The Promise of Medical Science 
the calculation of the various electronic indices, and electron 
spin resonance and nuclear resonance spectroscopy, in a way, 
enable us to see the single electrons. The beginnings are made. 
Suffice it to quote the magnificent work of B. and A. Pullman, 
who translated the chemical structures and function of a great 
number of biological catalysts into the language of wave 
mechanics, and of B. Commoner, on the electron spin signals 
given in photosynthesis, enzymic action and their changes in 
pathological conditions. 
I myself have spent the last decade in trying to approach life 
from this end. I can sum up my first impressions simply by 
saying that I am frightened, for two reasons. One reason is a 
simple personal one. During my career I have changed trades 
many times, shifting from one science to the other. I did this 
always in the hope that I would be able to master the new 
principle. Now for the first time I feel that I will be unable to 
do so and master wave mechanics, which asks for a new breed 
of biologists, versed in mathematics and theoretical physics, to 
carry the torch of knowledge into this new dark corner. 
My second reason for being frightened is more complex. 
If you look at the symbol of a molecule, say riboflavin, as 
expressed in the sign language of classical chemistry, you will see 
some simple geometric figures and the symbols C, N and H 
placed at regular intervals. It looks as simple as structures 
composed of the building blocks of children. If you look up 
riboflavin in the Pullman papers you will find the same figure 
but you will find a series of numbers written alongside every 
atom and bond. These are indices giving information about 
certain features of the electronic qualities. These numbers have 
been obtained at the price of much work and ingenuity. At 
the measure at which our methods improve, these numbers 
will become more precise and there will be more and more of 
them, which means that the whole molecule is not a crude 
structure built of elementary building blocks but a most 
refined and complex machine of excessive subtlety, built with a 
precision which far surpasses the precision of any machinery 
built by man. If we are ever able to find out all the qualities of 
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