SCIENCE 
Fray, Octroser 18, 1918 
CONTENTS 
The American Chemist in Warfare: Dr. 
PARDESI ARSONS) sis, cc <0 < po ae Oe ene 377 
Scientific Events :— 
The Cawthron Institute of Scientific Re- 
search; The International Institute of Agri- 
culture at Rome; The Museum of the Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania; Western Reserve Uni- 
versity Medical Group; The New York Post- 
graduate Medical School .............0005 386 
Scientific Notes and News ...........eesc00 390 
University and Educational News .......... 393 
Discussion and Correspondence :— 
Correlation of the Hydrogen-Ion Exponent 
and Occurrence of Bacteria in Soil: L. J. 
GiutesPiz.. The Need of Another Philan- 
thropist by Organic Chemists: Dr. Cuiar- 
ENCE AusTIN Morrow. Color Association: 
Renton, Bg SMITE is 6 tials Ga) clea ale wid 393 
Quotations — 
War and Engineering Education .......... 396 
Scientific Books: 
Annals of the Astronomical Observatory of 
Harvard College: Prorgessor GEORGE C. 
Comstock. Sherman on the Chemistry of 
Food and Nutrition: Proressor GRAHAM 
ITER Pata fet clans sina. cja,a/e's 6.aleiebelb cise oxo e's Cine 397 
Special Articles :— 
The Formation of the Fat Droplets in the 
Cells of Tissue Cultures: MArGarET REED 
LUT RRS ASP oS oe on ear 398 
The American Mathematical Society: Pro- 
WES, ING CULE: Ses sce se eects eee eee 399 
MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended for 
review should be sent to The Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 
Hudson, N. Y. 
oc 
\ 4 
anal Mise 
THE AMERICAN CHEMIST IN 
WARFARE! 
Ir was the fortune of the writer in the latter 
part of 1916, a few months before the United 
States entered the war, to be sent by the Ord- 
nance Department to study in England, 
France, Italy, Norway and Sweden certain 
chemical processes, particularly those having 
to do with the fixation of nitrogen. 
On this trip many chemical plants were 
visited. In all of them thé same story was told 
of depleted chemical personnel owing to the 
loss of chemists in the trenches and the conse- 
quent handicap under which all these plants 
were laboring in their attempts to furnish the 
armies with the sinews of war. The whole 
munitions program had been retarded owing 
to lack of technical men, chiefly chemists, and 
the statement was everywhere made that the 
greatest mistake that the Entente countries 
had made had been in giving too little atten- 
tion to brain power and too much to physical 
strength. On the other hand, it was pointed 
out that Germany had carefully conserved her 
chemists for the development of the new and 
terrible forms of warfare she was forcing on 
mankind. Science was being used as it had 
never been used before, to aid a relentless 
power, and the only means of combating the 
new form of warfare was with its own weap- 
ons. 
Already France, England, Italy and Canada 
had withdrawn all chemists remaining in the 
service for chemical duty at home, but many 
had already been lost and their loss was 
seriously felt. France had drawn so far as 
possible on the chemists and engineers of Nor- 
way, and England drew on her colonies. In- 
deed, the chemist who perhaps more than any 
other in England is responsible for the success 
1 Presented at the fifty-sixth meeting of the 
American Chemical Society, Cleveland, September 
10, 1918. 
