STAGE 2. Results 1st Class, 229; 2nd Class, 989; Failed, 646; Total, 1,864. The number of papers in this stage which may be designated absolute failures appears to be smaller than it used to be, but, on the other hand, the papers that are distinctly good are very few. A striking feature is the large amount of inaccurate statement which may result from the mistaken effort on the part of many candidates to attack questions concerning the subject matter of which they have no real knowledge. The result is that many papers are received containing some good answers, together with some which seem to show a want of apprehension of principles, and a strange ignorance of facts. To tabulate the chief properties of chlorine, bromine, and iodine so as to show their relation to one another, and to indicate that they belong to the same family of elements, would appear to be a requirement which would be easily met by students even at this early stage, but though many tabular statements were put in there were few attempts to institute the comparison desired. Then, in regard to facts, great ignorance was displayed: for example, (Q. 21) one volume of CO was said to combine with one volume of oxygen; (Q. 22) calcium carbonate was said to be decomposed by boiling in the water, and CaO precipitated; (Q. 26) a common mistake was to represent CrSO, or FeSO, as replacing the alkali sulphate in chrome and iron alums; (Q. 24) the manufacture of bleaching powder was described, but the action of acids was almost always incorrectly represented. As nearly all candidates who attempted this question state that chlorine is liberated by the action of carbonic acid on bleaching powder, it may be as well to explain here that whatever constitution is attributed to bleaching powder, hypochlorous acid, and not chlorine, is the volatile product. This can be expressed by either of the following equations, which show that the chloride part of the molecule is unaffected by carbonic acid or carbon dioxide in the presence of water. I. CaCl2Ca(CIO)2 + CO2 + H2O = CaCl2 + CaCO3 + 2пCIO The peculiar chlorinous smell of bleaching powder is due to hypochlorous acid liberated in this way. Chlorine is evolved only when a strong acid is used. STAGE 3. Results: 1st Class, 21; 2nd Class, 158; Failed, 218; Total, 397. The papers were for the most part of poor quality. Two questions in particular were answered in an unsatisfactory manner. Q. 46. Explain carefully how the equivalent, atomic weight and molecular weight of mercury or of zinc have been determined. Q. 48. Define the term "acid." In the light of your definition give reasons for assigning or refusing the name "acid " to aqueous solutions of the following:-Hydrogen sulphide, ordinary sodium phosphate, sodium bi-sulphate, copper sulphate, ethyl alcohol. The doctrine of ions completely overshadows facts in the view of these students, and seems to have been used by their teachers without sufficient preparatory experimental or explanatory foundation. Wild answers toother questions are quite common, such as "anhydrous hydrogen peroxide has been prepared by the direct combination of measured quantities of ozone and hydrogen," or "ammonium amalgam is prepared by grinding ammonia and mercury together in a mortar.' Very few knew anything about anhydrous hydrogen peroxide, the formula of the carbonyls were seldom given correctly, and the answers about barium carbonate and barium hydroxide were very bad. Added to the lack of chemical knowledge, the misapplication of words and the grotesque spelling were in too many cases deplorable. The word approximate" is commonly understood by these candidates to mean " inaccurate," as in the paper of 71530, who writes concerning the law of Dulong and Petit, that "though two (sic) approximate to afford a direct method for finding atomic weights," &c. Another frequently occurring expression is "solution of brine," meaning a solution of common salt. Attention has been repeatedly drawn to the unsatisfactory answers in Section II. and the Examiners cannot but express their belief once more that the majority of the candidates who attempt these questions have none of that knowledge of manufacturing processes obtained at first hand or from the pages of the larger treatises which is prescribed by the syllabus. HONOURS. Results 1st Class, 1; 2nd Class, 7; Failed, 12; Total, 20. The most prominent defects in these papers on Theoretical Chemistry arise from imperfect knowledge of the current literature of the subject. Many answers were given to the question (62) about nitrogen trioxide, but none were satisfactory, and no candidate could show much knowledge of the application of electrolytic methods in Organic Chemistry (Q. 63). The chemistry of iodine compounds was also very imperfect in most cases, such compounds as the polyiodides, iodonium and iodoxy compounds being generally ignored, and even the iodates and periodates were imperfectly described. Out of 20 candidates, 1 was awarded First Class and 7 Second Class Honours. