The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-17

noids in the West, the neurological and
archaeological collections There is also
hall for dissecting. a large room for micros-
cope work, and Prof Coulters combined
lecture-room and laboratory.
Most of our colleges have a leading de-
partment." The reason is that in some or
other college you have live man as spe-
cialist AT the State University it is ichthy-'
ology, with Dr. Jordan at Purdue, me-
chanics, with Prof, Goss; at Wabash it is GER
tanly biology, with Prof. John Coulter. Prof.
Jordan built up for the State University the
finest collection of American fishes in
America, outside the National Museum;
Prof G6ss points with proper pride to his
mechanical devices, tools and steam-engine,
and says: "Our students made these in our
laboratory" 1t is not bricks nor catalogues,
nor boards of trustees that make a college,
but the faculty OF instruction. Prof Coulter
is a specialist; result, many of the students
become specialists. Through his influence
and efforts as teacher in Harvard summer
school, as botanist to the Hayden survey,
as editor of the leading American journal
OF botany, great herbarium has been formed,
containing 10, 600 species, (1ndiana has only as
many hundred and 40 600 specimens. These
are the original types of Gray's Grasses and
Sedges, prepared and pasted on by the great
botanisrs own hand fifty years ago. As
Prof. Coulter carefully turned over the
he could not part with this precious gift of
Prof. Gray's for sums untold. Prof. Coulter
is an object teacher par excellence. Each
student has a simple and a compound
microscope with full lenses and camera.
One was at work on a clam, another on the
crawfish, third on corn stalk, fourth on
chara. Students come att o'clock and work
till dark from sheer love of the subject. The
microscope is to them not a scientific toy,
but means to an end. There is no fooling,
no whrling on the heel, trying to remember
an answer" but downright, solid work. There
are NO examinations The note books left at
the tables, full of drawings and desert ptions
of dissections, are enough. In botany Bessey,
Gray and Sachs are used. In biology
Brookes, Wilder and Gage, Huxley and Mar
tin and the John Hopkins dissection series
are used. These students learn more active
anatomy in month than by the recitation
method in a year. They get knowledge
rather than information. The larvae of
mosquito is just as interesting to them as the
colossal casts in plaster which fill the great
museum ball, although, as Prof. Coulter
quantity said ''these little things do not adj
vertise college as much"
The same methods are followed in botany.
The mere analysis of plant is counted of
little value perhaps ten on a scale of 100,
But Prof Coulter's methods cannot be
described; they must be seen. They are
those of Aeassiz, of Harvard Scientific School,
of nature. His pupil and colaborer, Pro-
fessor Barnes of Purdue, is working by the
same method, and under Prof. Coulters in
spiration.
In chemistry and mineralogy Prof. H.
r. Thompson, Q graduate of Wabash, of
Harvard, and just returned from a years
study in Germany, has charge The labora-
tories and apparatus are neat as wax; plenty
OF room, OF material, OF light Over 100
species OF minerals are identified by blow
pipe. Ten years ago this subject was taught
by class Rotations from textbook in many
schools. But the world moves
In physics and astronomy Prof. ]. L.
Campbell holds sway. There is no observa-
tory, and Prof. Campbell says they don't
want any until they have $75, 900 to pay for
tia contingency not unlikely in the near
future. Prof. Campbell doesn't want a
cheap machine through which the citizens
of Charlottesville, the board of trustees and
visitors can see the man in the moon and
the satellites of Jupiter-the main use to
which college astronomical instruments are
put Prof. Campbell has many ingeni-
Gus devices. His survey of the Kankakee
region was successfully conducted with gov
ornnnont instr ncuts OF the most approved
pattern, and his report to the Governor of
tine survey is in constant demand. This de-
partment- needs a well-equipped physical
laboratory where students may do work
with instruments at tables after the methods
of Eastern schools
Natural philosophy has as many and as
urgent claims to be taught by the inferential
method as either chemistry or biology, and
the day is not far distant when all
well-organized highschools and colleges will
put students through course of practical
physics. The expense for material and
tuition is greater than by the old method,
but the training of the hand and eye must
be kept parallel with that of the mind in all
objective teaching. 1t is not the object of
this paper to more than mention the efforts
of Wabash to stand parallel with its sister
colleges in science teaching, as they APP
peared in brief visit, and especially to call
attention to the undoubted success of Prof
Coulter's methods OF teaching biology.
Any teacher interested in the latter subject
cannot do better than to visit the laboratory
of Wabash College.