The Organism and its Chemistry 91 



zoologist and botanist" for the statement may sound dep- 

 reratory of biochemistry and its allied branches. 



As to actual quantity of knowledge and also as to the 

 complexity and rcconditeness and exactness of much of that 

 knowledge, the chemistry of organisms is an impressive and 

 admiration-compelling science indeed. When, however, the 

 naturalist plunges into the great archives and monographs 

 and handbooks in which the knowledge is stored, that he 

 may find what there is that will contribute to the deepening 

 and broadening of his systematic information about and in- 

 terpretation of the animal and plant worlds, he soon becomes 

 aware that this knowledge has not been gathered with any 

 reference to the initial and most elemental needs of his en- 

 terprise; that is, with reference to the necessities of describ- 

 ing and classifying the natural objects, the animals and 

 plants with which he deals. What he finds is that the in- 

 vestigators who have produced the knowledge have been 

 in the main impelled by their interest in certain fiwctions 

 as displayed by the most familiar anitnulx and plants, man's 

 own organ-activities being by far the most usual starting 

 point. For example, some young physiologist, ambitious 

 and energetic, becomes interested in a particular function, 

 say the circulation of the blood or muscular contraction or 

 digestion, wins a reputation by his studies, and being, as 

 m<t investigators have ever been, a teacher in some institu- 

 tion of learning, draws assistants and students into the re- 

 searches, and much new knowledge, with perhaps a whole 

 system of theoretical views, is developed concerning this 

 particular activity. And what has been the material on 

 which the researches have been prosecuted? If blood and 

 its physiological role stands at the center of his interest, 

 blood first and foremost, is what lie wants and must have 

 for his studies. What animal within wide limits it comes 

 from matters little. The very fact that a fluid is found 

 in many animals so alike as to receive a single name, 



