The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-06-15
High School Professor Be-
lieves Psychological and
Chemical Analyses Can
Be Made There.
City Officials FavOring Plan
Arrange Conference to Ex-
ecute Proposal at an Early
Date.

Plans for installing a city laboratory
in the high school building, under the
supervision of himself and S v Cook,
professor of chemistry, has been
broached to Health Officer Smelser
and to the board of works by Prof
! B. w. Kelly. head of the high school
physics department.
! The project met with favorable con-
slderation by the officials. II will be-
| discussed at meeting of the mayor.
members of the health department.
, board of works, school board, the two
professors. and three local physicians
to be called in a few days by President
Bavis of the board of works.
The members of the school board
have unOfficially endorsed the plan.
Mayor Robbins said he would be very
glad to take it under consideration
and that il sounded as if it might be
an excellent thing
Little Equipment Needed
Our proposition" said Prof. Kelly
! in explaining the matter to the board
of works. lis to set aside one room
, in the high school to be used solely
as city laboratory. The city would
need TO purchase but a few of the
We have many pieces in the high
school laboratory which could be used
In this way, the city might have at
its disposal a completely equipped mu-
nlclpal laboratory AT very slight eX-
pense
"BaCteriological analysis is so diff
ferent from SOCcerciai chemistry both
OF which would be necessary if a city
laboratory is to be worth while. that
II is impossible TO find one man COM
petent TO do both branches of rns
work. Prof. Cook is we'll equipped 10
do the bacterial work and can take
care of the commercial chemistry. We
could give two or three hours a day
to 1t during the school season and all
our time during the summer Thus
the city could have the services OF
two men for far less money than il
would be obliged 10 pay for one man
who could do even then only one half
the work"
Helps Engineering Work
Asked If a laboratory would ne OF
use to his department. City Engineer
Fred Charles said that he would find
1t very useful for analyzing street oils,
asphaltum. paving materials. tiles.
brick. sewage. and etc. For the health
department. the city laboratory could
'See 9"d "'s0 could make the bac-
terlai tests for infectious diseases.
Sans sald the board of works
would find the laboratory useful in
testing gas. Crematory ash and de-
termining the heat units of coal pur-
chased by the city.
DR.. Smelser has had under con-
sIderation a plan for organizing a
laboratory under the direction of his
own department. DR., Glenn. our new
dairy inspector. is we'll qualified to
do all the archaeological work" he
said We would need to purchase
but three or four hundred dollars,
worth of apparatus and the city would
be out nothing for salaries This has
been my idea of the matter. but Z
shall be very glad to investigate tha
proposed high school laboratory anR
believe ii might be made very good
thing"
Oppose Dr.. Glenn.
A number of local physicians inter-
viewed on the subject have not been
kindly disposed toward DR. Smelser's
plan Il have no doubt" said one
that Dr. Glenn. our dairy inspector.
is very we'll qualified TO do bacter-
biological work, But | am afraid tha
physicians of the city will not have
enough confidence in veterinarians
knowledge OF their own science 10
send him their specimens taken from,
patients suspected of having an infect
ious disease"
Mr.. Bavis said he would probablv
call on Drs. Ross, Garkley and Kruger
to represent tie physicians in the COM
Terence which will discuss Prof.
kelly's plan.