In the preparation of this book the author has used a part of his work, "Experimental and Analytical Chemistry," now out of print, and has added enough new matter to make of it a complete text-book of elementary general chemistry, sufficient for the wants of college students beginning the subject.<br><br>In too many instances the student is introduced to qualitative analysis as his first laboratory work, and this is followed by gravimetric analysis to complete a course. This plan certainly gives the beginner a distorted idea of the relative importance of analytical chemistry in the study of the science; for the beginner a knowledge of the properties of a substance, the methods of its preparation and its uses is far more important than acquaintance with methods of separation, and general illustrative experiments should, therefore, be made the foundation work in the laboratory.<br><br>It is the belief of the author that much that is demonstrated by the teacher in the classroom may profitably be repeated by the student in the laboratory. Repetition is necessary to fix elementary principles thoroughly in the mind of the beginner. The list of experiments here offered embraces the work of this character which has been required in the authors classes during the past ten years.