VOL. XLIX. NO. 2i35 NEW YORK, DECEMBER 27, i89o 
PRICE, FIVE CENTS. 
$2.00 PER YEAR. 
R. C. KEDZIE, MA„ M.D. 
GKICULTURAL science has made wonderful prog¬ 
ress during recent years. A few years ago the 
idea that a science might be built upon agricul¬ 
ture as a foundation, was laughed at by the scientific 
world. But agricultural science to day has reached an 
eminence that commands respect and reverence from all 
her devotees. No society that has for its object the forma¬ 
tion of general scientific knowledge, is complete without 
representatives from the science of agriculture. This posi¬ 
tion has been attained mainly through the devotion of 
those who have been directly connected with our agricul¬ 
tural schools and colleges. Foremost among these scien¬ 
tific investigators is Robert Clark Kedzie (see Fig 436.) 
His investigations in agricultural chemistry and his treat¬ 
ises on public health have received world-wide 
attention. He now occupies the chair of chem¬ 
istry at the Michigan Agricultural College.. 
Connected with this institution, as he has been, 
through four fifths of its existence, there is 
perhaps no other man who is so thoroughly 
conversant with its history and development. 
He has watched over its growth with a jealous 
eye. From small and modest beginnings he 
has lived to see it to day with its spacious 
laboratories, broad acres and extensive muse 
urns, all equipped with the best modern ap¬ 
pliances and aids to study. He never tires of 
relatiug his experiences during the first term 
of his professorship. He says of the chemistry 
class: “ The maximum attendance was five, 
the minimum one, end a reasonably full class 
three. Lectures were written and elaborate 
experiments prepared often for a class of only 
two and occasionally for only one. When the 
attendance fell below this, the lecture was 
omitted.” But despite its small beginnings, 
the chemical department grew in strength and 
popularity. In 1871 the north wing and an¬ 
alytical room were erected. In 1883, the pre 
sent commodious class room and office were 
built. To day the laboratory is one of the 
finest and best equipped in the State. 
Dr. K*-dzie was born at Delhi, New York, 
January 28, 1823, of Scotch-American parents. 
With little early training in the public schools, 
he started for college with $25 iu his pocktt. 
After buying his books and a wash-bowl and 
pitcher for his room, he had left just three 
shillings with which to go through college. 
But perseverance, pluck and a determination 
to win, sustained him and enabled him to re¬ 
main at the institution. During his course he 
engaged to teach a district school for the 
munificent sum of $34 for three months. This 
aided the depleted state of his finances, and 
finally in 1847, he graduated with the degree of 
M.A. Four years later he graduated with 
high honors from the medical department of 
the University of Michigan. He practiced 
medicine in Kalamazoo for a short time, but 
finally settled at Vermoutville, Michigan, 
where the duties of his profession engaged his 
attention until 1861, when he enlisted in the 
war as surgeon of the 12th Regiment of Mich¬ 
igan Volunteer Infantry. In 1863 he was elected to fill 
the chair of chemistry at the Michigan Agricultural Col¬ 
lege, where he has since been engaged. In 1867 he was a 
member of the Michigan Legislature. In 1874 he was presi¬ 
dent of the State Medical Society. He was chairman of 
the section on State Medicine and Public Hygiene of the 
American Medical Association iu 1876. He was for many 
years a member of the Michigan State Board of Health 
and did valuable work on the committee appointed to in¬ 
vestigate poisons, explosives, chemicals, accidents and 
special sources of danger. He was also president of the 
board. Iu 1S50 he married Harriet E. Fairchild, who is 
still living. 
As a member of the State Board of Health he did much 
valuable service to the public. He has never hesitated to 
use his well traiued mind in defense of the people’s in¬ 
terests. His contest and final victory over the dishonest 
illuminating oil companies, will long be remembered by 
Michigan people. Stringent laws were enacted on the 
statute books of Michigan, but the methods of testing 
were so crude that the people were using not only a very 
inferior oil, but an oil which was also dangerously ex¬ 
plosive. An oil tester was invented by Dr. Kedzie to ascer¬ 
tain the correct flashing point of all the illuminating oils 
exposed for sale in the State. It was found that nearly all 
oils were below the required standard. He insisted upon 
the enforcement of the law, and at length secured to the 
people a perfectly safe illuminating oil. There were vari¬ 
ous burning fluids in the State, in addition, which were 
known as "Aurora Oil,” “Liquid Gas,” “Sunlight Non¬ 
explosive Burning Fluid,” etc. Although exceedingly ex 
plosive, the manufacturers furnished a mysterious com¬ 
pound which it was claimed not only prevented the possi¬ 
bility of an explosion but preserved lamp chimneys, in¬ 
creased the brilliancy of the flame, etc. One of these 
highly valuable compounds was analyzed, and found to 
ROBERT CLARK KEDZIE. Fig. 436. 
contain one ounce of common salt colored with aniline 
dyes. These frauds were all promptly exposed and the 
people warned against their use. As might have been ex¬ 
pected, the wrath of the manufacturers was aroused, but 
neither threats nor money could drive Dr. Kedzie from his 
position. 
