1914I Editoriais 339 



each member, no matter how remotely placed or how depressing his 

 immediate environment, has the courage and enthusiasm in his work 

 which comes from being connected with those who have the profound 

 conviction that their branch is one of prime importance and dignity. 



I believe in special societies for specialists and I have nO' fear of the 

 so-€alled narrowing influence of specialization. I feel rather that any 

 possible danger in that direction is more than offset by the Stimulus to 

 go deeply into our subject which comes from association with those of 

 like interests. Chemistry, the fundamental science that must always 

 guide our work, offers unlimited opportunity for broadening the mind. 



It is my firm conviction that a national society of biological chem- 

 ists should be organized at once. There are in this country, as near 

 as I can ascertain, about one hundred active workers in this field, using 

 the term in its widest sense. A very small minority of those with 

 whom I have corresponded are undecided as to the wisdom of forming 

 such a society, but are willing to accept the action of the majority. 

 Some of these, again, have raised the question as to the advisability of 

 asking the Physiological Society to give us a separate chemical section. 



Many of us have given careful thought to this proposition, but have 

 decided that it will be best to have an independent Organization. I have 

 already outlined some of the advantages that would follow on Organ- 

 ization, and I can only repeat that I believe these advantages would be 

 greater if in name and fact the Organization is independent. I believe 

 that we can have a society on broader lines than is possible to a mere 

 section. We wish to draw into our society the biological chemists of 

 all departments of biology including those organic and physical chem- 

 ists who take a lively interest in our subject, but who would perhaps 

 not care to join a physiological society. In fact, since a large number 

 of our proposed membership are primarily chemists rather than phy- 

 siologists, we should be marching under a wrong banner, no matter 

 how great the f reedom granted by the parent society. 



This desire for, or prejudice, if you will, in favor of, entire inde- 

 pendence in name and action, would equally forbid our Organization 

 as a section under the American Chemical Society. While recognizing 

 that the various branches of science are mutually dependent and con- 

 stantly receiving help from each other we still contend that special 

 devotion in each individual branch alone insures success. In other 

 words, we should stand for independence with interdependence. 



The first scientific meeting of the Biochemical Society was held 



