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EDITORIALS EDUCATION FOR RESEARCH‘ T h e general disturbance i n t h e chemical a n d pharmaceutical market occasioned b y t h e present European war has sharply emphasized t h e dependence of m a n y American industries upon t h e supply of both r a w a n d finished material obtained from abroad. T h e public is asking t h e pertinent questions: W h y m u s t we import so large a proportion of our coal t a r dye stuffs, when we have so much highly colored coal t a r a t h o m e ? W h y do we depend upon G e r m a n y for lithia salts, when all t h e lithium-bearing minerals come from America? W h y has a European war increased t h e price of articles n o t in a n y way connected with t h e war? It is a principle of pedagogy t h a t , t o insure t h e best results when giving instruction, i t is necessary t o create a receptive a t t i t u d e on t h e p a r t of t h e s t u d e n t ; t o encourage a n inquiring frame of mind. T o d a y there is a keener a n d broader interest a m o n g manufacturers t h a n ever before i n determining those factors which have been controlling in giving European nations a n advantage i n m a n y lines of industry which i t would seem t h e United States is i n every way equally fitted t o enjoy. T h e public now possesses t h a t desirable receptive a t t i t u d e a n d inquiring frame of mind. It would seem therefore t h a t t h e present is a psychological moment for a campaign of education which would benefit t h e chemical profession directly, a n d t h e entire c o m m u n i t y indirectly. A n u m b e r of very i m p o r t a n t factors i n successful chemical industry have already been considered b y t h i s audience a n d your able committee has reported i t s findings a n d recommendations regarding a so-called anti-dumping clause, a n adequate protective tariff a n d t h e United States p a t e n t law. There are, however, some very general matters bearing upon t h e subject t h a t m a y be profitably considered. First, there is t h e necessity for f u r t h e r education of t h e public. Notwithstanding all t h a t has t h u s far been done, t h e public is, a s a whole, ignorant of what a chemist professionally is, a n d t h e place he occupies i n t h e community. A great m a n y people do n o t yet distinguish between a chemist a n d a n apothecary, or between t h e latter a n d a dispenser of soda water. A chemical engineer is frequently visualized as a m a n who runs a so-called chemical fire engine. And yet this same public will t a l k volubly a b o u t t h e position occupied b y G e r m a n y in t h e industrial chemical world a n d ascribe untold a d vantages t o systems of education a n d industry which i t does not understand. T h e magnificence of G e r m a n chemical industry has been compared t o t h e chemical i n d u s t r y of America almost ad Izauseunz. Generally t h e inequalities are greatly exaggerated a n d m a n y m a y be explained without a n y discredit t o t h e American profession. We a r e wont t o instance t h e telegraph, t h e sewing machine, t h e electric light a n d such developments, when desiring t o find compensating achieve1 Address at the Joint Meeting of the hTew York Sections of the American Chemical Society, the Society of Chemical Industry and the American Electrochemical Society,!Chemists’ C l u b , ~ D e c e m h e r ~ l1914. l,
ments t o offset t h e contributions of G e r m a n y t o chemical science. B u t we forget t h a t t h e sulfite process for obtaining cellulose from wood, t h e chromium process for leather, calcium carbide, carborundum, a n d many other chemical industries owe their origin a n d developm e n t t o American chemical genius. Nothing succeeds like success; a n d while we should continue t o learn from G e r m a n y t h e m a n y things which she is i n position t o teach us, we m u s t cease making unfair comparisons a n d root for t h e home t e a m . T h e increasing appreciation with which t h e chemically trained m a n is held b y t h e American manufact u r e r argues well for t h e future. N o t m a n y years ago if a chemist was employed a t all, i t was simply a n d only for so-called control work. T h e manufacturer was satisfied if he maintained his s t a n d a r d , a n d turned o u t a uniform product. There was little inclination t o risk money by placing on t h e market a new product. There has been a n encouraging change within t h e last t e n years, a n d t h e manufacturing public is awakening t o t h e desirability of progress i n both t h e quality of his product a n d t h e methods of his p l a n t ; a n d he is beginning t o realize t h a t a m a n trained in experimental science is a necessary addition t o his organization. B u t t h e average manufacturer of America still expects bricks without straw. To cite a n example of w h a t I mean: A large shoe machinery c o m p a n y known t o us thinks nothing of allowing a skilled mechanic t w o or three years in which t o perfect a desired movement or correlation of