In addition to the Chemistry IBM Punched Card File and the Chemistry Code Sheet File, Informa- 

 tion about each chemical was recorded in a third way, on 3" x 5" index cards. A card was prepared for 

 each chemical, giving its Serial Number, its molecular formula, the name by which it is indexed in 

 Chemical Abstracts, and, whenever known, its structural formula. A typical Chemistry Index Card is 

 illustrated by Figure 9. The CBCC maintained three complete files of these index cards; arrangement 

 was by Chemical Serial Number (CBC Number) in one, by Chemical Abstracts name in the second, and 

 molecular formula in the third. Duplication of each card (for the three files and for other purposes) 

 was by typing the information originally on a 3" x 5" Ditto master; all Ditto masters were kept in a 

 fourth file for any future duplication needs. 



106,991 



Butyrophenone, Z-ethyl- 



Sz"l6° 



// w 



COCHIC^H^)^ 



Figure 9 

 Chemistry Index Card 



IV. THE CBCC FILES 



Although the Center's activities have been terminated, the information files, at the date of this 

 publication, have not been destroyed nor placed in permanent storage. On the basis of their being still 

 available and on the assumption that even as static files they will have value for a period of time, the 

 following descriptions imply their current existence. 



Code Sheet Files : 



It has been explained that all the biological information recorded by the CBCC is on the Biology 

 Code Sheets and the information on specific chemicals is on the Chemistry Code Sheets. These were 

 the prime sources of information at the Center, just as books are the basic sources of information in a 

 library. The Biology Code Sheets and Chemistry Code Sheets are both filed according to CBCC Chemical 

 Serial Numbers in the same cabinets. 



Inasmuch as information from tests on any one compound may be derived from several sources, 

 a compound may be represented in the file by many Biology Code Sheets. Under any one Chemical 

 Serial Number, therefore, all Biology Code Sheets bearing that Serial Number are filed according to 

 the Biology Code Sheet Numbers. Each chemical for which there are biological test data in the file is 

 represented by only a single Chemistry Code Sheet, so the total Chemical Code Sheet File is of con- 

 siderably smaller proportions than the Biology Code Sheet File. 



Regarding the Code Sheet File independently (i. e. , without the Biology IBM Punched Card Files), 

 Sheets can be associated and retrieved only by the Chemical Serial Number under which they are filed. 

 No index file of Code Sheet Numbers was maintained for the Code Sheet File; therefore, a Sheet known 

 only by its Sheet Number can not be retrieved. (This was occasionally an inconvenience and consider- 

 ation was given to establishing this index file. ) Neither were Indexes maintained of authors or infor- 

 mation sources (journals and other publications, CBCC Screening Program test reports, etc. ) by which 

 Code Sheets might be reassembled to represent all information of a given article, a given screening 

 laboratory, a given author, etc. These are not, however, regarded as deficiencies of the Code Sheet 

 Files, since, operating within its specific objectives, the CBCC found little reason for associating the 

 information in these ways. The only approach to the information on the Code Sheets, beyond the 

 chemical identities by which they are organized, is through the index provided by the IBM Punched Card 

 Files, described below. 



207 



