

Transactions of the Royal SocietSrnof Canada 



SECTION III 

 Series III JUNE and SEPTEMBER, 1918 Vol. XII 



The War and Science 

 By Dr. A. Stanley Mackenzie, F.R.S.C. 



(Delivered Tuesday, May 21, 1918.) 



I know that the general subject upon which I have chosen to 

 address you is one about which much has been said and written of 

 late; but, notwithstanding this fact, and the further fact that I 

 cannot hope to throw new light on the matter, I have felt justified 

 in my temerity by the impression which has been steadily growing 

 upon me that today Science has fallen upon the most momentous 

 period of its history, and that this annual gathering of representative 

 men of science of Canada might well afford to stop in its haste to deal 

 with specific achievements and local advances on some narrow sectors 

 of the field, in order to consider the major operations, and to try to 

 understand how the whole front line is swinging and what is the 

 strength of the latest forces which are now operating on it. 



We may discuss this subject from two quite different points of 

 view; we may point out that this is a war waged by science, and 

 may elaborate the applications of new and old scientific principles 

 in the most intricate and devilish engines of offense and the equally 

 ingenious and effective devices of defense, or in the most gruesome 

 new modes of death and agony and the equally wonderful methods 

 of preventing death, disease and permanent disablement, and of 

 soothing and alleviating pain and misery. Much has been said on this 

 both moral and unmoral status of science; fostered by us as the 

 great servant of civilization and the promoter of prosperity and 

 comfort to men, it is equally potent for the horrors of war, and the 

 same power that has banished diseases and ameliorated the terror of 

 wounds has poured out the deadly gas and high explosive on innocent 

 women and children. To the devoted adherent of Science this is a 

 most fascinating line of thought, and I am sure any one of us would be 

 voluble upon the part his special science, or corner of science, has 

 played in winning this war — for win we shall. The physicist would 

 like to tell you of the rapid progress he has made in the mastery of a 



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