A letter to the ... Lord Provost, magistrates, and council, patrons of the University of Edinburgh, on the present state of practical chemistry : with remarks on ... a pamphlet by Dr Anderson / by D. B. Reid.

Date:
1834
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter to the ... Lord Provost, magistrates, and council, patrons of the University of Edinburgh, on the present state of practical chemistry : with remarks on ... a pamphlet by Dr Anderson / by D. B. Reid. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    ber of Students, entirely supersede attendance at lectures. It is proper, tlien, that the Loud Provost and Council should be informed of the manner in which the tide has begun to flow. Practical Chemistry, if restricted and fettered in the manner Dr Anderson proposes, will become a burden to the Student which he will not bear, when he considers the infinitely greater progress which he would be able to make, when it is conducted in another way. Were a Professorship of Practical Chemistry appointed, with full power to teach the theory by practice, the only way by which such a Professorship could now be maintained, I should take the liberty of proposing myself as a Candidate. But as such an appointment is very different from what was formerly contemplated by the Council, and as any appointment at present would necessarily force the teacher to turn his atten- tion to instruction in theory as well as practice, I consider that, however anxious I might be to obtain such an appointment, I am called upon to state precisely what the effect would be upon the present Chair of Chemistry, nor do I see that such an ap- pointment could be made without interfering with it in the most serious manner. I am well aware that such a change as I propose would re- quire to be most minutely and carefully investigated before it is adopted. I am also well acquainted with the slow progress with which every improvement makes its way which has to contend with long established custom and long established in- terest. But I have the satisfaction of knowing that my views are supported by numerous eminent scientific gentlemen, who have examined them in their details, arid also by the more ad- vanced students, those who are best qualified to judge of the difficulties they have to encounter, and of the manner in which their studies may be most effectually facilitated. Should, then, no Lectures on Chemistry at all be given ? Far from it. They afford a cheap and easy method of pre- senting much interesting instruction to the student, and they may be attended with advantage either before or after, or at the same time with the Practical Course. But the profession- al student should not be bound to attend them as well as the extended Practical Course, unless at a reduced fee, and more