His investigation of arsenical wall-papers is deserving 
of no less notice. After testing some samples of wall 
paper he became thoroughly convinced that the health of 
our people was seriously endangered by reason of the 
arsenical poisons used as a pigment in the paper. He 
analyzed many hundred samples of wall paper, and found 
more or less arsenic in nearly all. It had been popularly 
supposed that only the bright green papers contained any 
dangerous quantities of the poison. The investigations 
showed that not only were green papers dangerously im¬ 
pregnated, but that various shades of gray and other 
colors were toned down by arsenic. Instances were given 
where manufacturers u«ed two tons of arsenic per week. 
But still it was claimed that there was no danger, consid 
ering the small quantities employed and its permanent 
state of combination with the wallj paper. But it was 
shown that arseniureted hydrogen was formed by decom¬ 
position: “But,” he says in his report, “ the most probable 
mode, and the one now generally recognized, is that the 
material is dislodged from the paper in the form of fine 
dust which, floating in the air, is inspired by those occu¬ 
pying the room. This is made more probable by the fact 
that the dust in such rooms is found to contain arsenic.” 
His prompt and decisive action in this connection removed 
one of the most dangerous menaces to public health. 
Dr. Kedzie is first and foremost the friend of the farmer. 
It is a fact to be deplored, yet too often true, that the 
average farmer is slow to avail himself of the discoveries 
of science, hence investigation along the lines of agricul¬ 
tural chemistry has not been so inviting as that in other 
branches of the subject. 
He says : “ While manufacturers and art- 
izans have shown a keen anxiety to avail them¬ 
selves of every hint which science throws oat 
for their guidance, too many farmers have 
been doubting and captious about the teach¬ 
ings of science, and have put an extinguisher 
on the whole matter by calling it ‘ book farm¬ 
ing,’ as though any fact, when once placed in 
print, ceased to be of any value whatever.” 
Yet although the field of agricultural chem¬ 
istry offered fewer inducements to the chemist 
than other lines of Investigation, he has 
patiently labored for the advancement of that 
science. He has not only labored for its ad¬ 
vancement in a general way, but has rendered 
incalculable benefit to the farmer in several 
instances. He has always cheerfully come to 
the rescue with his vast store of technical 
knowledge and has saved to the farmers 
many hundreds of dollars. At the time 
when lightning rod swindlers were numer¬ 
ous in our country and were disposing of 
their rods at five or six times their real value, 
Dr. Kedzie proposed a plan by which the 
farmer could put up his own lightning rods. 
He was immediately taken to task by the man¬ 
ufacturers, and such eminent authority as 
Prof. Henry of the Smithsonian Institute, was 
quoted to show that he was in the wrong. 
But he maintained his position and proved 
that his premises were correct. This one in¬ 
vestigation saved to the farmers of Michigan 
alone thousands of dollars which had been 
formerly spent for poor lightning rods of 
doubtful efficiency. It was largely through 
his efforts that agents for fertilizers were re¬ 
quired to take out a license, and that a label 
must be fixed to every package, having the 
chemical analysis of the contents plainly 
printed thereon. In one instance a fertilizer 
was analyzed which was selling for $25 per 
ton. It was found to contain just 25 cents’ 
worth of valuable materials. Thus a few 
minutes in the laboratory saved the farmers 
years of expensive trial and final disappoint¬ 
ment. About the year 1S77 Clawson Wheat 
had come rapidly to the front in Michigan. 
The peculiar conditions of soil and climate 
seemed to be eminently fitted for this variety. 
At a meeting of the State Millers’ Association it was 
solemnly resolved that of all the wheats raised in Mich¬ 
igan, Clawson was the least valuable for making fine 
flour. This was a serious blow to the farmers of Mich¬ 
igan. An investigation was immediately instituted by 
Dr. Kedzie and the results clearly indicated that Clawson 
Wheat held a front rank as a flour-producing variety. 
Through this investigation confidence was restored and 
Clawson remained the leading wheat in Michigan. 
It was not irntil 1875 that arsenites came to be gener¬ 
ally used as insecticides throughout the United States. 
About this time LeConte and a few other scientists 
claimed that the use of these substances was Ailing our 
soils with poisonous materials, which would be taken up 
by our crops and would ultimately seriously affect the 
health of our people. These statements attracted atten¬ 
tion in Europe, and our foreign market was for a time 
threatened. Dr. Kedzie by a series of elaborate experi¬ 
ments showed that these arsenites were rendered inert in 
the soil by the hydrated oxide of iron. This substance 
exists in sufficient quantities, in all fertile soils, to render 
