Correspondence "CHEMISTRY AS DEPICTED I N ART" The writer was much interested in the article, "Chemistry as Depicted in Art," in the February, 1925, JOURNAL. He would cordially agree with the author regarding the alchemist pictures of Teniers and others, of which there are several scattered through the galleries of Holland, Belgium, and Germany. The original paintings, most of which the writer has seen, must have been true to life, and certainly have the alchemistic atmosphere. It is interesting to note that they took their books into the laboratory as do our students now. The writer th'mks the three modern allegorical pictures most disappointing and would not advise their purchase. Chavanne's "Chemistry" is represented as a thinly draped woman, with three children in the foreground, looking a t a retort, heated on an old-time charcoal furnace, in the right lower comer. Were this replaced by a turtle, it could be equally well named "Children Watching a Tortoise." Its one obtainable size is 5'/* by 10 in. a t $3.00. Nor are the "Sciences" much more alluring: In a semi-lenticular picture, the central figure represents "Geography," a female toying with a pair of blackboard compasses and a globe. . Astronomy is depicted as a youngster with a small, simple spy glass. Four others represent Mathematics, Physics, and some other sciences not evident. The size, two feet long, costs $7.50. The picture of "Dalton Collecting Fire Marsh Gas" is not particularly attractive. It represents a group of youngsters and a cow, watching Dalton stir up a pool, which might well be covered with ice, with the bubbles being caught by a youngster. The size is 4 by 10 inches and the price 5 shillings. Lest it may be said that the writer has no idea of art, and has had no opportunity to study it, he would say that he has spent eight or nine months a t different times in travel and art study in Europe and America. He has seen most of the important galleries of Europe, except those in Russia and Spain, spending days or even weeks in some of them. A. H. GILL
M. I. T., CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
CORRESPONDENCE COURSES I N CHEMICAL ENGINEERING The following inquiry comes from one of our readers who has no access to evening or part-time university courses:
