American influences on chemical research and education in the Near

AMERICAN INFLUENCES ON CHEMICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN THE NEAR EAST CHARLES A. A m LOUISEMcD. BROWNE, U. S.DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

I n the winter and spring of 1930 the witers made a rather extensive tour by steamship and automobile through the oriental countries bordering upon the Mediterranean Sea. Ezypt, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, and Greece were visited in the order named and in each of these countries they were greatly impressed by the extent and growing importance of American influences upon chemical research and education. Fully equal to the pleasure of becoming acquainted with fellow countrymen and women in the various educational institutions of the Mediterranean countries was the satisfaction of meeting native teachers who had received a part of their training in the experiment stations and universities of the United States. Associations of this character establish bonds of appreciation and fellowship which greatly enhance the pleasures of travel and the writers on more than one occasion had the experience in the Near East regions of feeling more at home than in many of the countries of Europe.

. . . . . .

A S W T COLLEGE

In a voyage up the Nile in company with several fellow Americans, among whom were Prof. H. N. Russell of Princeton University and family

A S Y W COI.LEGE, ~ ASYUT,EGYPT

Alexander Hall at the left; Science Hall at the right and Dr. Charles A. Richmond (formerly president of Union College) and ~ r sRichmond, . a visit was paid to Asyut College of the American Mission which has upon its faculty fifteen American and thirty native teachers. 1681

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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION

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This college, which started in a stable in 1865, has now grown to a splendidly equipped institution with fine buildings and a beautiful campus near the Nile and adjoining the great Ibrahimia Irrigation Canal. President Charles P. Russell (Ph.D., Chicago, 1923) escorted our party through the grounds and buildings of the college. Instruction is given to about 750 students in English, Arabic, French, mathematics, geography, agriculture, chemistry, biology, history, religion, and various other subjects. The chemistry courses are given in Science Hall under the general direction of Professor William W. Hickman (Ph.D., Chicago, 1909), who explained to us the work of instruction in this science, in which he is assisted by Samuel P. Miller, instructor (B.S., Wooster College). The following information concerning the chemistry courses is quoted from the catalog of Asyut College for 1927-28. Two chemical laboratories afford individual places for 400 students. Each lahoratorv will accommodate 40 students a t one time. Every student is provided with individual equipment including attachments for water and gas, and a set of t h e most common chemicals. Cases of chemicals and hoods are conveniently situated for student use. The laboratories are I)n. CHARLXS 1'. Rrwar.~..I'rcnidrnt of Asyut Collegr well lighted and ven(cenlrr); I)R. W ~ I . L ~ W. M HICKMAN,Frofes~or of tilated. Chemistry (kf0;DR. I'onrrsT S. THOMPSON, I'rofessor One well-arranged of Religious Education (right) lectilre room accommodates 50 students. It is equipped with chairs with side-arms and raised seating. The lecture table is fitted with water, gas, electricity, and complete apparatus for lecture demonstrations. A special balance room affords students a place where they may work without distraction. A dark room, store rooms, and a preparation room for the use of teachers are also found in this department. Instruction in chemistry is given in the literary, arts, and science courses. The students of the Special Science Course have eight periods per week in inorganic chemistry in their fourth year. In this course chemistry is taught in the English language. The text is, "Essentials of Chemistry," by HESSLERand SMITH. Special care is given to the experimental work by the students. In the fifth year of the Special Science Course, Qualitative Analysis is studied throu~houtthe year, five periods per week. After learning

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the methods of procedure of separation and identification of the ions, each student is required to analyze twenty unknown, simple salts, and later to analyze three or four mixtures containing several compounds each. Following this he is given experimental work on alloys and insoluble salts. Organic Chemistry is also taught to the fifth year of the Special Science Course, five hours per week. Students are required to prepare the more common organic compounds in the laboratory. This is supplemented by the teacher who, in addition to the lectures, performs some of the more difficult preparations. The text is MOORE'S"Outlines of Organic Chemistry." NORRIS'"Laboratory Manual" is used. The Arts Course provides Elementary Chemistry, six hours per week for one year. The students perform some of the more common experiments in the laboratory. Students of the Literary Course are given three periods per week of inorganic chemistry. This is taken in the last three years of the course. Laboratory work is required. Students of the Scientific Course have eight hours per week in inorganic chemistry. They begin this study in their second year and continue the study through four years. The ordinary laboratory experiments are performed by the students. The graduates of Asyut College occupy responsible positions as teachers, physicians, merchants, planters, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, clergymen, and Government employees, and are playing an important part in the cultural, economic, and industrial development of modern Egypt.

