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berless equations, work problems requiring a mdimentary knowledge of the multiplication table (which they have long since forgotten), and patiently carry out tedious, accurate, quantitative analytical determinations, they are apt to lose interest. It can hardly be too strongly emphasized that the recent totalitarian success is due chiefly to superb technic-extending from army commanders and industrial Fiihrer right down through all ranks of men to the common soldier and the humblest munitions-worker. It is a technic embracing war, industrial, economic, and civil administration, education, sanitation--every aspect of the life of the nation. While we cannot approve of its objectives, we must admire its ruthless competence and effectiveness. "Progressive" education has softened the fiber of American youth. They no longer have any concept of the necessity of accomplishment and achievement through tedious drudgery and desperate, determined striving. Education has become a right, rather than a precious privilege, for which no effort and no sacrifice should be too high a price to pay. Chemistry is the most widely applied of the practical sciences. "Total" war demands the services of enormous numbers of highly trained chemists. High-school chemistry teachers, more than any others a t the secondary level, have it within their power to train our youth adequately for the coming struggle, not only by giving sound instmction in technical chemistry, but by inculcating habits of diligence, concentration, accuracy, and manipulative skill; and also by insisting upon adequate grounding in those tool-subjects which are the essential foundation for competence a t higher levels. G. WAKEHAM
Enough
Is E n o u g h
To the Editor: For many years now, high-school courses labeled During several years of devotion to the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION I have been, in turn, gratified, "chemistry" have been becoming more interesting, CAEMICAI. fascinating, and popular-and more useless. High- interested, impressed, astonished, and amused by the school chemistry is now, to a grerlt extent, a "recrea- activity of the unofficial Committee on Ways and tional" (to use a prominent educator's suggestion) Means of Balancing Oxidation-Reduction Equations. rather than a "vocational" subject. Potentially bril- I am now looking forward to my next feelings on the liant chemistry "majors" come to think of chemistry matter. as a grand lark-a continuous succession of intriguing At present, I have a t my disposal eight volumes and tricks of magic. They get no conception of the subject thirteen miscellaneous numbers of the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, and in these there appear no as a hard, solid, practical science. When they come to CHEMICAL college, delightedly planning to "major" in this fasci- fewer than thirty assorted articles, notes, communicanating branch of knowledge, and discover that they are tions, and other offerings on the topic. required actually to learn dry subject m a t t e r s y m Is this topic worthy of such fluent discussion? More bols, formulas, laws, and principles--to figure out num- than one of my students, when referred for his own in455
To the Editor:
terest to some of the various methods which have been suggested by contributors to this JOURNAL, have returned to ask me if the ability to balance equations of oxidation and reduction is the criterion by which a chemist is judged. I believe that I gained a similar impression as an undergraduate student. And there was a period in my teaching when I spent a disproportionate amount of time in generakhemistry in trying to get all my students to learn to balance such equations as: But I have learned that there are some members of a beginning class who never can (or never will) learn tb balance an equation more complicated than the simplest metathesis. I have no wish to minimize the importance of a correctly balanced equation, or accuracy and completeness in a student's work. But it has been my observation that any student, especially any chemistry "major," worthy of the name quickly grasps the idea of balancing an equation for a reaction in which a transfer of electrons is said to take place. After all, it is nothing but a simple mathematical exercise, and I feel that a deluge of details such as that described by Barthauer (February number of the JOURNAL) and discussed by various writers (August number) serves only to tend to obscure the chemical principles involved. I know some teachers, and I suspect that there may he many others, who share my point of view. JAMES B. SCHROYER ADRIANCOLLEGE
ADRIAN, MImIcw Benjamin
Rush to
William Cullen
To the Editor: In the first volume of the "Life" of Dr. William Cullenl there is printed, circ. page 650, a letter that was sent to Cullen from Philadelphia by Dr. Benjamin Rush, who had been under in&u&io& by him in the University of Edinburgh as a student of medicine. During the examination of a collection of Cullen manuscript material that is preserved in the Library of the University of Glasgow, an earlier letter from Dr. Rush to Dr. Culleu was met with, and this, by the courtesy of Dr. W. R. Cunningham, The University cibrariau, I am permitted to publish. Your JOURNAL appears to he a fitting place for its publication. Accordingly I have pleasure in now placing a t your disposal the accompanying copy of it for that purpose, LEONARD DOBBIN FALADM GAVELTON, BLACKSHIELS, SCOTLAND
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my attachment to my venerable master.. Thememhersof the republic of science all helong to the same family. What has physic t o do with taxation or independence? One of the severest taxes paid by our profession during the war was occasioned by the want of a regular supply of hooks from Europe, by which means we are eight years behind you in everything. Your First Lines was almost the only new hook that was smuggled into the country. Fortunately it fell into my hands. I took the liberty of writing a preface to it, and of publishing it during the war. The American edition had a rapid sale and a general circulation throughout the United States. I t was read with peculiar attention by the physicians and surgeons of our army, and in a few years regulated in many things the practice of our Hospitals. . . . Thus. Sir, you see you have had a hand in the revolution by contributing indirectly t o save the lives of the Officersand Soldiers of the American Army. Mr. Todd cannot fail of doing well in our country. He will have his choice of two or three public schools, each of which will be worth not less than£l50"0"0 sterling a year to him. The Practice of Phvsic still continues to be laborious and bv no means prufital,lc in proportion toour lnhour in this new country Thc proft.iions of phy$~-Surgcr) and Pharmacy are still blcnded tog~ther Our mrdical school has declined during the war, hut we expect will revive with the peace. . The crowds of strangen which our commerce has invited to our city, together with some other circumstances have rendered the present season extremely sickly. The Scarlatina has been epidemic amongst us. Your treatise upon this disorder has been my guide in all the cases that come under my care. I cannot conclude this letter without repeating my obligations to you for the friendship I experienced, and the instruction I derived from you, while in Edin'. If I have added anything to my stock of ideas since I left you . . If I have been a patient . observer of nature . . . . and a faithful compiler of facts . . If I have been in any degree useful or successful in my profession. . I owe all these things to you. . . May you live lone - . . verv. lone- to eniov . . such effusions of eratitude from your pupils, and continue evrry ycar to I,lebs the world wilh y o u invaluable works. With most rtspeclful Cornp"to'your family. I am D' Sir. Your Most aflectionate pupil and obliged friend & Hb'"Servant B E N J RUSH ~
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The MCM Solution
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To the Editor: It is well known that aqueous molal solutions contain one gram molecular weight (one mol) of solute in 1000 grams of water. Since the molecular weight of water is 18, a molal solution contains one mol of solute in 1000 i 18, or 55.5 mols of water. A more convenient unit would contain one mol of solute in 1800 grams of water, i . e., in 100 mols of water. This might be called a mol-in-100-mols, or MCM, solution. Since lowering of vapor pressure, lowering of freezing point, and rise in boiling point are governed by the mol-fraction rule, the MCM system would not only simplify calculations, hut would also promote molPhilads Sep. 16th 1783. fraction consciousness. MYDEAR FRIEND, And, finally, i t would eliminate the confusion which Your letter by Mr. Todd made me very happy, hut did not (because it could not) add t o my sense of obligations and friend- is always apt to exist between molar and mold solutions. ship t o you . . . . The events of the late war have not lessened E. A. VUILLEUMIER 'THOMSON, "An account of the life, lectures, and writings of DICKINSON COLLEGE William Cullen. M.D.." Edinburgh and London, 1832. CARLISLB. PENNSYLVANIA