parts i n a machine. Yet this same comp a n y was keenly disappointed, even disgusted, because a skilled chemist did not produce in six weeks a special alloy with sharply defined properties. I n one case t h e solution depended u p o n mechanics which t h e superint e n d e n t understood a n d could see, while i n t h e other it was chemistry which he did not understand a n d t h e action of which he could not follow. T h e manufacturer of t o d a y is beginning t o be strongly a t t r a c t e d b y t h e t e r m s “research” a n d “research department.” He has a sort of conviction t h a t , b y adding such a n appendage t o his organization, he will be insured of progress a n d will protect himself from difficulties, much i n t h e s a m e way t h a t a good vaccination m a r k insures against small-pox. M y plea a t this t i m e is not so much for greater generosity on t h e p a r t of t h e employer in matters of laborat o r y facilities, special equipment, or a good library, however i n p o r t a n t these are, b u t rather for a larger appreciation of t h e conditions which m a k e for ultimate success in research work. Among these conditions m a y be mentioned, first, t h e choice of t h e research worker. I a m satisfied t h a t no little h a r m is done t h e cause of industrial research b y t h e e m p l o y m e n t of i m m a t u r e , untrained men, who pass as men skilled i n science b u t who either know no science, or who have had no experience i n t h a t very difficult a r t of applying science t o industry. T h e h a r m comes n o t so much because t h e particular investigation fails, b u t r a t h e r because t h e
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management believes i t has shown t h a t its problems are not susceptible t o solution b y scientific research or amenable t o t h e aid which applied science can render. This unfortunate condition is frequently brought about b y false economy on t h e part of the management. A research chemist should in its opinion be obtained with t h e ease.and salary of a n apothecary’s clerk. A horse suitable for drawing a n ice cart is bought a n d expected t o win a Derby. Another mistake frequently made is in t h e organization of t h e research staff, or if done on a less pretentious scale, t h e research work. Investigation work should never be allowed t o interfere with factory production. T h e average mill superintendent quickly becomes antagonistic t o anything which cuts down his output. Y e t i t is not infrequently t h e case t h a t a research assistant is placed directly under such a superintendent, and may even report t o him exclusively. The superintendent may have won his position on account of his ability t o get t h e maximum of work,out of his men, a n d may have risen i n spite of a n extreme narrowness of vision, rather t h a n on account of his breadth of view. Or again, t h e research m a n m a y b e at t h e beck a n d call of t h e production department a n d t h u s be constantly taken away from his real task t o do routine testing of the product; or, t h e purchasing department m a y have t h e right t o demand such of his time as may be necessary t o check u p specifications, a n d purchases made thereunder. Continuous concentrated effort is essential t o a successful investigation, a n d t h e organization of such work should insure freedom from serious interruption of a n y kind. A further tendency on t h e part of t h e employer is t o expect positive results as soon as t h e work is well under way; having planted t h e seed he is impatient t o harvest t h e crop. At best, experimental work is slow a n d this fact must be cheerfully accepted a t t h e beginning. When considering t h e large amount of research work done in Germany we forget t h e great number of men who are there engaged i n investigations of every possible type. If we had some means of determining t h e average yearly output per man, I a m sure we would find i t extremely small. It is m y belief t h a t t h e p e r capita return for research work is greater in America t h a n i t is i n Germany. It is only when t h e results of each individual are multiplied b y t h e great number of men i n t h e work t h a t t h e enviable amount of scientific work produced yearly in Germany is reached. As a transition paragraph from t h e employer t o t h e employee, I shall again emphasize t h e point already treated elsewhere. For t h e best results a manufacturer should realize t h a t his organization must teach t h e college m a n t h e details of t h e work for which he is employed; a n d t h e new graduate must realize t h a t there is a n enornious lot which he does not yet know, a n d which t h e factory superintendent or foreman can best teach him. Fault is frequently found with t h e college man because he does not know t h e latest quick analytical methods as used i n some large laboratory; t h a t he is not familiar with t h e types of machines employed i n t h e factory t o which he goes. Inasmuch as t h e average candidate has b u t four years for his technical training