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GIZA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Very close to the ancient Pyramids of Egypt are the extensive grounds and modern buildings of the Giza Agricultural Experiment Station. The young native experts in charge of the various departments of this institution have received the best training which the universities of Europe and the United States can supply. Several of them had studied at the University of California and a t the time of our visit were busily engaged in applying the results of their American agricultural training to Egyptian conditions. Investigations are conducted a t the Giza Experiment Sta-

PREPARING CHEMICALS FOR OKCHARD i i ~ M ~ G . 4 ~GIZA 1 u ~ ,AGRICULTURAL EXPERLMI~NT STATION, CAIRO.EGYPT

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Dr. Abbas H. El-Sawy (Ph.D., University of California) standing in the foreground.

tion upon sugar cane, cotton, fruits, cereals, vegetables, fodder plants, soils, irrigation, insect control, animal industry, plant and animal diseases. silk production, agricultural technology, and the various other branches of agriculture. Various phases of this research work were explained under the guidance of Dr. Abbas H. El-Sawy, a graduate of the University of California. In the new Fruit Products Laboratory of this station investigations are performed upon the chemical composition of the fruits grown in Egypt and upon methods for their utilization in the manufacture of jams, preserves, beverages, and other products. The control of noxious insects by fumigation and other means is another subject which is demanding the attention of the agricultural chemists of the Giza station. The methods employed in California upon citrus trees are now being applied to the fruit orchards of Egypt. Syria AMERICAN U N N E R S I T Y OF BEIRUT

In Syria we paid two very interesting visits to the American University of Beirut where the courses in chemistry are comparable with those of the higher institutions of the United States. The chemistry courses in the School of Arts and Sciences are conducted by Professor Harold W. Close, Ph.D., Associate Professor William A. West, B.A., Adjunct Professor Nicholas Constan, Pharm.M., Instructor Ralph B. Patch, B.A., Instructor Farajallah Azrak. B.A.. and Teaching Fellow 'ArafLt Duwayk,

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B.A. The following information concerning the chemistry courses is quoted from the catalog of the American University of Beirut for 1928-29. A laboratory deposit of $2.30 is required for each semester course in chemistry. Note.-Courses 101, 102, 201, 202 are required for entrance to the schools of medicine and dentistry. Courses 101, I02 are required for entrance to the school of pharmacy, and of engineering students. CHEMISTRY.-T~~S is a course in the fundamental 101,102. GENERAL principles of chemistry and their application in modern everyday life. It is designed not only to meet the requirements of the professional schools but also to give the student a broader outlook on life, and to reveal to him some of the wonders of modem science. The course includes a study of the fundamental laws and theories of chemistry, as well as the methods of preparation, the properties, reactions, and uses of the principal elements and their most important compounds. Special emphasis is placed on the practical work done by the students in the laboratory. DEMING,"General Chemistry." CLOSEAND AZRAK,"Laboratory Manual of General Chemistry." 4 hr. lectures and recitations, 2 hr. laboratory, 2 terms. Laboratory fee, $4.00. 201. PHYSICALAND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.-This is a course in elementary physical chemistry, and includes a study of the gas laws, chemical equilibrium and the law of mass action, osmotic tension and the modern theory of solutions, enzyme action and catalysis, hydrogenion concentration, colloids, etc. In the laboratory the major part of the time is spent in systematic qualitative analysis which offers abundant illustrations of the practical application of the laws and theories studied in connection with the lectures and recitations. This is followed by a

