Official at last
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official name of this puhlicatiori is n o ~ v. I s a L 1 - r I -
the ~vliole story, of cour;Sc, since approximately one quarter of the circulation of the Industrial and hnalyti\ w y familiar designation, the -1nalytical Edition of cal Editions, through 1947 sold only a s a combination, Indusirial and Engineering ChPmistry. is nonmember subscriptions. Holyever, the figure of T h e change in title comes a s no surprise t o you, our *57yC was t o us indicative of the large reader acceptance loyal readers. We believe, hon-ever, t h a t you will he of the dnalytical Edition and confirmed our personal interested t o know t h a t under the new circulation plan. impressions gathered through m a n y contacts with t h e \\hereby separate subscriptions a1.e maintained for Inreaders of the publication. tlustrial and Engineering Chemistry and AS.~L~-TICAL We cannot help but feel t h a t the unexpected increase CHEMI~TRT, the January print order for the latter is in circulation is a n rndorsement of the editorial policies, .32,600copies. but let u- hasten t o add t h a t i t does not instill in lis any This is a pleasant surprise to the staff, for the survey feeling of smug complacency. We intend t o improve conducted last summer to determine whether or not it and expand conqtantly the editorial servicw performed ab advisable t o effect complete separation of the tu-o for our renders. puhlications, indicated a circiilation of approximately I n line with thi- policy ive call attention t o a new 22,500 for Alnnlytical. Even thib figure \vas someiThat department-The Alnalyst’sCalendar on page 93, n e w of a surprise t o many but not t o us, for the Opinion about coming meetings of group5 ociated with the Research Corporation’s survey, conducted as a part of l ~ r o a d ficltl of analytical chemihtry I t is our intention the Hancocli Report, indicated th@ 577, of t h e memt o expand the n e w coverage of - 4 \LYTIC ~ \I, CHEMISTRY 1m-s of thc AJIERICLSC H E V I C ~SOCIETY L read or rein 1918. Ec.ircd i q y l a r l y t o thc .halytical Edition. This is not HE
c IL CHmfIsTRi-, replacing the long established a n d
The Role of the Analyst
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niin‘itive tecliniques eiiibr:icetl by this pseudonym. 90 one will deny the incieasing importance of physicochemical determinations in modern analytical practice, and the concomitant need for mole systematic and more extensive education in these methods. Instructions in the established techniques, such as potentiometiic and conductometric analysis, polarogI aphy, and spectrophotometry, presents no great difficulties and probably can continue to be provided within the frame\! ork of evisting chemistry cunicula, preferably on the graduate level. But the scienre of instrumentation itself presents a larger problem. hIonth by month in this journal fol two years our colleague Ralph Afuller has been presenting convincing evidence that instrumentation in the broad sense has grown to such proportions that it merits recognition as a new branch of knowledge. Sfany others share the belief that haphazard iribtruction in this subject is no longer adequate if n e wish to iealize its potentialities fully. Perhaps graduate courses in
coninients presented here Iiring to it close the espressions of opinion on the questions: “\That is analysis?” ;Ind “1Vh:tt is the role of the analyst?” begun in the Kovember issue and continued in December. The editors feel that publication of these comniunications has brought out many valuable suggest,ions which will have a very real part in improving instrucbion in analytical chemist’ry, enabling the analytical chemist to play a more effective role, and increasing upprecintion of his contributions. HE
dames J. Lingane, Aarvard University
A
forum on the education of analytical chemists scheduled for the Chicago meeting next April it is more than likdy that a good deal of discussion will revolve around “instrumental analysis.” K e may even hope that a more apt generic term can IF invented for the phgsicochemicnl deterT THE
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