also be used to great advantage in the construction of a periodic table (17) from the atomic numbers since this constitutes the only means by which such a table can be made without having a great mass of descriptive chemistry at hand. The organization of the course in general chemistry as presented here is a matter of the opinion of the author, and the order in which the topics are presented may not be the best, but these twelve topics might constitute twelve chapters in a textbook instead of the usual thirty to fifty. They would diier greatly in length, but there is no important reason and certainly no scientific one for dividing the subject matter arbitrarily into chapters of approximately equal length. Nor is there any apparent reason why the descriptive chem-
istry of the elements should be scattered through twenty-four of fifty-two chapters as one textbook does. The practice of chemistry consists in the solution of problems and the trained chemist solves the problem of the moment with the aid of a small number of ideas that he can muster a t any instant and a greater or less mass of information, most of which must be obtained from his library or his laboratory when it is needed. We should expect no more of the student. Neither should we expect the student to comprehend a law or a theory without some knowledge of the experimental f a d s without which the principle could never have been discovered. These two principles form the foundation upon which any modern course should be established.
LITERATURE CITED
COMMITTEE REPORT, "Correlation of high-school and college 4, 640-56 (May, 1927). chemistry," J. CKEM.EDUC., WILD-N, ERNEST A,. "Modern conceptions and the teaching of general chemistry,'' ibid., 9,9>8 (Jan., 1932).
BRINKLEY, STUART R., "Objectives of the course in general
(10) GLASOE,P. M., "The deadly parallelism between high(11)
chemistry," ibid., 7, 1869-75 (Aug., 1930).
BRINKLEY, STUART R.. "The freshman course in chemistry for students who had secondary-schaol chemistry,n ibid., 8, 2 8 M (Feb., 1931). BRI-EY, STUART R.,T n t m d u c t ~ r ygeneral chemistry," The Mamillan Co., New York City, 1932, 565 pp.,
BRINKLEY, STUART R.,
principle^ of general chemistry," The Macmillan Co., New York City. 1933, 585 pp. SMITH, Orro M., "The organization of freshman chemistry classes," J. CHEM.EDUC., 9, 1946-4 (Nov., 1932). STEINER, L. E , "Contribution of high-school chemistry toward success in the college chemistry course," 9, 530-7 (Mar., 1932). HERRMANN, GEORGEA,, "An analysis of freshman college chemistry grades with reference t o previous study of chemistry," ibid.. 8, 1376-85 (1931).
(12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17)
school and college courses in chemistry," ibid., 6, 5 0 k 9 (Mar., 1929). MATTERN, L o ~ sW., "The correlation of high-school chemistry wlth first-year college chemistry," ibid., 5, 1627-33 (Dec., 1928). COM~ITTEE RBPORT, "Correlation of high-school and collegechemistry," Ind. Eng. Chem., 15, 118941 (1923). SM~TE, ALEXANDER, Science, 43, 619-29 (1916). GARARD, IRA D. AND TEZALIA B. GATES."High-school chemistry and the student's record in college chemistry," J. CHEM.EDUC., 6,514--7 (Mar., 1929). D., "scientific method in general chemktry G,laboratory work," ibid., 1 1 , 4 2 4 (1934). LEWIS,GILBERTN., "Valence and the structure of atoms and molecules," The Chemical Catalog Co.,Inc., New York City, 1923, 172 pp. GARARD, IRAD., "A simple rule for the classification of the elements," J. CHEM.EDUC., 3, 5 4 2 4 (May, 1926).