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limited amount of volumetric analysis. The course is especially designed to meet the needs of students planning to enter the professional schools or to specialize in chemistry, and is prerequisite to all later courses in chemistry. FINDLAY,"Physical Chemistry for Students of Medicine." CLOSE AND AZRAK,"Laboratory Manual of Elementary Qualitative Analysis." Prerequisites: Chemistry 101, 102. 3 hr. lectures and recitations, 3 hr. laboratory, 1st term. Laboratory fee, $3.75. CHEMISTRY.-T~~S is an elementary course intended 202. ORGANIC to give the student a general knowledge of the various types of organic compounds. The structure, general methods of preparation, and general reactions of the hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, ethers, carbohydrates, and nitrogen derivatives are taken up, followed by a more detailed study of a few common examples under each class, chosen from both the aliphatic and the aromatic series. MOORE,"Outlines of Organic Chemistry." Prerequisite: Chemistry 101, 102 or its equivalent. 3 hr. lectures and recitations, 3 hr. laboratory, 2nd term. Laboratoty fee, $3.75. ANALYSIS,PARTI.-This is a practical course 301. QUANTITATIVE intended to acquaint the student with the methods and technic of chemical analysis. The emphasis is placed upon neatness and accuracy of the work done, rather than upon the number of determinations made. The manipulation of the analytical balance is first taught, followed by representative gravimetric analyses, giving practice in the different methods of procedure. The preparation and standardization of volumetric solutions is then taken up, and determinations are made by acidimetric, alkalimetric, iodometric, and oxidimetric methods. CUMMINGAND KAY, "Quantitative Chemical Analysis." Prerequisites: Chemistry 101, 102; 201. Lectures and recitations, 1 hr.; laboratory, 5 hr., 1 term. (The course may be taken either the first or the second term.) Laboratory fee, $5.00. ANALYSIS, PART11.-This course is a continuation 302. QUANTITATIVE of Chemistry 301. Systematic analysis of ores, dolomite rocks, alloys, and allied substances is undertaken, using both gravimetric, and volumetric methods. Prerequisites: Chemistry 101, 102; 201, 301. 6 hr. laboratory, 1 term. (This course may be taken either the first or second term.) Laboratory fee, $5.00. ANALYSIS,PART111.-This course is a continua303. QUANTITATIVE tion of Chemistry 301 and 302. Water analysis, oil and fat analysis, and the analysis of food and industrial products is undertaken illustrating gasometric, refractometric, colorimetric, and other methods of analysis not met with in the previous courses. Prerequisites: Chemistry 101, 102; 201; 301, 302. 6 hr. laboratory, 1 term. (This course may be taken either the first or second term.) Laboratory fee, $5.00. THEORY.-This is a course in physical 305,306. MODERNCHEMICAL chemistry designed for students who have chosen chemistry as a major and is especially adapted to the needs of those who intend either to teach science or to employ chemistry in industrial enterprises. The fundamental principles which form the framework of the science are studied in a much more exhaustive way than is possible in the more elementary courses. This course is required of all students majoring in chemistry. Given every other year, alternating with chemistry 307, 308. GETMAN,

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"Outlines of Theoretical Chemistry." Prerequisites: Chemistry 101,102; 201, 202; Physics 201, 202. 3 hr. lectures and recitations, 3 hr. laboratory per week for two terms. Laboratory fee, $3.75. (Not given in 1929-30.) CHEMISTRY.-T~~S Course includes a study of the 307. INDUSTRIAL more important manufacturing processes in which chemistry plays a leading part, especially those in operation or capable of development in this part of the world. The object of the course is to point out ways in which a knowledge of chemistry may prove of practical value in developing and improving local industries by the application of modern scientific methods. The course consists of lectures, supplemented by assigned reading, together with a weekly period of laboratory work. Prerequisites: Chemistry 101, 102; 201. 202. 3 hr. lectures or recitations, 3 hr. laboratory, 1st term. Laboratory fee, 83.75. 305. AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.-T~~S course is analogous to chemistry 307, and its aim is to acquaint the student with the ways in which a knowledge of chemistry may prove of practical value in developing and improving agriculture by the application of modern scientific principles. Especial emphasis is placed on the chemistry of soils and fertilizers, the analysis of which forms the laboratory work of the course. Prerequisites: Chemistry 101, 102; 201, 202. 3 hr. lectures or recitations and 3 hr. laboratory, 2nd term. Laboratory fee, 163.75.* In the School of Medicine of the American University of Beirut instruction is given in biological chemistry by Associate Professor Stanley E. Kerr, Ph.D., Instructor Vartan H. Krikorian, Pharm.M., and Assistant Muhyiddln Mal?mas&ni, Phar.G. The following information is quoted from the university catalog for 1928-29. BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. First Year. This course includes the chemistry of the constituents of the animal body, particularly carbohydrates, fats, and proteins; the chemical changes which occur during the processes of digestion and metabolism; the chemistry of blood and urine; the mechanisms which regulate neutrality in the body; hormones; and nutrition. The laboratory work supplements the lectures. The student studies the composition of the body tissues, the chemistry of their constituents, and the processes of digestion. Considerable time is given to the quantitative analysis of both urine and blood, and the students observe the effect of diet by experiments on themselves and on laboratory animals. BODANSKY, "Introduction to Physiological Chemistry," and KERR, "Laboratory Manual of Biological Chemistry." Lectures and recitations 4 hr., laboratory 9 hr., 1st term. Laboratory fee, $12.50. Deposit: $2.50. * I t is worth mentioning that American influences upon chemical education in Syria date back over 50 years. In lX(i9 the American Mission Press of the Syrian Protestant College (now the American University) of Beirut published the "Larger Chemistry" of C. V. A. Van Dyck in Arabic text for the use of Syrian students. An ':Elementary Chemistry" by the same author was also published in Arabic in 1886 under similar auspices. The same press also published in Arabic the "Chemical Analysis" (1876) and the "Chemistry of the Air and Water" (1879) of E. R. Lewis.