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, PRACTICAL, Results 1st Class, 439; 2nd Class, 722; Failed, 306; Total, 1,467. The results are, on the whole, fair. The most unsatisfactory features of the work arise from lack of thought. In the first exercise the students were asked to apply heat to a powder in a dry test tube and record the effects observed. The powder consisted of a mixture either of mercuric iodide and zinc oxide or of mercuric iodide and cuprous iodide. Instead of following instructions many of the candidates proceeded to apply litmus, lime water, etc., and then to write out a formal table on the "experiment, observation inference" plan, wholly ignoring the facts to be observed. The training of the intelligence, which should be the highest aim of teaching, is not yet the definite and paramount aim of many science teachers. The same defect is also apparent in the answers to the other two exercises. A large number of candidates fail to distinguish between "loss of weight' and "residue," thus giving wrong results of experiments otherwise correctly done. If this mistake arises, as is possible, from misunderstanding of the word "residue," it ought to be put right by the teachers. This is by no means the first time that this kind of error has been noticed. STAGE 2. Results 1st Class, 556; 2nd Class, 636; Failed, 444; Total, 1,636. The general impression derived from a perusal of these papers is, as in previous years, the superiority of the quantitative over the qualitative work. A feature to be regretted is the number of cases in which things not present are found in the substances supplied for qualitative analysis. This generally arises from imperfect separations, e.g., when lead is present the candidates also find aluminium. There is also, in certain schools, a tendency to make shots" at supposed constituents of the mixtures by means of individual tests without attempting separations, and the condition of valency in which iron, for example, occurs is very rarely ascertained. There is no excuse for slipshod work of this kind if the students have had only a reasonable amount of practice, as the use of books is allowed during the examination. It would almost appear from the results sent in by some candidates that they have used the book for the first time in the examination room. In the theoretical paper the customary ignorance of the explanation of analytical processes and reactions was displayed. It would appear that very little teaching is given in this direction. STAGE 3. Results: 1st Class, 11; 2nd Class, 155; Failed, 413; Total, 579. The qualitative analysis was fair on the whole, but not so good as might be expected in this stage, the majority of the candidates receiving only from 30 to 40 marks out of the 75 allotted to this part of the work. The chief mistakes may be grouped under the following heads : (a) Arsenic acid often recorded as phosphoric acid, being missed in group ii., and noticed on the application of the molybdate test. (b) In not a few cases phosphates were not looked for in group iii., and calcium and zinc consequently escaped recognition. (c) The phosphate separation was in many cases not carried out properly, with the result that calcium phosphate was recorded as alumina. (d) With five exceptions the valency of the iron and arsenic was not investigated. The quantitative work was for the most part quite inaccurate, the percentage of carbon dioxide being usually returned 20 or 30 per cent. too high. The estimation of copper gravimetrically was almost invariably 5 or more per cent. too high. This was due to the use of caustic soda or potash as a precipitant, thus contaminating the cupric oxide with iron and with carbonate of calcium, both of which were present in the mineral. Those candidates who precipitated and weighed the copper as sulphide got fairly good results. HONOURS. Results 1st Class,; 2nd Class, 6; Failed, 8; Total, 14. The work given was the following: JULY 4TH, 1906. 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. The solution given contains one salt. Identify it and estimate by two methods the amount present per litre of solution. The solutions given to alternate candidates contained 50 grams per litre of phosphite or hyposulphite of sodium. One only succeeded in identifying the salt, and his estimations were not only wide of the mark, but did not agree together. JULY 5TH, 1906. 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. The solution given contains the chloride of tin together with a small quantity of iron. Estimate the amount of stannous chloride present and the total amount of tin per litre. Most of the candidates estimated the total tin with fair accuracy, but the amount of stannous chloride was usually 10 to 20 per cent. wrong. JULY 6TH, 1906. 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. From the salt supplied prepare the corresponding organic base. If solid, recrystallise it and determine the melting point; if liquid, distil and determine the boiling point. Prepare a crystallised specimen of one derivative, not a salt. Determine whether this is a primary, secondary, or tertiary base, and make some experiments with the object of discovering its constitution. Diphenylamine and benzidine sulphates were given to alternate candidates. The work was generally very unsatisfactory. The best of the candidates got a clean crystallised specimen of the base and determined its melting point; one or two ascertained the character of the base as primary or secondary, but the specimens of derivatives handed in were not what they professed to be. One candidate was unable to commence work, not knowing how to proceed, another obtained salicylic acid from the material supplied, and a third discovered that it was tannin and proceeded to make gallic acid from it! In these and several other cases the candidates should not have been admitted to the examination, as they had confessedly received no proper preparation in practical organic chemistry. Eight out of fourteen candidates failed, the remaining six being placed in the second class. