T H E JOURNAL O F I N D U S T R I A L AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY MARCH, 1909.
I.
VOL.
T H ET O U R N A L O F I N D U S T R I A L AND E N G I N E E R I N C HGE M I S T R Y PUBLISHED BY
THE AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY. BOARD OF EDITORS. Editor: W. D. Richardson. Associate Editors: Geo. P. Adanison, E. G. Bailey, G. E. Barton, Wni. Brady, W m . Campbell, F. B. Carpenter, Virgil Coblentz, Francis I. D u p o n t , W. C. Ebaugh, W m . C. Geer, W. F. Hillebrand, W. D. Horne, L . P. Kinnicutt, A. E. Leach. P. W.Lovejoy, Karl Langenbeck, A . D. Little, P . C. McIlhiney, E. B. McCready, Wm. McMurtrie, J. Merritt Matthews, T. J. Parker. J. D. Pennock, Clifford Richardson, Geo. C. Stone, F. W. Traphagen, F. K.Thorp, E r n s t Twitchell, Roht. Wahl, Wni. H. Walker, M . C. Whitaker, W. R. Whitney. Subscription price to non-members of t h e American Chemical Society $6 00 yearly
Published monthly.
Copyright, 1908,f o r the American Chemical Society by W. D. Richardson, Editor.
Vol. 1.
MARCH, 1909.
No. 3
EDITORIALS. EDUCATION.
THERE have been a large number of papers published within the past year which dealt with the preparation of engineers in general, or of chemists and chemical engineers in particular. Most of them were written by practical engineers If the teachers of the land have read them all, they are still justified in following their own concepts to a considerable degree, because of the disparity on the one side and impracticability on the other. If the teachers have read but part of them and have been deeply impressed, they may be changing good plans for poorer ones. They may be making the future graduate of their courses still more of a hand-book of ready data and of evanescent processes, of quick conclusions and of decapitated
No. 3
originality. They may be turning out a machine to fit the present requirements of a certain kind of mill, which mill will pay a royalty of sixty dollars a month for the use of the machine, but is this the best attainable? Should not such requirements be considered merely as a fortunate demand for by-products? Are not the “seconds” of the chemist-plant good enough for the mill which wants a cheap machine? The broken saggers of a porcelain factory might be a useful by-product, but should we forget the making of the porcelain? In chemical industries and engineering, the one thing most needful is character, which means integtity, individuality, energy, push, etc. These must be greater than the average to warrant greater than average success. The memory of the stored facts, the familiarity with the prices and names of common chemicals, the details of their manufacture, etc., need be only a n average-grade-accessory. If a man cannot think independently, cannot talk or write decently, cannot listen internally, and finally does not do so frequently and better than the average, then the retention of stored knowledge will be a useless task to him. It may be maintained that such assets as character, interest, judgment, etc., cannot be poured through a funnel, that they cannot be driven in with a hammer, that they are hereditary in the man or absent forever, but is it true? Are not these desiderata largely the result of intimate contact with such personal qualities as distinct from physical contact with other things? They are not openly demanded of the teacher by the student as he demands chemical knowledge, nor are they likely to be demanded as long as every man feels that he does not need them. But may they be acquired? I n practice i t is the difference in these traits which is of greater influence than accuniulated knowledge, though the latter be ever so necessary. A well-trained engineer in any science will very quickly look and act and become like a well trained chemist if he finds himself called upon to go deeply into chemistry. A poorly trained chemist may have trouble keeping up with the office boy on routine steel analysis if he lets himself latibulize. The deciding difference between
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T H E J O U R N A L OF I A V D U S T R I A L A N D EIVGINEERI-VG C H E - W I S T R Y . Mar., 1909
the two is in the personality or character, and not in the stock of knowledge. I t seems as though the automatic power of centering and maintaining interest in things was one of the most desired traits to impart to a very young chemist. W. R. WHITNEY.
chemists in America to desire the publication by the American Chemical Society of a journal of physical chemistry. The difficulty of separating general and physical from inorganic articles, as indicated by German experience, makes it seem desirable to combine the three classes of articles in one journal. Such a journal, if established, would take about two-thirds of the articles which will probably be published in the Journal of the T H E NEXT STEP IN PUBLICATION FOR THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. America% Chemical Society during the present year. SEVERAL years ago Professor A. A. Noyes pro- Evidently what would be left could no longer be posed a classification of the articles in the Journal called, appropriately, the Journal of the American of the American Chemical Society with a separate Chemical Society, and the establishment or adoption paging for each class. A little more than two by the society of a journal of physical chemistry years ago the writer presented to the Council of means also the establishment or adoption of a the Society a scheme for the publication of a set of journal of organic and biological chemistry. This separate journals representing the more important has not, perhaps, been sufficiently considered by subdivisions of chemistry. The plan proposed was the physical chemists. imperfect in some of its details and i t involved a If we assume that the publication of a journal of coordination of conflicting interests which is prob- physical and inorganic chemistry is desirable, the ably too Utopian for complete realization. The next questions are those of practical detail. In the American Chemical Society has, however, accepted first place i t is to be hoped that some arrangement the most vital part of the proposal and has es- can be made, satisfactory to the Editor of the tablished a separate journal devoted to the in- Journal of Physical Chemistry, by which the terests of industrial and engineering chemistry. articles published In the Journal of the American Every one will, I a m sure, agree that the develop- Chemical Society can be united with those pubment of publication has been so rapid recently that lished in the former. we should wait till we can see more clearly the The financial side of the question is best coneffect of present policies before taking .another sidered in connection with the different plans step forward. It is, however, wise for us to begin to which may be proposed : consider the direction which future development (I) The journal might be published on a subscription basis. I t is extremely doubtful if suffishould take. The purposes which have led to the establishment cient financial support could be secured in this of the J O U R N A L OF INDUSTRIAL AND ESGINEEIZING way, but, even if it could it would mean that we CHEMISTRYare: First, to care better for the in- should take away from one class of members of the terests of a class of chemists and manufacturers American Chemical Society those articles in which who form a very large group of our membership. they are especially interested, compelling them to Second, to furnish a more suitable medium for the do without or pay extra for them. I t would, in publication of articles in this field in the hope that effect, raise the dues for those interested in physical we may bring a large portion of the best industrial chemistry. I am sure this is not desirable. If two journals were published in place of the articles together in a single journal where they will be easily accessible to the chemists of the country. Journal of the American Chemical Society, with an Third, to gain new members with the support increase of 800 pages of material, and both journals which they will give. A fourth reason which were to go to all our members the additional cost of might apply in other cases would be the desire to printing would be about $2500. If we add $ 7 0 0 combine the articles from some fields of chemistry for the salary and expenses of the editor, we have which is represented in the Journal of the American $3200 a year as the sum needed for the establishChemical Society with those published in some ment of this journal, This expenditure might be existing journal, with the hope of securing for this met by one of the following plans: (2) On payment of the present dues of $IO journal the publication of practically all American members might be permitted to select any three work in the field. of the four journals which we would then publish. All of the reasons given lead many physical
