THE EDUCATION OF SPANISH WOMEN IN CHEMISTRY MAW LOUISE FOSTER, S ~ r COLLEGE, n N O R ~ O MASSACHUSETTS N ,
Consemative Spain is changing its ancient form of education, according to which the textbook was memorized page by page, for the modern scienti& methods. This has been accomfilished through the influence of a group of men and women, inspired by the reformer, Don Francisco G n e r de 10s Rios, and organized by the Gmernment under the name of the "Junta para ampliaci6n de 10s estudws ckntycos." This "Junta" or Board established "Residencias" modeled after the English college, with laboratories and libraries; offered fellowships for study abroad; and p r d e d places for study and research for the returning Fellows. The women have shared i n these opportunities and now, on graduation from the University of Madrid, are registered and allowed to practice as pharmacists, chemists, dentists, lawyers, or physicians, according to their choice of career.
. . . . . .
Education in the sciences, based on practice in the laboratory, has been slow to develop in Spain. Not only were the ancient methods of instruction of memorizing the text opposed to the modern methods but the excessive cost of laboratory maintenance was prohibitive. However, changes are coming rapidly, have, in fact, already come in the University of Madrid, due to the influence and unremitting efforts of a splendid group of men and women who are inspired by the highest ideals for education. This group is known as the "Junta para amp2iaci6n de 10s estudios cientificos" (board for the extension of scientific studies), a government organization, the members of which were, for the most part, students of Don Francisco Giner de 10s Rios, a much-beloved professor of the University of Madrid. The Secretary of the Junta is Don Jose Castillejo, who for many years has given the most active, unselfish, and intelligent service to this cause of education. The methods of reform initiated here have been in general those of England and Germany. They consisted in the first place of Residemias with dormitory facilities combined with recitation rooms and laboratories similar to the English college; and, secondly, of fellowships for study abroad. On the return of these fellows, the need of libraries and laboratories for research was recognized and, slowly, these too have come into existence. Means for publication of the results of study and research have been supplied. Organized in 1903, the work of these enthusiasts for modem education is now bearing fruit. The University of Madrid, founded by Cardinal Cisueros of the Court of Ferdinand and Isahella, has always been open to women, who, however, seldom availed themselves of this opportunity for study. The women more than the men have held to the customs of seclusion derived from Moorish influence. This custom has changed slowly, but steadily and 30
VOL.
8, NO. 1
EDUCATION OF SPANISH WOMEN
31
more rapidly in recent years. In 1920, when I first came in contact with Spanish education, most of the women students of the University were registered in the School of Pharmacy, always a favorite with them in Spain. There were only one or two studying chemistry pure and simple. Education in chemistry consisted in committing to memory the words of the textbook. Can you imagine a more Herculean task! I remember that one of those girls, a student of mine a t the time, said to me that she expected to fail the final examination because she could not remember that in experiment 20 on page 62, 10 cc. of HCl of sp. gr. 1.01 were required, whereas in experiment 40, on page 75, 5 cc. were required! Let me say here that she did not fail, that she owns her own pharmacy with two laboratories in Malaga and last summer toured Germany in her own automobile! The instruction in laboratory practice a t that time was limited to a couple of weeks for each section. It was not because the professor advocated that method, but because the class was very large and the laboratory very small. There was no laboratory a t all in the Residencie for women. On invitation of the Junta in cooperation with the International Institute for Girls in Spain, an American organization with a splendid record for secondary education, I went in September, 1920, t o teach American laboratory methods to those young women of the University of Madrid, residing in the Residencia de Setioritas of which Dofla Maria de Maeztu is the able director. I offered courses of four hours a week in qualitative
32
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
JANUARY, 1931
