186 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 163. 



repeat for j^ou series after series of chemical 

 bodies, differing from one another by the con- 

 stant addition of an element, or group of 

 elements, in whose vocabulary ' tj^es, ' 

 'substitution,' 'replacements,' 'condensa- 

 tions ' and ' isomers ' are familiar words, 

 and who when a new organic compound is 

 discovered cannot rest until he has found 

 to what series and what place in the series 

 it belongs, or what its relations are to other 

 bodies in that marvelous structure, based 

 on the element carbon, which the studies of 

 the last half century have reared before our 

 eyes — I say does not this organic chemist 

 oftentimes feel that he is engaged in a field 

 far more worthy of study, to which is 

 due much more consideration, than to that 

 of his inorganic brother who devotes days, 

 and perhaps weeks, to unraveling the con- 

 stitution of some obstinate silicate whose 

 crystalline form gives little help, and whose 

 oxygen ratio ishidden or obscure ? Or, again, 

 does not the physical chemist oftentimes 

 think that, with the tools of his more espe- 

 cial field, with his specific heats, liis vapor 

 densities, his heat of chemical combination 

 and his ions, he is quite competent to solve 

 all problems worth solving in the realm of 

 chemistry, and that those who are engaged 

 in other fines are far below his standard 

 and can be looked down upon with quite 

 pitying sympathy ? Still once more, do we 

 not often see the pure chemist, whose battle 

 cry is ' original work for the work's own 

 sake,' claim for himself the highest seat in 

 the synagogue, and refuse to join his eft'orts 

 with those of others whom he regards as his 

 humbler brethren, viz., those working in the 

 field of apphed chemistry, in securing the 

 benefits of organization to extend and widen 

 the borders of our science? Finally, not 

 to make distinctions, do we not frequently 

 see the analyst, who knows so well how 

 necessary it is to have the ti'ained and 

 skillful hand and the acute and watchful 

 brain both working together and at the 



same time, in order to secure the accuracy 

 without which his work is worthless, claim- 

 ing for his field that it is the foundation 

 upon which ovir science rests, and that 

 those who spend their time in locating the 

 position of an atom in its molecule, or in 

 finding the relations of an organic com- 

 pound to other members of its series, or 

 perchance in inventing long names for new 

 compounds in which all the resources of the 

 ancient Greek and Latin are brought to 

 bear, to reveal in one word the constitution 

 of the compound — I say does not the analyt- 

 ical chemist often regard these workers as 

 unworthy to be called chemists ? 



ISTow, far be it from me to say that this 

 partiafity of each for his own field is blame- 

 worthy. We can, indeed, conceive of cases 

 in which this partiality may be carried a 

 little too far, but within proper limits not 

 only is it not blameworthy, but even, as it 

 seems to us, it may be praiseworthy for one 

 to magnify the importance of the work in 

 which he is engaged. A just and proper 

 estimate of the value of his own work, a 

 reasonable pride in his chosen science, or in 

 that paddock of his science which it has 

 fallen to the share of each to care for and 

 cultivate, and indeed a moderate, though 

 necessarily a somewhat partial, comparison 

 of himself and his field of labor with others, 

 even though that comparison is somewhat 

 to the detriment of the others, are not al- 

 ways necessarily bad. On the other hand, 

 such pride and such comparisons tend to 

 stimulate to renewed activity, tend to sus- 

 tain in the perplexities and discouragements 

 of work, and tend to keep one's effort con- 

 centrated on the work which he can do 

 best. . Looked at in this light, the generous 

 rivalry of one branch of our science with 

 another, or the pardonable pride of each in 

 his own chosen field, and even in his own 

 work, may be a distinct advantage, and I 

 know you will bear with me a few minutes, 

 while I, with proper modesty and in the 



