Departure of Professor Ostwald

Professor Wilhelm Ostwald, the visiting professor from the University of Leipzig, who has given Physical Chemistry here during the first half-year, has left for New York, where he will deliver ten lectures at Columbia University prior to his departure for Germany.

At a farewell dinner at the Colonial Club Professor Ostwald expressed his gratitude for the friendly reception he had received and spoke especially of the receptiveness of American students for new ideas and their eagerness to follow them out. In reply, President Eliot thanked Professor Ostwald for his work here and dwelt upon the intellectual debt which America owes to Germany. The other speakers were Professor Shaler, Professor Francke, Professor Royce, Professor Munsterberg, Professor Goodwin, Professor Hall and A. A. Noyes of the institute of Technology.

During the half-year Professor Ostwald has conducted chemistry 17, a course on the fundamental conceptions of chemistry, dealing chiefly with the underlying generalizations of the subject; chemistry 18, a course on catalysis, concerning the practical and theoretical aspects of catalytic action; and Philosophy 3a, a course on the philosophy of natural science.

In addition to his regular work, Professor Ostwald delivered in December, the Ingersoll Lecture on "Individuality and Immortality." He also gave a course of six lectures at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a course of four lectures at the Lowell Institute on the physical chemistry of painting. Besides he read a paper before the American Academy of Arts and Sciences of which he was elected an honorary member, and spoke at three meetings of the Physico-Chemical Club of the University.