Evening star., 1924-04-23
CHEMISTRY COURSES
IN SCHOOLS ANALYZED
Delegates to Convention Hear I'm
provements 0utlined-Council
Adopts Proposals.
LEATHER SHRINKING TOPIC
Weather Changes Make Shoes Hurt
Feet, Say Experts.
LEATHER SHRINKING TOPIC

Changes in chemistry courses in
colleges and high schools, heat trans
fer and problems of dye, rubber,
ieather and gelatin production oc-
cupied the delegates attending to-
days sessions OF the American Chem
ical Society at Central High School
Diversity of length and content of
high school courses and differing en-
trance requirements with respect TO
chemistry on the part of colleges
were listed as the major faults dis
covered in Il survey conducted by the
committee on education appointed at
the September meeting of the society
in Milwaukee. Adoption of the re-
port, which was submitted by Prof.
Neil f. Gordon of the University of
Maryland, was announced by the So
ciety's council today.
Plans Widely Approved
Attempting to correct this educa
tional situation, the committee re
ported that regional representatives.
have been appointed in thirty-seven
states and new outline of high
school chemistry brought to the at
tention of 10000 teachers had re-
ceiTed general approval, while pro-
posed uniform college course and
plans for a national organization to
deal with chemical education are be-
ing worked out Establishment of
national journal of chemical educa
tion was also urged.
Experts in leather from al
parts of the country took part in
sessions of the society's division of
leather and gelatin chemistry. Foot
discomforts which come with chang
ing weather were attributed by John
Arthur Wilson and Albert +. Gallum,
Jr., of Milwaukee, to shrinking OF
leather in shoes. Modern research,
they reported, has revolutionized the
making of leather since it is found
that the degree Of shrinking under
fixed conditions of relative humidity
is determined by the chemical com
position of the leather"
Variations in Leather.
The greatest difference in this re-
spect" they said, lis found between
chrDme-tanned and vegetable tanned
feathers With increasing humidity
Of the atmosL here from 0 to 100 per
cent chrome feathers increase in
area from 16 to u per cent against
only to per cent for vegetable
leather, corresponding shrinkages oc-
curing when the relative humidity is
again lowered.
Chrome shoes thus have the prop
erty of increasing the sensitivitv of
prognOsticatoTs who foratell weather
changes by the changing degree Of
pain in their corns. The Tighter
structure of the vegetable shoes also
ia responsible for their holding their
shape better and presenting a much
better appearance than the chrome
after a period of wear
study made by L. F. Kohr and
G..
air service, occasioned largely by the
proposed use OF helium in lighter
than-air craft, was considered at =
heat transfer symposium.
Great Waste of Gas.
There has always been" said the
report, "a great waste of lifting gas
in airships during extended flights
due to the necessity of maintaining.
static equilibrium by valving gas
when the total load has been de-
creased by consumption of fuel. This
waste might be tolerated when hydro
gen is used, but must be nearly elimi-
mated before a gas so rare and eX-
pensive as helium can be put into
general use.
ITO solve the problem of maintain
ing a constant total load in order that
change of load might not have to be
compensated for by change of lift.
survey of the possible means was
made and resulted in adoption of the
method of condensa ton of water from
engine exhaust gas.
This was accomplished" the re
port said. "by passing the exhaust
gas through long thin walled pipes
exposed to the air sweeping past the
ship"
Structure and physical laws of the
atom were discussed yesterday by
Robert A. Millikan. professor OF
physics in the California Ins1sute OF
Technology, and DIR. Gilbert y. Lewis.
professor of chemistry in the Uni
versity of California. DR.. Millikan.
expounding the law of radiation be
tween electrons, said it was here that
the difference of opinion existed be
tween the physicist and the chemist.
Prof. Lewis, discussing the chem
lists theory of the atom, said that.
while six or eight years ago he
thought in terms of a static atom,
this difference from the physicists
view has been largely resolved by
the chemist accepting the general
orbit theory, while the physicist has
changed his model to give to each
electron its own orbit and to ascribe
to each orbit fixity.'