-\-EN CHEMICAL LXBOKATOKT, ~ M B R I C A S UNIVERSITYOF RRIRUT,S Y R I A The photograph shows the laboratory in course of construction. The laboratory was ready for occupancy October, 19:311

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Seminar. During the second term of the first year a seminar is conducted in which recent advances in biological chemistry are discussed. This course is open to a limited number of students who have completed the regular course in biological chemistry. Credit is given only to students doing graduate work. 1 hr., 2nd term. The laboratory facilities of the department are, by special arrangement with the head of the department, available for qualified students wishing to do graduate work. In the school of pharmacy of the American University of Beirut, in addition to the courses in physical and analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative analysis, and biological chemistry previously mentioned, the following course is given in pharmaceutical chemistry. PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY.-The course is begun with a short review of aualitative analvsis where ureliminarv wet and drv methods of identification arc empha&ed. The 'basic ferric acetate n ~ & xforl the sroaration of nhosuhate in unknowns is take11 UD. iollowed I)\. aualitatiw reactions for organic substances. The technic' of quantita&;e analysis is applied in the assay of officialchemical and pharmaceutical preparations of the U. S. P., B. P., andFrench Codex. The chemical analysis of water, butter, oils, fats, and waxes; estimation of alcohol in alcoholic preparations; alkaloidal estimation and vegetable drug assays; and the general pharmacopoeia1 tests are included in the course. REMINGTON, "Practice of Pharmacy;" SCHIMPF,"Qualitative Analysis;" SCHIMPF,"Volumetric Analysis" are used as texts. The various pharmacopceias and many reference hooks are supplied as laboratory equipment. Lecture and recitation, 1 hr.; laboratory, 5 hr., 2 terms. Laboratory fee, $7.50. Deposit, $2.50.

. .

Photographs are shown of the old chemistry building of the American University of Beirut and also of the new chemistry building erected by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. The latter structure, in course of erection a t the time of our visit, has since been completed. The courses in biological chemistry are given in the new Medical Science Laboratories Building, another Rockefeller Foundation grant, also in course of construction a t the time of our visit and now completed. The location of these various chemical laboratories, on an elevation above the blue waters of the Mediterranean and with a glorious outlook upon the snowy peaks of Mt. Lebanon, is superb. Our visit here was made especially pleasant by the courtesies of Professors Stanley E. Kerr (Ph.D. of the University of Pennsylvania), Nicholas Constan (a post-graduate student of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Ralph B. Patch (B.S. of Amherst). Mr. George B. Stewart, the treasurer and secretary of the American University of Beirut, emphasized the practical policy of this institution in adapting its courses of instruction and research to the practical needs of the Syrian and other Arabic-speaking countries of the Near East. In accordance with this plan the research work of the advanced chemistry

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photograph shows thr laboratory i n course of construction. was rcady for occupancy Octobcr, 19:+0.

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T h e laboratory

courses of the University is devoted in part to such practical problems as the utilization of domestic fruits for the manufacture of preserves, jams, jellies, marmalades, and similar products, and the utilization of olive oil for the manufacture of soap. Among the research problems in biochemistry, Professor Kerr was conducting an investigation upon the composition of the blood corpuscles of the domestic animals of Syria. In connection with this research he bas obtained some very interesting results upon the relation of the mineral constituents in the blood corpuscles of the fat-tail sheep. It is doubtful if any university in the world has a more cosmopolitan group of students than the American University of Beirut, there being no less than thirty different nationalities represented in the registration for 192930. Of the total registration of 1458, there were 12811 students from countries in Asia and Africa of whom 5711 were Syrians, 250 Palestinians, 152 Armenians, 135 Irakians, 64 Egyptians, and 61 Persians. There were 124 students from 13 different European countries, the Greeks leading with 41, the British following with 30, and the Russians being third with 21. Forty-five students came from the western hemisphere, 35 being from the United States, 6 from Brazil, 2 from Canada, and one each from Ecuador and Mexico. The faculty and staff of the University number 231, with a representation of 14 d i e r e n t nationalities among whom are 01 Syrians, 56 Americans, 30 Armenians, 12 British, 8 French, 8 Russians, and 4 Canadians. Following the turmoil of political readjustments which have taken place in the Near East since the World War, there has been a great educational

