nnot understand the
theory.... Indeed, chemistry is indispensable to pyrotechny."

Much time and thought were given by Cutbush in the experimental
development of this particular subject in his own laboratory. In
reading upon the subject he had collected a vast material which was
then put to crucial experimental tests. These, outside of his
teaching hours, occupied his whole attention.

An outline of how the work in the chemical department of the United
States Military Academy was conducted will not be devoid of interest.

_First Year_

Theory and Experimental Chemistry.

_Second Year_

Application of Chemistry to the Arts, Manufactures and
Domestic Economy, constituting along with Mineralogy the
second course.

Pyrotechny naturally was developed quite extensively. Teachers of
chemistry will note with pleasure the questions which Cutbush arranged
for his student corps, particularly those questions which had to do
with pyrotechny:

"What is saltpetre? What is nitric acid? What are the sources
of saltpetre, and how it is obtained? How is it formed in
nitre beds, extracted, and refined? What circumstances are
necessary to produce nitre, and how does animal matter act in
its production? What is the difference between the old and
new process for refining saltpetre? What reagents are used to
discover the presence of foreign substances in nitre? What
are nitre caves? Where do they exist? What are the nitre
caves of the western country, and how is nitre extracted from
the earth? What proportion of nitre does the saltpetre of the
nitrate caves afford? What is the theory of the process for
extracting saltpetre from nitrous earth, or nitrate of lime?
What is sulphur? How is it obtained, and how is it purified
for the manufacture of gunpowder? Of what use is sulphur in
the composition of gunpowder? Does it add to the effective
force of gunpowder? What is charcoal? What is the best mode
of carbonizing wood for the purpose of gunpowder? What woods
are preferred for this purpose? In the charring of wood, what
part is converted into coal, and what gas and acid are
disengaged? What is the use of charcoal in gunpowder? What is
gunpowder? What are considered the best proportions for
forming it, and what constitutes the difference between
powder for war, for gunning, and for mining? How does the