Jan., lyicSj The Relation of War to Chemistry 67 



taking. It involves the use of all vital human endeavors, and 

 therefore to varying extent, of all applied science. On the one 

 hand, it involves the utilization of medical science to maintain 

 physical efficiency and speedily repair damage to the fighting 

 machine. On the other hand, it involves the utilization of 

 agricultural, physical and chemical science in feeding and 

 clothing the whole military and naval establishment, and manu- 

 facturing the equipment, armament, and "concentrated energy" 

 or explosives consumed by the fighting force. It is stated that 

 it requires three men in the shops to maintain one man in the 

 army and seven men for one in the navy. It is evident, there- 

 fore that it is the applied portions of science that are most used 

 and hence that grow most under war's influence. It is common 

 experience, however, that the stretching into new domains and 

 the striving for new goals by applied science enriches the feeding 

 ground of unapplied science and uncovers fertile fields for the 

 patient and quiet research w^hich follows and which often 

 becomes the very backbone of science itself. These results are 

 scarcely visible and will not mature in any event, for years 

 after the war, so that we can see at present little good effect 

 upon unapplied science and we feel quite certain that the reverse 

 influences have the upper hand. 



Although it would not be wise at present even if we had the 

 time to go into detail in discussing this subject, nor would it 

 profit you particularly, yet it may be useful to emphasize 

 certain points of view which come sharply to our attention when 

 we attempt to survey the field. 



war's damage to unapplied chemistry. 



We could scarcely expect to estimate the retarding effect of 

 the war on chemistry, because we cannot pry into it deeply 

 and broadly enough to prove our impressions, for research is 

 partly in the minds of scientific w^orkers. However, certain 

 signs of influences actually exist which tend to weaken and 

 retard progress. The American Chemical Society of some 9,000 

 members, the largest chemical society in the world, publishes 

 twice a month the journal "Chemical Abstracts. Its editorial 

 offices are in the Chemistry Building, a few steps from the one 

 in which we are now assembled. "Chemical Abstracts" has 

 for some years covered the field of chemistry by abstracts more 

 thoroughly than any foreign journal of the kind. It reviews 