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awakening among the native population of these regions. Schools are overcrowded and the scientific ideas of the West are causing a vast reaction as they permeate among the inhabitants of the Mohammedan countries. Many evidences of this transformation were brought to our attention but none of them was of so unique or startling a character as the estahlishment of modem scientific laboratories in the arcades of the old Sultan Selim Mosque in the ancient Moslem city of Damascus. Here in rooms which in the old bygone days were once occupied by Mohammedan de-

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votees during their pilgrimages to this sanctuary, are installed chemical and physical laboratories well equipped with balances, polariscope, spectroscope, radio outfit, and other apparatus suitable for purposes of general instruction. The scene of eager-faced native boys, thirsty for a knowledge of chemistry and physics, in the quadrangle of this beautiful old mosque, one of the sacred places of Islam, affords the western visitor a rare opportunity for philosophic reflection. In the great educational and economic reconstruction of the Near Eastern countries, which is now under way, the American University of Beirut is taking an important and leading part. AMERICAN JUNIOR COLLEGE FOR WOMEN OF BEIRUT

In Beirut also is The American Junior College for Women which is conducted under the auspices of the Syria Mission of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the U. S. A. This institution is located near the American University which makes i t possible for its students to use the University libraries and laboratories. The following chemical courses are listed in the catalog for 1928-29.

Freshman. GENERALINORGANIC CFIEMISTRY.The course includes a study of the fundamental laws and theories of chemistry, combined with a study of the principal elements and their most important compounds. Attention is drawn to many of the practical applications of modem chemistry. DEMING: "General Chemistry." 4 lectures and recitations, 2 hr. laboratory, 2 terms. Sophomore. PHYSICALAND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.This course is designed to meet the needs of students preparing for medical school or specializing in chemistry. The lectures and recitations make up a course in elementary physical chemistry. The laboratory work covers a course in qualitative analysis, stressing phases of physical chemistry, and closing with a brief survey of volumetric analysis. FINDLAY: "Physical Chemistry for Students of Medicine." BAILEYAND CADY: "Qualitative Analysis," to be supplemented by additional mimeographed instructions. Prerequisite: Freshman Chemistry. 3 hr. lectures and recitations, 3 hr. laboratory, 2nd term. Turkey AMERICAN SCHOOL OF TARSUS

Continuing our journey in the Near Eastern countries to Turkey we visited the American School a t Tarsus (the ancient home of St. Paul), the International College a t Smyrna, and Robert College and the Constantinople Woman's College in Constantinople. The American colleges in Turkey have all passed through a most serious crisis as a result of the reorganization and exchange of populations which took place under the new conditions that arose in Turkey in 1923. The several colleges established under the auspices of the American Board of Foreign.Missions were con-

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SEPTEMBER, 19d1

fronted with the alternative of either migrating, as was done by Anatolia College in Marsovan, or else of relinquishing the religious features of the work for which they were originally established and devoting themselves solely to secular education. As a result of the exchange of populations the American schools a t Tarsus and Smyrna lost, in large part, their Christian students of Greek and Armenian parentage, with the result that the student bodies of these institutions are now composed almost exclusively of Mohammedans. Of the 70 students in the American School of Tarsus, 65 are Moslems and of the 303 students a t the International College of Smyrna only 8 are Christians. We were conducted through the buildings of the school a t Tarsus by Mr. Hazen (Yale, '27). There was a small laboratory here where elementary instruction is given in chemistry. The studies are of a practical nature, the young Turkish boys being taught among other subjects carpentry and mechanical shop work. INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF SMYRNA

President Cass Arthur Reed escorted us through the buildings and grounds of the International College of Smyrna. Elementaty instruction is given here in chemistry. A course in agriculture and a college farm have been established under the general direction of Mr. White, a graduate of the Kansas Agricultural College. The college farm is situated upon the banks of the Meles, a classic stream, near the ruins of an old Roman aqueduct. A lathe and shop machinery have also been installed to provide students with practical instruction in these subjects. The American schools a t Tarsus and Smyrna are performing a most valu-

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able educational work in serving the practical economic and social needs which are necessary for the upbuilding of the new Turkey. The institutions are growing and there is a great need of enlarged facilities for classrooms and laboratories. ROBERT COLLEGE OF CONSTANTINOPLE

