Connecting Applied Chemistry Teaching to Manufacturing

Abstract

Changes in the academic landscape of chemistry in Japan in March 1886 created two departments with the common origin in Atkinson’s teaching program at Tokyo University: the Department of Chemistry, which has been examined in chapters 5 and 6, and the Department of Applied Chemistry. An ideal way to understand how pedagogically different these departments were would be to enter classrooms in both departments and listen carefully to lectures. If this is difficult or impossible, the second best method would be to read a textbook written by one of their professors, such as the one quoted at the beginning of this chapter. You will soon find that this is no ordinary textbook of chemistry. Indeed, the Department of Applied Chemistry offered no ordinary chemistry teaching. The focus of this chapter is to understand how this came about.

Soak silk overnight in a solution of alum or aluminum chloride that is made slightly basic with the specific gravity of 8 to 12 units (using Twaddell’s hydrometer [which was widely used in Britain]) and steep it in a warm 4 percent solution of calcium carbonate or in a solution of sodium silicate (1 unit of specific gravity on Twaddell scale) and rinse it thoroughly with water. Then put the silk into the cold liquid with 15 percent of muddy yellow alizarin and 2 percent of calcium acetate and gradually bring it to the boil for one hour and soak it for another 20 minutes. Rinse it with water and then put the silk in a soap solution mixed with a touch of stannous chloride and warm it. If the color is not bright enough, warm the silk in the soap solution again and rinse it in water. Finally, soak the silk in water containing acetic acid or tartaric acid and wring and dry it. You will get a brighter red color if you add a small amount of turkey-red oil.

(Takamatsu Toyokichi on red dyeing silk with alizarin, 1895)¹