Though guided-inquiry learning, discovery learning, student-centered learning, and problem-based learning are commonly believed to be recent new approaches to the teaching of chemistry, in fact, the concept dates back to the late 19th century. Here, we will show that it was the British chemist, Henry Armstrong, who pioneered this technique, calling it the heuristic method of instruction. It became widely used in Britain (and Japan), especially in British girls' schools. Here, we trace the origin, success, and later decline of the application of heurism to chemistry laboratory teaching in Britain and highlight the role of women chemistry teachers. Finally, we briefly review the independent development of the guided-inquiry method for chemistry laboratory work in the United States.