344 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1936 



passage of the water. Third, once added, these diatoms have shells 

 of such a nature as to be insoluble in the water or in any constituent 

 of the molasses; they are the only organisms in the water that would 

 persist indefinitely, resisting decomposition in the new medium, re- 

 maining as definite evidence of their origin. Fourth, the small, light 

 shells of the diatoms could settle but very slowly through the thick 

 molasses, and owing to the agitation by the vessel, would become 

 evenly distributed throughout the mass and remain suspended in 

 every portion of it. And last, but not of least importance, here was 

 an object, abundant, and so specific in character as to serve as con- 

 clusive evidence and infallible proof of guilt merely upon sight, the 

 presence of which could be ascertained in a moment simply by plac- 

 ing a drop of the sample under the microscope, obviating the necessity 

 of long and troublesome chemical analj'ses or of other uncertain 

 criteria. 



With this prospect in mind, samples of sediment from several ship- 

 ments of molasses were sent without delay to our laboratory, where 

 abundant specimens of diatoms vv-ere found in them — diatoms which, 

 furthermore, frequent the waters along the course traversed by these 

 vessels. Upon the basis of this information, I am told, a number of 

 captains had their sailing licenses revoked, and the method of detec- 

 tion was so simple and so sure that the practice of adulterating 

 molasses by sea water dilution immediately became a mere episode of 

 history. Here again is a unique application, based solely upon the 

 characteristic structure of the diatom. 



Thus the delicate shell structure, which is so variously and so ad- 

 mirably suited to the specific needs of the diatoms, is equally well 

 suited to the environment and the conditions of nature under which 

 they live, and at the same time offers qualities well adapted to many 

 and diverse purposes and needs of man. Many more examples might 

 be given of the numerous and unique uses of this material in all 

 phases of industry, but the foregoing will suffice to illustrate that it 

 is almost solely upon one unique quality — the microscopic form or 

 structure — that the importance of the diatoms depends. Around the 

 characteristic shape of almost infinitesimally small, thin-walled, 

 glass shells great industries have grown. The power of little forces 

 commands our deep respect. Thus is brought out the significance of 

 the little quotation "Maximis in Minimis", used by Girard about 1860 

 in an obscure diatom paper, his only publication on the subject and 

 one of no real scientific consequence. Girard was not a diatomist, 

 and he wrote nothing about the subject worth remembering, but we 

 may well pause to pay him tribute for the prophetic spirit which en- 

 abled him to see, beyond mere visual pleasure and professional in- 

 terest, the deeper beauty and significance of the dainty objects he was 

 observing : "Very great in very small things." 



