The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-04
INDIANA DENTAL COLLEGE.
The Institutions Seventh Annual Com
mencement Exercises HeldLast Night.
The Eleven Graduates and q Large Number Of
Visitors Listen to Entertaining Addresses
and Enjoy the Banquet.

as now Differed, consists of the following able
faculty: President, DR.. VIM. L. Heiskell; pro-
fessor of anatomy. DIR. John Fl. Oliver; professor
of. physiology, DIR. Leroy S. Henthorne; pro-
lessor of operative dentistry, Or. Junius E. Ora
vens; professor of mechanical dentistry. DR..
Thomas S. Hacker; professor Of chemistry. DR..
John N. Hurry. DR.. S. T. Kirk, of Kokomo, DR..
M. Wells. of Indianapolis, DR.. E. j.. Church, of
LaPorte, of the board of trustees, were also in at
tendance upon the commencement.
After an invocation by Rev. M. L. Haines.
Professor j. N. Hurry delivered an address on
behalf of the faculty. his subject being Teach
ings from the Life and Labors of Carl Wilhelm
Scheele," the great Swedish chemist He gave
tant discoveries made by this modest and humble
student Of nature. who conducted his expert
ments and made his great discoveries while a
mere apothecary's assistant at Gothenburg,
Stockholm, and Upsala. He was one Of the first
to make actual investigation take the place Of
speculation and to intelligently use reagents,
and with this knowledge was enabled to
tell a new body when he came
in contact with il. He had no
predecessor in the domain of organic chemistry,
to which study he was attracted by observing
that the juices of various plants and fruits were
acid, and he endeavored to discover what these
acids were. He it was who discovered t~artaric,
malic and citrie acids. and that the salt present
in rhubarb was an oxalate Of lime, and publish
ed a list of thirty-seven different plants in which
he discovered oxalic acid combined either with
lime or potash. He isolated oxalic acid from
sugar, and proved 1t identical in composition
with that which he obtained from various plants.
This discovery. one of the mightiest in chemis-
try, seems not to have produced even a rip.
pie upon the surface of the chemical world.
When, q few years ago, Kobe discovered that
he could synthetically make salicylic acid, the
world hailed the discovery with a glad shout; but
poor Scheele's discovery that oxalic acid could be
made in the laboratory, although equal in Inn
portance to the German chemists work, aroused
no enthusiasm.
We have in this instance cause for reflection.
Why should man experience such unequal ap-
preciationf
This incident illustrates how unequaly are
awarded the blessings Of this life, and l presume
that the discoverer of the law controlling
reward for his discovery. Perhaps
the reason Scheele received no applause,
not to speak of material reward, was because at
that time the world was not educated sufficiently
covery, and Kobe was smothered with honors
and gold because his contemporaries had the
knowledge which was necessary to enable them
to perceive his greatness. Scheele invented
methods for the separation Of organic
acids from their natural combinations,
which have not yet been improved upon.
Scheele discovered Tactic acid, and he turned
the discovery Of phosphorus, made by Brandt,
to the benefit Of mankind, proving phosphorus
to exist In bones, and giving q process for its ex.
traction and suggestions for its possible use.
He was a practical chemist, not merely making
discoveries, but putting them to actual use. He
discovered glycerine. the sweet principle Of oils,
and a method for preparing prussian blue, and a
most delicate test for discovering that terrible
poison, prussic acid. He, however, knew moth
ing Of its death-dealing power, but his whole
investigation and study Of the substance was
conducted with such tact that he learned
it's every chemical property, and yet did not get
poisoned himself. To better appreciate this feat,
we have only to know that even now, fully ac-
quainted as we are with all the chemical and poi
sonous properties Of prussic acid, it is still consid-
cred dangerous to undertake its manufacture. He
proved that the atmosphere was composed of two
elastic fluids. One of these he called sire air"
and the other INITIATED air"-he had discovered
oxygen. He pointed out the power light pos
sessed of decomposing certain salts. and showed
that the violet ray was the most active and the
red the least active, and while engaged in study
ing manganese he discovered chlorine and
pare hydrofuoric acid. Scheele lived a
quiet, peaceful life, happy in his work.
and to within a year Of his death was
simply an assistant He was not ambitious to
become renowned, but desired rather to com
mune with nature, to discover her laws and thus
s~.glorify God and enjoy dim forever" Scheele's
mind and soul were great, his philanthropy
immeasurable; no hypocrisy or vain glory en-
tered into his composition, and when we look
back at the amount of work he contrived to do
while attending to his regular duties. we ask our
selves with wonder how he found time for all
this; yet he is but another example of the earnest
worker, who, without education or means, but
by perseverance and energy, finds a way or
makes one.
The diplomas were then delivered by Presi-
dent Heiskell to the following graduates: i. L.
Clark, Sunderland. Mass. A. l.. Jones, Prince
ton, Ind; e. E. Jones, Monticello, Ills; o. S.
Lynn, Bourbon, Ind: j. e. Montgomery, Taren-
tum. Penn; J. II. Palm, Bristol. Ind; A. S.
Ohio; r. NJ. Smiley, Washington. Ind; e. E.
Stewart, College Corner. Ohio; w. N. Wilson,
Richmond, Ind.
The college. since its organization, has had one
hundred and eighty-two matriculants. and its
graduates are to be found in nearly every State
in the Union.
DIR. j. Fl. Palm delivered the valedictory, after
which the students. professors and a number of
invited guests repaired to John Schaffner's,
where they seated themselves at a long table
where the good cheer was s~andwiched with
toasts and sailies of wit, DR.. Heiskell filling the
position of toast master. Responses were made
by Drs. Hurry, Cravens, Kirk, Henthorne,
BraYton, Oliver. Bodine and others, and the ex-
e~rcises concluded with some rare singing by the
students.
The banquet was spread by the alumni of the
college under the direction of DR.. J. E. Bodine,
the secretary. DR.. Bodipe is OF the firm of Ran
som, Randolph & Co., dealers in dental goods, at
No. 30 Circle street, which house, with its twin
establishment at Toledo, o., are the largest
dealers in dental goods in the West. DR.. Bo-
dine is a graduate of the Indiana Dental Col
lege. while DIR. Randolph. Of the firm. is a grad
uate OF the dental college at Ann Arbor, Mich.
The bin of fare was something unique. and its
witty menu was keenly relished by the dental
doctors.
Evansville's Bonds.
Mr.. James Fl. McNeely, editor of the Evans.
xillo Ionrnal In In tho cifv tsWhat Ia Evans.