and quantitative analysis. Every place was eagerly subscribed for and four sections were organized with the laboratory filled to capacity. In spite of many handicaps in an equipment, which, in absolutely no sense, equaled even the simplest and poorest of our laboratories, enthusiasm and bard work prevailed and those students acquired before the end of the course a good technic and certainly an understanding of scientific method. Many of those first classes now have their own pharmacies in different cities of Spain. They are real pharmacies for the preparation and sale of medicines, with absolutely none of our American accessories DoirnlM~nin-DE M ~ n z r uY WHITNEY of lunch-counter, cosmetics, Directom of the Residencia de Selioritns. and candy. Another young woman is head of her section of vaccines in the Provincial Laboratory of Zamora; two others are physicians and one is a dentist; still another is connected with the Customs Laboratory. It is evident that the women are penetrating every branch of professional life. The work of those first two years was continued with success by my assistants. I n June, 1927, I returned to Madrid, again on invitation of the Juntu and the International Institute for Girls in Spain, to draw plans for the equipment of a new laboratory* which they had erected in the meantime in the garden of the RestZencia de Sel?oritas and to supervise the installation of gas, water, and desks. As far as I was able, I reproduced my own laboratory in Smith College. Two laboratories were furnished, one for qualitative analysis with places for twenty-two students and another for quantitative analysis with places for ten students. The laboratories were opened for use in January, 1928, to the great delight of the students. The luxury of having their own desks with full equipment of reagents, apparatus, and other necessities was a new experience and * Editor's Nofe: This laboratory was dedicated on March 1, 1928, and was appropriately named the "Foster Laboratory" after the author of this article.
VOL.8, NO. 1
EDUCATION OF SPANISH WOMEN
33
they entered into the full enjoyment of it with enthusiasm. In the u n i v e r s i t y itself changes had come. Adjoining property had been purchased and in 1928 laboratories with modem equipment for teaching inorgan c, andytical, and organic chemistry were opened. A library was also established in the same building. More students were registering for strictly professional work, for pure chemistry and for medicine; a thesis was being required and research was being initiated for the Ph.D. degree. And before the end of the academic year, Professor Casares, head of the department of chemistry, sailed with others for the United States to study the ground plan and organization of our American This building contains the library, recitation universities for the benefit of rooms, and part of the Reridencia dde Seiioritas. the new Ciudad Uniwersitaria which is being erected in honor of Alfonso XIII. One building is already in use. The great and pressing need, far greater than the same need in the United States, is the education of the women in the chemistry and scientific use and preparation of food. Courses in domestic science and economy and the relation of food to health are in my opinion very, very much to be desired; in fact the very sort of thing which the American Chemical Society is inaugurating in the United States with the help of the women's clubs. Unfortunately, there is no similar organization in Spain.
34
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
JANUARY, 1931
L n ~ o n ~ r o nFOR Y QUANTITALABORXTORY FOR QUALITATIVE TIVE ANALYSIS ANALYSIS Foster Laboratory. Madrid.
The Institulo m c i o m l de f i s i ~ ay quimim, constructed under the patronage of the Rockefeller Foundation, now nearing completion, the Laboratorio de Ram6n y Cajal for biological research, the Museum of Natural History for agricultural study, all offer opportunity for scientific research, hut the application of much of this to the home and to the betterment of daily living is lacking. Undoubtedly i t will come, for I have found the Spaniard eager to take advantage of the new methods although change in ancient customs usually comes by slow modification, and people for the most part actively resent reform in their manner of living.
Calcium Chloride Used in Coal Treatment. Coal t o which 30 or 40 pounds of chemicals have been added for each ton to allay dust should be sold without aUowance for the additional weight of the chemicals, in the opinion of I. L. Miller, commissioner of weights and measures of Indiana. But the purchaser should clearly understand that the coal has been chemically treated, i t has been held. Use of the phrase, "dustless coal." was condemned as conveying a wrong meaning hecause after treatment the fine particles which make up dust are still in the coal though they are not floating around in air. Calcium chloride, a deliquescent chemical, meaning that i t absorbs quantities of water rapidly and holds i t a long time, is widely used for this treatment. It is the same dust-allaying agent often applied t o earth, gravel, and stone roads. Coal sprinkled with water willliberate dust again as soon as i t dries, whereas calcium chloride and similar materials are effective for a whole year.-Science Service
