and coding this particular information must be a useful guide. Further, individual sections of the 

 Biology Code can be used for coding information other than that from chemical-biological tests; the 

 details would require being reduced or expanded, according to the special needs of the project, but 

 they are presented here as a basis for a beginning. 



A Brief History of the Development of the 

 Biology Code 



While the Biology Code and coding procedures must be considered to be the products of the 

 Center's early experiments in coding, much important assistance came initially from the several sub- 

 committees whose members were appointed by the Chairman of the National Research Council to serve 

 in an advisory capacity to the Center. The members and chairmen of these committees are listed in 

 another place. One of these committees in particular, the Biological Codification Panel, the Chairman 

 of which was Dr. McKeen Cattell (later. Dr. Raimon L. Beard), guided the first experimental coding 

 efforts. 



A detailed comparative review of the coding schemes tried prior to 1951 can not be made here. 

 It is hoped that this can be recorded eventually in a history of the CBCC. However, the following 

 paragraphs record an outline of the events and preliminary codes leading to the present. 



In 1949, a code was organized whose symbols were designed for use in recording biological 

 information on IBM punched cards, subsequent to recording the information in code written on "work 

 sheets". This code was entitled the General Biological Code of the Biological Codification Panel, 

 Chemical- Biological Coordination Center. As its name suggests, the items of the code represented 

 generalizations of information from chemical-biological tests; the items of the present Code's Field 

 T-3 illustrate the character of the items of the earlier General Biological Code . A few examples here 

 will assist in understanding this quality of generality: "Information is available relative to viruses"; 

 "The test compound is a plant growth stimulant"; "The test compound affects the blood and circulation"; 

 "The test compound is an insecticide"; "The test compound is a carcinoclastic agent". 



The total General Biological Code consisted of approximately 225 of these items, each of which 

 had a different code symbol. With that Code, a single IBM punched card was used for each chemical 

 for which the CBCC had chemical-biological information; on the card, Columns 1 through 54 were 

 designated to be used for information about the chemical, leaving only 22 columns for punching symbols 

 for biological information. (A description of the general IBM punched card will be found in the Appendix. ) 

 The symbols for the items of the Code each consisted of three numerical units; the first two indicated 

 a specific IBM punched card column and the third indicated the specific code item. Thus, by using 

 the three IBM zone punches, each column afforded space for 12 code symbols and. In the 22 columns, 

 a total of 264 symbols were available for 264 code items of such general nature as illustrated above. 

 On this single IBM card, all information collected about the given compound's biological effects was 

 punched; in other words, if any additional biological information were obtained, the card was retrieved 

 from the file and the additional information punched on it, rather than placing each piece of information 

 on a separate IBM punched card. 



This General Biological Code represented the product of the meetings of the Biological 

 Codification Panel from early 1946 to the end of 1948. That Code was used for approximately a year, 

 resulting in a large file of work sheets. It became apparent, however, from the experimental use of 

 the files built on the Code, that the pattern was inadequate and it was recommended, therefore, that 

 a complete revision be made of the pattern. 



The original procedure described above, which used only a single IBM card for each chemical, 

 with the card containing all biological information collected relating to the chemical, was very quickly 

 altered because of difficulties encountered in information retrieval. A new system was established 

 whereby a separate IBM card was punched for each piece of biological information (each card having 

 the information about the chemical used punched in Columns 1 through 54). The CBCC refers to these 

 two systems, historically, as its "single card system" and "multiple card system". In using a 

 separate card for each piece of biological information, it meant that on each card only one symbol 

 would be punched for biological Information in the entire 22 IBM punched card columns. 



The next development was the preparation of a special experimental code resembling more the 

 detailed character of the present Code. This intermediate code was designed specifically for 



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