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, THEORETICAL. STAGE 1. Results 1st Class, 39; 2nd Class, 136; Failed, 86; Total, 261. The papers represented approximately the standard of former years. Q. 10 relating to fermentation was answered in the least satisfactory manner, after making due allowance for the fact that the subject is difficult, and any approach to a complete answer was not to be expected at this stage. STAGE 2. Results 1st Class, 46; 2nd Class, 107; Failed, 98; Total, 251. On the whole the papers were good. The only question which calls for remark is No. 32, relating to alizarin, which was attempted by few, and only in one or two cases with much success. STAGE 3. Results 1st Class, 1; 2nd Class, 23; Failed, 11; Total, 35. The answers in this stage were more satisfactory than last year, and call for little detailed comment. Q. 45 relating to the " Grignard reaction and Q. 46 concerning the constitution of papaverine or atropine were generally avoided. Neglect of the former is remarkable in view of the fact that the chemical journals for the last two years have teemed with applications of the method, and it was expected that the teachers would be alive to its importance. HONOURS. See Report on Inorganic Chemistry, Theoretical, Honours. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, PRACTICAL. STAGE 1. Results 1st Class, 76; 2nd Class, 50; Failed, 39; Total 165. This work was well done on the whole. STAGE 2. Results 1st Class, 76; 2nd Class, 65; Failed, 74; Total, 215. The descriptive written part of the examination was not very satisfactory. In writing out instructions for the production of some compound, which the candidate had himself prepared, sufficient detail was not given, and generally no attention whatever was paid to the quantities of materials used or the yield obtained. In the practical work the second exercise was not well done. As a rule the candidates, in spite of the precise instructions to the contrary given in the question, devoted all their efforts to identifying the substance by means of colour reactions, and paid little or no attention to ascertaining its chief characters. STAGE 3. Results 1st Class, 30; 2nd Class, 20; Failed, 21; Total, 71. : The practical work was very poor. The preparation of the silver salt was carried out successfully, so far as could be judged from the written accounts (often very brief), but the preparation for analysis did not seem to be understood. The salt was drained on a tile, or on filter paper, or in a desiccator or on a water bath, and analysed in a wet state, as some of the candidates even pointed out! Four candidates out of thirty-five alone had the good sense to dry the salt in a steam oven until the weight was constant before proceeding to decompose it by heat. It is difficult to imagine how students could have reached this stage without being instructed in such elementary matters. HONOURS. See Report on Inorganic Chemistry, Practical, Honours. DAY EXAMINATIONS. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, THEORETICAL. STAGE 1. Results 1st Class, 235; 2nd Class, 127; Failed, 65; Total, 427. Though many of the answers were childish in style, indicating the youth of the candidates, the papers were on the whole creditable, and the diagrams were much better than those of the Evening Students. The work represents an improvement on the results of last year. STAGE 2. Results 1st Class, 93; 2nd Class, 334; Failed, 253; Total, 680. : There were a few excellent papers, but the majority were very weak, and many wholly unfit to present themselves in Stage 2. It is remarkable what a large number of students persist in the belief that steam is decomposed by red hot copper, and how many introduced this idea into their answers to Q. 1 about the method of determining the composition of water by weight. There is also rather more evidence than usual of pure cram. The preparation of marsh gas for example is represented by many as resulting from "the action of caustic soda on sodium acetate," or even "by adding excess of caustic soda to acetic acid," the statement being accompanied by a picture of a glass flask with thistle funnel and delivery tube, and with a correct equation, showing that the method has never been seen in operation, but has been learned simply from a book. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, PRACTICAL. STAGE 1. Results 1st Class, 100; 2nd Class, 55; Failed, 42; Total, 197. The results are similar to those of last year. The answers to Exercise B show that many of these students have learned to weigh with tolerable |