DIVISION of CHEMICAL EDUCATION MINUTES OF BUSINESS MEETING, CLEVELAND, SEPT. 13, 1934
MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
A VOTE of thanks to the local assistants and all members of the Cleveland Section responsible for arrangements for the meeting was passed. The following officers were elected for 1934-35: Chairman, R. E. Swain; Vice-chairman, R. D. Reed; Member-at-large of the Executive Committee, W. Segerblom. (The Secretary and Treasurer continue in office.) The Committee on Tests was given specific authority to cooperate with the American Council of Education in its work on the construction and use of tests in chemistry. After a general discussion relating to programs and papers for subsequent meetings adjournment followed. N. W. RAKESTRAW, Secretary
PRESENT: R. A. Baker, Chairman: N. W. Rakestraw, Virginia Bartow, W. Segerblom, J. N. Swan, 0. Reinmnth. The Chairman reported briefly on the activities of the Division during the year, especially those concerning EDUCATION.One of the the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL most important problems in this connection was the stimulation of subscriptions, upon which a fair amount of progress was made. He spoke of the efforts to improve the programs a t the meetings of the Division, and of the correspoudeuce between the Division and Section C of the A. A. A. S. with respect to a symposium on chemical education before the latter organization. A report was received from the Board of Publication indicating an improvement in the financial condition of
the TOURNAL and announcing for its further im- plans . provement. The Secretary spoke of membership in the Division, calling attention to the fact that now, subsequent to the reorganization, there are thirty-one associate members carried on the roll. The Treasurer's report was as follows: Cash in bank March 20,1934 Receipts Dues from active members Dues from associate members Emergency Fund for editorial office of the JOURNAL OF CHEM~CAL EDUCATION
$222.74 16.00 10.00
CHAIRMAN R. E. SWAIN The new Chairman of the Divison of Chemical Education is Professor Robert Eckles Swain, of Stanford University. Not only has he been head of the Department of Chemistry there since 1916, but he served as Acting President of the University from 1929 to 1933, during the absence of President Wilbur as Secretary of the Interior in Washington. He has been active in teaching and research in the fields of both inorganic and biological chemistry and has been in frequent demand as an industrial consultant. Most
408.53
657.27
Expenditures0. Reinmnth-J. CHEM.EDUC.Fund March 2WSeptember 1 R. A. Baker-expense of St. Petersburg meeting J. CHEM.EDUC.-from associate members' dues R. E. Bowman-reprints, committee of uon-collegiate type M. V. McGilI-xpense of Cleveland meeting Nellie H. Seed-secretarial work for R. K. Bowman, committee of non-collegiate type Check returned Tax on checks
425.00 25.00 12.00 5.63 25.00 3.90 5.00 .60 502.13 155. 14 155.14
Receipts less expenditures Cash in hank September 1, 1934 Respedfuly submitted. VIncrmA BARTOW. Tranrrer
It was voted that the officers of the Division be listed in each issue of the JOURNAL and that the list of committees, with their personnel, be printed once a year. Reports from the following committees were received and accepted: Special Conference Committee on the Place of Science in Education (Committee continued) Minimum Standards (Committee discharged) Chemical Education by Radio (Committee continued, with one change in its personnel) Premedical Requirements (Committee continued) Study Courses for Womens' Clubs (Committee continued) Tests (Committee continued) CoBrdination of High School and College Chemistry (Committee continued) Minimum Equipment (Committee continued)
RORERT
licmss SWATN
It was voted that members of the Division be urged noteworthy have been his contributions to the problem of Atmospheric Pollution, which led to the award of the to patronize advertisers in the J~~~~~~ cHEMICAL Chandler Medal to him by Columbia University in EDUCATION as far as possible. 1923. By his experience as an educator, as well as by The following appropriations were made: his attainments in the field of chemistry, he is adFor the office of the Chairman, for 193435 $25.00 mirably fitted to lead the Division of Chemical EducaFor the office of the Secretary, for 1934-35 $50.00 tion. He brings to his new position an insight into the To cover expenditures by the Chairman during 1933-34 $94.71 problems of higher education which few of his predecesAdjournment. sors have had. The Division honors itself in its new N. W. RAKESTRAW, Secretary Chairman.
At the s p r h g meeting of the A. C. S. i n N e w York City. a part of the program for the Division of Chemical Education will consist of a symposium on the general subject: The Lecture Demomfrafion Method versus Zndioidual Laboratory V o r k i n Elementary Chemistry. Inembers of the Division who may desire to present papers i n this symposium are requested to communicate with the secretary, Norris V .Rakestraw, Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, R. I.
