The early teaching of chemistry

They don’t make student satisfaction quotes like they used to.

'Dr Cullen was always at pains to examine his students from time to time on those parts of his course that had already been delivered; and wherever he found any one at a loss, he explained it anew, in a clear, familiar manner, suited to the capacity of the student.'

This is a quote from a former student of William Cullen, who took up the chemical lectureship at the University of Glasgow in 1747. He held the first independent chemistry lectureship in Britain and Ireland, with chemistry previously being what we today consider a service course to medicine.

What did Cullen teach? A syllabus from 1748 survives, and shows that this was an exciting time for chemistry.