ing Engineering from the third to the second year. With this revision of the schedule all students except those in Chemical Engineering will take their physcial laboratory work in close connection with the corresponding lecture and class room instruction to the mutual advantage of each. The desired increase of time in the second year for laboratory work to allow the introduction of certain work in electrical measurements, which was referred to in my report of last year, has not as yet been found feasible. The course of lectures on Heat, taken by all regular students in the third year, has been made to touch more closely than hitherto upon the applications of the principles and laws of that agent to engineering problems. This is now possible, as was not formerly the case, since the students now enter the Institute with some knowledge of physics. I have to record a continued steady increase in the apparatus of the Department available for purposes of instruction and investigation. Two important optical instruments have been purchased from the income of the bequest of Mrs. Augustus Lowell, which is allotted to the purchase of physical apparatus. The number and value of the instruments, which the Rogers Laboratory owes to this source, have become so considerable that I think it proper to put more formally on record a list of these. It has been customary to apply this special appropriation to the acquisition of costly apparatus which is likely to be of permanent value, rather than to pieces of minor importance. The following is a list of such, with the name of the maker and the date of the purchase. 1896. Cathetometer with two Telescopes; Société Génevoise, Geneva. 1899. Michelson Interferometer; Gaertner, Chicago. 1900. Landolt-Lippich Polariscope: Schmidt & Haensch, Berlin. 1904. Littrow Spectroscope, Michelson's pattern; Gaertner, Chicago. 1904. Weston Lecture Room Ammeter and Voltmeter; Weston Electrical Instrument Co., Newark. 1906. Ultra-violet Microscope; Zeiss Co., Jena. 1908. Abbé Crystal Refractometer; Zeiss Co., Jena. 1909. Brace Spectrophotometer; Schmidt & Haensch, Berlin. 1909. Martens Polarization Photometer; Schmidt & Haensch, Berlin. The advanced work carried on in past years in the Laboratory of Heat Measurements, under the charge of Professor Norton, has been continued so that its equipment is now fairly adequate for the work in hand. Instruction is given to substantially all students of the fourth year, excepting those in Civil Engineering and Architecture, in the measurement of high temperatures, the determination of the heat of combustion of fuels, and the efficiency of heat-insulating materials. Furthermore, special instruction bearing upon their particular professional studies is given students in Metallurgy and Chemistry. During the past year, the students pursuing the short course in Concrete Design in the Architectural Department undertook some experimental work in this laboratory, in the study of the action of fire on Portland cement concrete. Much experimentation has also been carried on in the way of measurements of the thermal conductivity of substances used for heat insulation at both high and low temperatures. Beginning with the thesis work of a graduate student in Architecture, there has been developed new apparatus for the study of the insulating value of the numerous substances now employed in protecting the steel work of modern buildings from fire. The precise methods of electric heating, together with the exceptional facilities which the laboratory possesses for high temperature measurement, have made possible the collection of valuable data on the effectiveness of the protection afforded by fire-proofing materials and methods. Likewise the study of those substances which are used for insulation in refrigerating devices, cold storage plants, and the so-called fireless cookers has been undertaken on specimens of considerable size. As a result the laboratory is now equipped to furnish instruction and to carry on research in these directions. A study has been made of the physical effects of temperature upon the materials used in building, and data have been collected concerning the physical properties of concrete, stone, brick, etc., at conflagration temperatures. In particular, the coefficients of expansion, the mechanical strength, elasticity, and specific heat of concrete at high temperatures have been the subject of much investigation. The ability of reinforced concrete to withstand sudden exposure to high temperature is now being studied, and numerous specimens of beams and columns of considerable size are ready for test. The additions to the apparatus of the laboratory during the year include several pyrometers, a number of electric furnaces and rheostats, two new combustion bombs, and apparatus for testing the thermal conductivity of materials used in construction. A 15 kilowatt transformer, with divided secondary, has also been constructed, according to the design and specifications of Professor Derr. The available working space of the laboratory has been somewhat increased by the removal of the direct current generating set, this being no longer necessary in view of the increased alternating current supply now available from the general electric power plant. Acting upon the recommendation of the Department and Faculty, the Corporation of the Institute towards the close of the last school year decided to establish as a separate Course, the scheme of studies, which for the previous eight years have been the Electrochemical option of the Course in Physics (VIII.) and which has thus been constituted Course XIV. Electrochemistry. The new Course will continue to be under the charge of Professor Goodwin, and the laboratories of Electrochemistry will as heretofore form a portion of the Rogers Laboratory of Physics. It may not be inappropriate at this time briefly to recall the purpose and leading features of this Course. As originally laid out by Professor Goodwin in 1901, it aimed to supply an opportunity for students to obtain a combined training, at that time unprovided for at the Institute or elsewhere in this country, in the theory and practice of applied electricity and of theoretical and applied chemistry, the essential features of Courses V. and VI., together with a considerable amount of distinctly professional work in electrochemistry. It was believed that there would be an increasing demand for graduates having a training, such as that proposed, in the rapidly developing electrochemical industries of the country, and that such has been the case, is shown by the recent establishment of similar courses of instruction in a number of our leading universities and technical schools. At present there are fifteen students registered in the Course. The total number of graduates, 19031909, is twenty-five, all of whom have obtained good positions and some very important ones. While the Course was planned to lead up to professional work in electrochemistry in the fourth year, it was believed that the instruction in the fundamental studies of chemistry and electricty should be of so broad and thorough a character, that a graduate would be well equipped to enter other fields of work than that of electrochemistry in its restricted sense, if he so desired. That the curriculum, which remains in its essential features as originally planned eight years since, has satisfactorily met this requirement, is shown by the wide range of occupations of the present graduates. Thus while about one-third are engaged in strictly electrochemical and electrometallurgical work, another third are engaged in electrical, mining and general engineering, while the remainder are well placed in various bureaus of the United States Government, or are engaged in patent law, scientific research, or teaching. The Course in Electrochemistry is necessarily somewhat rigorous in character, involving as it does a knowledge of the theory and practice of two sciences, chemistry and electricity, the latter highly mathematical in its nature. Only students of good ability have been advised to elect it, and no attempt has been made to attract large numbers. In fact, owing to the present congested condition of our laboratories, provision has not been made for more than ten or twelve students in the senior year. The Electrochemical Laboratories, in which the advanced work of the Course is carried out, consist of two rooms in the basement of the Walker Building. These were thoroughly equipped in 1903, one with twelve desks provided with every facility for electrochemical measurements of all kinds, the other with direct and alternating current electric power, electric furnaces, etc., for testing technical processes on a fairly large scale. Since the establishment of the Laboratory, it has been the policy to add each year such apparatus and accessories as would keep it up to date in its facilities for advanced instruction and research work. The most important acquisitions during the past year are an induction furnace, built by the American Furnace Co., for electrometallurgical work, this being one of the first of its kind to be installed for purposes of instruction in the country, and a new type of resistance furnace of 25 kilowatts capacity, built by the Hoskins Co., for maintaining temperatures up to 2000° C. With the growth of its work and added equipment, the laboratory of Applied Electrochemistry has now reached a very crowded condition, and additional space, as well as power, will soon be necessary, if the Laboratory is to continue to provide adequate facilities for all students desiring to elect this work. While this laboratory was primarily equipped for giving instruction to students making Electrochemistry their specialty, its facilities are available to properly prepared students in other Departments, such as those studying Mining, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. The lecture courses offered are also open to graduate students in these Departments. The instruction in Theoretical Electrochemistry is given by Professor Goodwin, and that in Applied Electrochemistry by Professor |