Excerpt from Text-Book of Chemistry: Inorganic and Organic With Toxicology, for Students of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Biology In the preface to the earlier editions of this book the author clearly specified its scope and purpose. The general plan of the work remains unaltered, and may be indicated by the following extracts from the preface to the sixth edition. "The main purpose of the section on inorganic chemistry is to supply certain data which shall serve as the text upon which to discuss the general principles of chemistry. It is the opinion of the author that the object of chemical teaching should not be to lay up in the memory of the student a store of isolated facts, but rather to train his mind in those general principles by which he may reason out chemical problems for himself. If a teacher of chemistry to medical students aim merely to supply them with chemical facts, he and they are foreordained to disappointment, but if the student be led to 'think in chemistry,' the success and possible extent of the teaching, both in the fundamentals and in the superstructure of organic and physiological chemistry, which can be attained, will be surprising and delightful to both instructor and pupil. And in this connection it must be said that the order of consideration of the several subjects which has been here followed, because it is logical, is not recommended in the teaching of students. The study should begin with that of a few elements and compounds, the consideration of the general physical and chemical principles being taken up as material for their discussion is supplied. "The section on organic chemistry has been rearranged in the light of further information upon the relationship of substances, and somewhat extended, the prominence given to this branch of the subject the author believes to be justified, notwithstanding its intricacy and the impossibility of teaching it satisfactorily to those not well grounded in general chemistry, because of the intimate connection of organic chemistry with physiology and with modern pharmacy, and the impossibility of the comprehension of the problems of animal and pharmaceutical chemistry without the possession of an adequate knowledge of the principles of organic chemistry." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.