubt upon the possibility of conducting the 
Honours Practical Examination in Organic Analysis, as 
given in the examination papers for Science Schools and 
Classes in 1882, in any Elementary Science School, it will 
be necessary to make some explanatory statements in order 
to carry my readers along with me. Neither the examiners 
nor the teachers are present at these examinations ; they are 
in charge of persons who may have no knowledge of che- 
mistry. How practical examinations can be conducted pro- 
perly under such conditions I am at a loss to understand. 
In the Practical Examination in Inorganic Chemistry in the 
advanced stage, a substance is given the candidates, accord- 
ing to their examination papers, for “ analysis qualitatively,” 
which may contain any or all of thirty-four elements and 
compounds. But strange to say, in the higher, the Honours, 
paper the qualitative analysis is limited to a substance 
which will contain only four out of the thirty-four elements 
and compounds. Those who go in for Honours have in 
addition to make an estimation of the amount of lime, or 
some similar base, in a solution. 
If the Examiners inspected these Science Schools, this 
practical instruction would certainly be a forward step in 
the right direction ; but as long as inspection is not combined 
with the examinations, how the analytical courses are 
taught, whether by mechanical or scientific methods, cannot 
be determined by the Examiner; and how we teach, it must 
not be forgotten, is far more important than what we teach. 
I have already stated (p. 162) that a person totally ignorant of 
chemistry may be trained to perform mechanically different 
chemical operations, as a man can be taught mechanically 
to work a steam-engine. The porter in a chemical labora- 
tory is frequently trained to prepare most difficult chemical 
preparations ; and boys without the least acquaintance with 
the science are frequently taught in chemical factories to 
analyse quantitatively the substances manufactured in the 
particular factories to which they are attached. I have met 
