344 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 193 5 



normal life cycle of the plant in the field, except that it is greatly 

 compressed and fore-shortened in time. By appropriate aseptic sur- 

 gical procedures we have removed carefully measured parts of the 

 food resources stored in the cotyledons of the cantalouj) seeds we 

 have used, and then observed the relative performance of such muti- 

 lated seedlings as compared with the normal controls, in respect of 

 growth and duration of life. The net result is to demonstrate that 

 the mutilated plants grow much larger and live many times longer, 

 as compared with the normal controls, than they would be expected 

 to in proportion to the amount of matter and energy for living 

 available to them after the operation. The results indicated clearly 

 that the operated seedlings utilized their available food resources 

 much more effectively than the normal plant does. It is as though 

 an inhibitor had been removed from the plant, freeing its potentiali- 

 ties for more adequate expression. 



The possibilities suggested by these experiments seem far-reaching, 

 though admittedly the exploration of the field has only just begun. 

 Work in this direction on plants and lower animals may result in 

 such an understanding of the physiology of releasing normally inhib- 

 ited biological j^otentialities as to enable man to unleash effectively 

 and usefully more of his own energies. 



In the field of human biology the admitted and crying need is for 

 adequate synthesis of existing Imowledge. It is an obvious truism 

 that we Imow more in detail about the biology of man than about 

 that of any other organism. Anatomists, physiologists, anthropolo- 

 gists, psychologists, sociologists, and economists have, by analytical 

 methods, piled up a body of detailed information about man that 

 is literally colossal. But what does it mean for humanity? Every 

 thoughtful person will admit that there is a kind of moral necessity 

 to go forward in the attempt to get a better and more comprehen- 

 sive understanding of the whole nature of man. The material, mech- 

 anized civilization he has evolved may easily become a monster to 

 destroy him unless he learns better to comprehend, develop, and 

 control his biological nature. If inventions and discoveries caimot 

 be intelligently managed after they are made, they are lively to be a 

 curse rather than a blessing. 



The bulk of scientific effort is, and always has been, directed to- 

 ward analysis unaccompanied by synthesis. Scientific men have 

 mainly left it to philosophers and literary men to be the synthesiz- 

 ers of their data, shirking the task themselves with a few notable 

 exceptions, of whom perhaps the greatest was a biologist, Charles 

 Darwin. But analysis at best leads only to knowledge ; while syn- 

 thesis may furnish wisdom. And mankind sorely needs more wisdom 

 right here and now ! 