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it follows t h a t if he had been taught these details upon which his immediate success m a y possibly depend, i t would have been at t h e expense of a broad, fundamental training in economics a n d science upon which his final success is sure t o depend. On t h e other hand there is much t r u t h in t h e oft-repeated assertion t h a t t h e college graduate “thinks he knows i t all.” H e fails t o realize t h a t in every industry there is a great field of knowledge of which he is as yet ignorant b u t which is familiar t o t h e manager, superintendent or foreman. Kot only t h e details of factory procedure, b u t matters of finance, salesmanship, advertising a n d other factors essential t o t h e success of the undertaking are unknown t o him. Finally me come t o t h e education of t h e man who is t o do t h e research work. At this time it would be out of place t o discuss curriculums of study or t o outline courses of instruction; b u t there are two or three points which i t may be worth while t o consider. I n general i t may be said t h a t a man should possess t h e ability t o utilize t h e knowledge he has acquired in t h e past in t h e solution of his present problems. This statement presupposes two things: jirst, t h e acquisition of knowledge, a n d second, a training in t h e application or use of this knowledge. Comparatively speaking, t h e first is easy and t h e second is difficult. I n a limited sense, knowledge can be bought in t h e form of books, b u t no one can appropriate t o himself a skilled hand or an observant eye or a n accurate analytical mind. These are t h e products of training. There is a regrettable tendency in modern textbooks on elementary chemistry and qualitative analysis t o spend an undue amount of time upon t h e laws of dilute solutions t o t h e exclusion of t h a t training which these subjects are preeminently fitted t o give. Not t h a t these laws are of little importance; b u t fundamental principles and broad generalizations are of value only when they can be visualized in terms of facts a n d experiences. B u t t h e present tendency t o overemphasize theory in elementary chemistry and qualitative analysis cron-ds o u t t h a t knowledge of facts. and training in observation, in which t h e beginner is so deficient. The great difficulty with t h e average student in experimental science is t h a t he sees things as he thinks they ought t o be, a n d not a s they are. He does not observe accurately, nor reason logically. H e is not resourceful in using t h e knowledge acquired yesterday in solving t h e problems of today. Such power can be obtained only b y practice; and why postpone t h e practice of this all-important function until late in t h e college course? From my experience as a teacher i t is m y opinion t h a t no subject in t h e entire curriculum is so well adapted t o train a man i n keen observation, logical deduction and general resourcefulness, as a broad and sympathetic course i n qualitative analysis. The short time usually devoted t o this subject should not be consumed in teaching advanced theory which can be better learned later. A second factor i n t h e education of a research man ( b u t which of course is not limited t o a research man) is t h e necessity of giving him a working knowledge of t h e general principles of chemistry in t h e same manner t h a t a mechanical engineer is made familiar with those principles of physics involved i n thermodynamics a n d ap-
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plied mechanics. So I use the word working advisedly, a n d mean thereby not only a knowledge of the fundamental theories a n d laws involved in every-day phenomena, b u t anacquaintance withthem intimate enough t o enable him t o make daily use of them. The average student knows well t h e law of conservation of energy a n d of mass; although his arithmetic is usually poor, t h e law of multiple proportions is second nature t o him a n d he handles i t with ease. This is because t h e law is valid a t all workable concentrations, a t all workable pressures, a n d a t all workable temperatures; a n d he has m e t with problems for t h e solution of which its application is imperative. Not so with t h e laws which he meets later in his work. I n his course in Theoretical Chemistry or Physical Chemistry or General Principles of Science, or whatever name it may be called, he learns, for example, the law of mass action; if he solves a n y problems a t all, they involve dilute solutions or low pressures alone. H e learns t h a t for concentrated solutions a n d strongly dissociated salts t h e law does not hold-and there t h e m a t t e r rests. H e learns Henry’s law, Rapult’s law, the law of electrolytic conductance, transference, osmotic pressure etc., a n d if the subject is well presented, solves numerical problems t o render clear his mental image of these laws; then he learns t h a t under those conditions in which he