The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-23
CHEMISTRY IN M|SS0ULA
What Is Being Done by the Uni
versity Department.
M. J. ElROO EXPLAINS 1T
Modern Education Recognizes the Neces.
sity of some Scientific Learning to
Cultivated Man-Pians. Meth
DDS and Equipments.

ms done in the department of chemis-
try at the state university, has been
prepared for the Standard by Prof. ".
J. Elrod. and will be interesting TO
those who are wartching the develop
ment of this institution:
Work in all lines of science has
changed greatly in the past dozen
years. Ii is not so very long ago. in
deed. even the younger generation can
remember. that laboratory work vas
practically unknown. True, expert
ments were performed in many places,
for many purposes, centuries ago but
not as "a part of the college or school
curriculum. Those who desire to read
THE History of the Laboratory Meth
cd" as given by DIR. Traphagen at Hell
ena during the meeting of the teachers.
should take the Montana School Jour
nal, in which these papers are to APP
pear, as this publication Is to publish
the proceedings of the association. 1t
is not of that, however. l wish to
speak. To-day the college or univer-
sity that does not have "A well-equipped
laboratory, with plenty of apparatus
and material. and with someone who is
not afraid of putting i'm time to make
the work satisfactory. liz out of the
procession. We can make IL even
stronger. To-day the high school that
ubtS Hol ndNt ~ tll-tuulDDtu ldDOIt-
tory. doing the work according to
modern methods. each student doing
and seeing for himself. is not up to the
standard. Not that they must have
equipment as good as the colleges or
universities, or that they must be
equipped for all ind of scientific
work. but that they must offer to the
pupils at least some lines OF work that
will teach him to see and think for
himself. and that will let him have a
chance to develop such powers as this
work IL intended To develop. indeed,
so much is the stress laid ON this work
that the state board of education at
it's last meeting specified that in those
school preparing for entrance to the
university half of The work I'm the
lines of science specified must be done
i'm the laboratory. If this is the re-
quirement i'm the high school. and we
are glad to see that Ii is so, people
naturally expect even more from the
laboratories of the institutions of
higher learning.
The university has not pressed itself
upon the people through the press. nor
has IL been making big advertisements
about what IL could do. Nor do | mean
To say others have done so. II they
have l have not heard of il. And
such a course would not be improper.
We go ON the principle that when YOU
have a good thing that IL for the bene-
ft of the public. let them know OF IL.
The public should know il. We have
a good many things I'm the great state
OF Montana that are for the benefit OF
the public about which the public
knows little. m as soon as these
things are brought to the attention of
the public we believe IL will appreciate
the effort and thank us for il. 1t is
with this thought i'm mind that this
and the previous article have been
written.
The chemical laboratory in the Uni
versity OF Montana is not "A large one,
as compared with other institutions,
where there are hundreds of students.
Nor is IL a mail one, as compared with
schools of like size. 1t contains all
that Is necessary for that work that is
being done. and a good many things
i'm addition. IL has been the plan.
work grew, and as the necessities de-
handed. AS at present arranged. To
meet present needs. the work covers
two years. We mean by that there
has been no demand for more than n
second year in the subject. This is
not because 1t could not be
given, or was not wanted.
but because the university is
young and the students nave not got
ten beyond the work mentioned. A.
present three classes are being taught.
One in general chemistry during the
entire year. A second special class.
which began i'm January. and which ex-
poets TO overtake the aforementioned
general class by the close OF the year.
The third class is doing qualitative
work. and will take up elementary
quantitative analysis soon.
A word concerning the professor i'm
charge will not be here out of place,
since he has been before the readers Of
the on questions of public
interest. He came here from Cornell.
where had charge of large classes.
sometimes as many as 200. He has
the unqualified endorsement of the emf
nent chemist. DIR. Caldwell of Cornell,
n Is thoroughly informed on the work
he has TO do. He has had the best OPP
portunities. and knows what is the
best. He Is a ~tireless worker. and will
spare no effort tn make the work in
chemistry everything it should be.
Parents who are expecting to send
their children to a big Eastern school
may as well look into the work here
before sending, as the pupils will have
as good a chance i'm the chemistry as
i'm any school In the country.
During the past two months new
material has been constantly arriving
at the university for the library and
the various departments. A good por-
ton Of this has been for the work in
chemistry, largely Tor general work.
Among the things of special import
ance besides the minor pieces necessary
for a complete execution OF all expert
ments in Remsen's Briefer Course and
for qualitative analysis. may be men,
toned hydrometers and thermometers
of all grades, pipettes and bursettes for
volumetric analysis: Caldwell extrac-
ton and drying apparatus for milk and
fodder analysis, and many forms of
dessicators and dessicating apparatus:
glass and iron %retorts. constant level
water baths and w~ater-jacketed drying
ovens. The stock Of chemicals has
been increased 10 include a good supply
Of an average Of -four sets each Of the
~ common metals.
Next year the work Of the depart
ment will be a year ahead Of where II
Is at the present. Plans are already
being laid TO meet the demand. Mate
rial viii be purchased for a course i'm
organic chemistry and for advanced
cumulative analysis. This win mean
ann - n - 90 49,.