524 Resignation of Dr. IViley [Mar. 



Wiley made a number of mistakes. That he did not know everything 

 in chemistry or biology was cheerfully confessed very often by Dr. 

 Wiley himself. He neither claimed nor pretended to be an up-to- 

 date biological chemist, but bis practical knowledge of agriculttiral 

 chemistry places him among the distinguished scientists in that par- 

 ticular field. His keen comprehension of the dangers to the health 

 of the people from the use of impure food and drugs, and his success 

 in advancing measures to prevent the distribution of fraudulent 

 nutritional and medicinal products, give him high rank as a pubhc 

 sanitarian. It was vastly more important and serviceable for Dr. 

 Wiley, as chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, to be an expert in these 

 matters, than to know the constitutional formula of acetanilid. If 

 he was "crooked" or a "grafter," as some "experts" whisper, it 

 seems singular that no one has come forward openly with facts to 

 prove him dishonest or degraded. 



Dr. Wiley's official conduct appeared to be characterized by the 

 policy: "When in doubt give the public the benefit of the doubt." 

 That such an administrative policy cannot always be wholly right 

 or ultra-scientific is obvious, but it accords with the piain duty of 

 official public service, and is certainly better and safer for the 

 greatest number of people involved than the opposite policy, or the 

 rule : " Never be in doubt — be cock sure ! " 



The writer believes that Dr. Wiley's administration of the Bu- 

 reau of Chemistry will long be held in grateful remembrance for the 

 earnest, able and successful Performance of duty which characterized 

 it. Its defects — and every administration has many of them — will 

 be recalled in the light of a generous estimate on the personality of a 

 strong, zealous, faithful and genial public servant. We hope Dr. 

 Wiley will enjoy many more years of usefulness in the great work 

 to which he has been consistently devoted. 



I. O. N. 



Attention may be called to one or two helpful publications on 



the biochemistry of plants or animals. For some reason the excel- 



lent "Pflanzenchemie" of Hans Euler, professor of chemistry in 



Helpful books in the University of Stockholm, does not seem to 



biochemistry be known to many who would be interested in a 



piodern concise presentation of the physiology of plants. The work 



