536 



, SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1222 



to forty-three weeks. One curve of growth of 

 forty-three weeks is but a continued curve of 

 thirty weeks stated by Professor MeColIum in 

 the Journal of the American Medical Associa- 

 tion of May 12, 191Y, as having been presented 

 by him before the Harvey Society, January 13, 

 191Y. This experiment has actually been 

 completed at least eleven weeks before Pro- 

 fessor McCollum left the University of Wis- 

 consin. In fact some of the curves bear a 

 serial number and legend the same — and none 

 bear a higher or lower serial number — as 

 curves of similar experiments previously pub- 

 lished by him from this institution. 



Again it is significant that Professor Mc- 

 Collimi upon severing his relations with the 

 University of Wisconsin removed from the 

 campus all station records accumulated by 

 him, and some of those of other members of 

 the stafi, without the permission or knowledge 

 of the staff, or administrators. It is rec- 

 ognized that a university professor doing re- 

 search work on his own initiative and on his 

 own problems is entitled to the exclusive pos- 

 session of his notes, but no such exclusive 

 right is recognized in the case of experiment- 

 station workers even to their own notes on 

 continuing projects carried out under federal 

 grants for an indeterminate period. 



Whatever may be said in denial, these are 

 the facts. The first two are directly supported 

 by evidence submitted in articles published by 

 the aforementioned authors themselves. The 

 third, first mentioned in Professor Hart's state- 

 ment, they have already not seen fit to deny. 



Except for the purpose of bringing out, for 

 the benefit of those who may be concerned in 

 the future, not only a case of transgression of 

 professional courtesy but of professional ethics 

 as well, the writer is not inclined to present 

 arguments in his own behalf, especially in a 

 matter of such small personal moment as 

 credit for the scientific article. For the major 

 portion of the time while the vitamine prepara- 

 tions in the research in question were being 

 made and their stability was being tested Pro- 

 fessor McCollmn did not even know what was 

 being done, or how it was done ; he fed the rats. 

 In fact, the 1916 report of the Director of the 



Wisconsin Experiment Station gives the 

 writer of this note exclusive credit for activi- 

 ties in this field. 



My acquaintances know full well what Pro- 

 fessor McCoUum's real personal opinion of 

 me was before his transgressions, in an at- 

 tempt to hamper further experimental work, 

 called forth deniable but unrefutable charges. 

 In place of a lengthy presentation of details 

 actually called for by the indirect question 

 aimed at my veracity and Professor Hart's 

 veracity, but really best forgotten, there have 

 been presented a few general facts in final 



answer instead. 



UNrTERSITY OF WISCONSIN 



H. Steenbock 



To THE Editor or Science : Please accept my 

 thanks for submitting to me the attack upon 

 my character by Mr. Steenbock, in order that 

 my reply may be printed together with it. 

 I do not care to be a party to an undignified 

 dispute over the question of the accuracy of 

 the accusations which are contained in this 

 letter, and shall not attempt an elaborate ex- 

 planation of details. For the benefit of such 

 readers as are not familiar with the original 

 publications of Hart, Steenbock and myself, 

 which will, I feel assured, suffice to prevent my 

 Colleagues in the field of biochemistry from 

 giving any serious consideration to this matter, 

 I shall present, briefly, a few facts which will 

 enable them to see the matter of this con- 

 troversy in its proper perspective. I shall 

 hereafter take no notice of further utterances 

 of this character. Any one who will take the 

 trouble to examine the publications which have 

 emanated from the laboratory of agricultural 

 chemistry of the University of Wisconsin dur- 

 ing the last ten years can easily form an 

 opinion for himself as to who was initiating 

 the work in nutrition investigations during 

 that period. 



When I left the University of Wisconsin in 

 the summer of 191Y, I took with me all the 

 records of the experimental work with my rat 

 colony but not any notes other than my own. 

 'No one who had not been closely identified 

 with the work could possibly have correlated the 

 many results, some of which were worthy of 