The movement of exchanging populations has affected the American colleges in Constantinople less than in other parts of Turkey. The student body of Robert College, the best known institution for higher education in Turkey, according to the catalog of 1929-30, consists of 391 Moslems, 171 Greek Orthodox, 79 Armenian Gregorians, 35 Protestants, 29 Hebrews, and 12 Roman Catholics. These 717 students are distributed among 20 different nationalities of whom 540 are Turks, 71 Bulgarians, 29 Greeks, 13 Persians, 10 Albanians, and 9 Americans. The teaching staff of thecollege in 1929-30, numbered 98, of whom 34 were Americans, 22 Turks, 8Armenians, 7 Greeks, and 5 British. The industrial and engineering courses of Robert College are the finest of any institution in the Near East. The shops are splendidly equipped with all the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and other appliances necessary for advanced work in any of the fields of engineering. The future prosperity of the Near East depends upon the industrial development of its natural resources and Robert College is serving a most useful purpose in supplying each year scores of well-trained engineers who are taking a leading part in the upbuilding of the various countries which border upon the Eastern Mediterranean.

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The chemistry department of Robert College a t the time of our visit (March, 1930) was under the direction of Professor Jervis Moissan Fulmer (Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1925) who very kindly conducted us through the college buildings and grounds. The chemistry courses, according to the catalog for 1929-30, are classified as follows: 1-2. GENERAL CHEMISTRY.Study of elements and their compounds; elementary study of the theories governing chemical reactions. Lahoratory work includes experiments in qualitative analysis. Text: McPHERSON AND HENDERSON, "Chemistry and Laboratory Manual." Required in A.B. course and B.S. courses in agriculture and commerce. 2 hr., lecture; 1 hr., laboratory. Sophomore year. 3 4 . GENERAL CHEMISTRY.The fundamental principles of chemistry. Study of the metallic and non-metallic elements and their compounds. Text: HOLMES,"Introductory College Chemistry;" SNEEDAND KIRK, "Laboratory Manual." Required in B.S. courses in biology and natural sciences. 3 hr., lecture; 1 half-day, laboratory in B.S. course in biology. 2 hr., lecture; 1 half-day, laboratory in B.S. course in natural sciences. Sophomore year. 5 . QUALITATIYE ANALYSIS.Study of the fundamental principles of qualitative analysis and laboratory work on the analysis of metallic and non-metallic ions, compounds, and alloys. Text: CLOSEAND AZRAK, "Qualitative Analysis." Required in B.S. course in natural sciences. 2 hr., lecture; 2 half-days, laboratory. Junior year. Prerequisite: Chem. 1-2 or 3 4 . 6. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS.Preliminary gravimetric and volumetric analyses; gas, water, and fuel analyses. Text: MAHIN,"Quantitative Analysis." Elective. 2 hr., lecture; 2 half-days, laboratory. Prerequisite: Chem. 5. *7-8. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.Study of organic chemistry with emphasis on practical applications. Laboratory preparations in the aliphatic and aromatic series. Text: NORRIS, "Organic Chemistry." Elective. 2 hr., lecture; 1 half-day, laboratory. Prerequisite: Chem. 1-2 or 3 4 . Robert College is most pleasantly situated upon a headland overlooking the Bosphoms and the historic walls of old Turkish fortifications. From its beginning in 1863 the college has been independent of any mission board, being governed by its own trustees. Robert College and the American University of Beirut were incorporated a t the same time under the same act, both institutions holding their charters under the board of regents of the State of New York.

Greece Greece, which from early historic times has always been the intermediary between Eastern and Western cultures, has presented to American teachers another type of problem, resulting from the after-effectsof the World War, which is very different from those previously noted. This is the problem

* Given in

alternate years beginning with 1929-30.

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of helping the people of Greece to educate and assimilate over 1,000,000 compatriots who were conveyed to their towns and cities as refugees during the exchange of populations which followed the disaster of Smyrna in September, 1922. The labor of providing food, shelter, and occupations for this vast addition to its population has been one of the greatest burdens which any country has been required to assume. Many Americans have dedicated not only their best energies but their very lives to this work of restoration in afflicted Greece. The distinguished American agricultural chemist, the late Prof. Cyril G. Hopkins of Urbana, Illinois, who in 1918 and 1919 made a most extensive survey of the soils of Greece, was a martyr to this cause. His name will long be mentioned in Greece with grateful affecticn and remembrance.

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American influences on chemical research and education in the Near

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