lives a n d moves a n d has his being, they do not quantitatively hold-and there m a t t e r rests. Imparting t o t h e student a knowledge of these general laws of science is one of the most important factors in technical education a n d must play a leading part in t h e upper year of college work. B u t t h e point I would emphasize is t h a t when these principles are presented, t h e task is only begun. T h e first instruction must of necessity be given, set as it were, in dilute solutions. T o be of pedagogic value, t h e work must be quantitative, a n d accuracy can be realized only in very low concentrations. B u t here is where the average teacher of so-called theoretical chemistry “lies down on the job.” T o have a working knowledge of these principles a man must be familiar with their use under t h e conditions of concentration, temperature a n d pressure with which he has t o deal. He must have a general idea of t h e deviation from the theoretical which a law will suffer under working conditions. If such laws are not quantitatively applicable, t h e y are a t least qualitatively helpful; if t h e y d o not determine how far one can go t o reach a definite end, they a t least indicate the direction he must go. Our experience with men who have had a course in t h e general principles of chemistry is t h a t they d o one of t w o things-either they a t t e m p t t o use t h e knowledge t h u s obtained, a n d develop a confidence in their ability t o get a t the roots of the problem a n d by applying these general principles determine t h e lines along which success most probably lies; or t o use a n analogy, they are afraid t o venture into t h e open ocean of practical experience with a boat which they havesailed only in t h e closed a n d secluded harbor of dilute solutions. T h e result is t h a t they lose interest in t h e boat a n d soon entirely forget her. H a d they been taught t o navigate this boat in times of storm a n d high tides as well a s in t h e harbor, they might not have attained on
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the ocean the accurate time t h e y were accustomed t o make in t h e harbor, but t h e y would the more quickly have reached t h e haven of success which lies on t h e opposite coast. It is but a truism t o say t h a t the way t o acquire a n ability t o solve problems is in t h e exercise of this faculty. T o become a successful research worker, we must do research work. While in every institution a n a t t e m p t is made t o train students t o carry on original work, the four years allotted t o the average man are not sufficient for accomplishing very much in this direction. While a genius is born, not made, good experimentalists can be produced from most men of average ability. It is believed t h a t the training t o be obtained from investigation work is largely independent of the particular type of problem undertaken. If one wishes t o become a bridge builder by the experience of building bridges, i t is not material whether t h e bridge so built is demanded b y t h e traveling public or not. I t is in solving the problems incident t o construction, not in the use of t h e finished structure, t h a t the educational value lies. T h u s i t is with research work in so-called pure a n d applied science-whether t h e results obtained be immediately used, or very remotely used, need not influence t h e methods employed in t h e work. So, in research laboratories, bridges are built not only where t h e public is anxious t o have t h e m built, b u t where someone is willing t o pay for t h e building. T h e problems undertaken are brought b y manufacturing concerns, a n d the expenses of t h e laboratories are met in this way. A two-fold purpose is thus accomplished-the manufacturing public is given facilities for overcoming some of its difficulties, a n d t h e more able men of the community are trained t o fill the demand, which is constantly growing a n d now far outmeasures t h e supply, for men capable of conducting successful original research. WILLIAMH . W A L K E R
CHANGES IN THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS
T h e resignation of John J. Miller, Editor of Chemica2 A bslracts, t o accept a managerial position, seems a n appropriate occasion for a n appreciation of his services t o t h e Society. Mr. Miller entered the work five years ago as Associate Editor, during which time t h e scope of the publication a n d the labors of t h e editorial force have grown greatly. Although Mr. Miller ,has been editor only six months, he had for the previous three years carried a large a n d increasing a m o u n t of editorial responsibility. His editorship.was well earned a n d it is a m a t t e r of great regret t o us t h a t t h e Society must lose him. Mr. Miller’s special contribution t o the Society’s enterprise was executive ability of a high order a n d a n energy that-more t h a n kept pace with t h e growing task. I n t h e early years of t h e journal t h e editors used t o wonder how t h e management of the Zentral-
