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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLI. No. 1057 



character; to be undertaken early enough to be of 

 some value in comprehending, if not controlling 

 the situation. We have seen that the blight might 

 have been kept out of the country in the first 

 place by inspection, or, once in, that it might have 

 been destroyed, or at least checked, before it had 

 gotten widely distributed. But instead it was 

 permitted to enter, and to spread for many years 

 without scientific notice, and for several more 

 years without any organized attempt to control it, 

 or even to study it seriously. Are we doing any 

 better now with reference to the future? 



While perhaps not having the same 

 direct bearing upon pathological problems, 

 stiU. it may be worth pointing out that 

 fungi appear to offer one of the simplest 

 and easiest points of attack on the gen- 

 eral problems of evolution, such as muta- 

 tion, variation, and inheritance; in fact, 

 the various problems of genetics. Here 

 we have organisms comparatively simple in 

 structure, either asexual or at least not 

 complicated by possible hybridization and 

 capable of rapid reproduction and cultiva- 

 tion under controlled conditions. 



Coming finally to questions of preven- 

 tion and control of diseases caused by para- 

 sites, it is only stating a truism to say that 

 whatever success may be attained in this 

 direction must depend chiefly upon the 

 completeness of our knowledge of the para- 

 site in all its aspects and relations. 



Finally, mycologists, pathologists and all 

 real scientists are searchers after truth. 

 This implies not only large opportunities, 

 but also obligations. "Noblesse oblige" is 

 particularly applicable to the scientist. In 

 these days of storm and stress it is, if pos- 

 sible, more important than ever that we 

 should live up to the highest ideals of truth, 

 and make individual and united effort to 

 establish the universal reign of justice, 

 peace, and brotherly love among mankind. 



An excellent example of what the scien- 

 tist should strive to be in all his human re- 



lations has been given us by Professor 

 Charles B. Bessey, the distinguished botan- 

 ist and beloved teacher, whom death has 

 so lately taken from us. He not only 

 sought truth and taught truth, but lived it, 

 making the world not only wiser and richer, 

 but better. May we all leave as noble a 

 record when called to lay life's burdens 

 down. 



C. L. Shear 



EDWAUD WESTON'S INVENTIONS 

 The pioneer work of Dr. Edward Wes- 

 ton is not easy to describe in a few words. 

 His restless inventive activity has been 

 spread over so many subjects, has inter- 

 twined so many interlocking problems, that 

 in order to understand its full value, it 

 would be necessary to enter into the inti- 

 mate study of the various obstacles which op- 

 posed themselves to the development of sev- 

 eral leading industries which he helped to 

 create: the electro-deposition of metals, the 

 electrolytic refining of copper, the con- 

 struction of electric generators and motors, 

 the electric illumination by are- and by in- 

 candescent-light, and the manufacture of 

 electrical measuring instruments. An im- 

 pressive list of subjects, but in every one 

 of these branches of industry, Weston was 

 a leader, and it was only after he had 

 shown the way in an unmistakable manner, 

 that the art was able to make further prog- 

 ress and develop to its present-day magni- 

 tude. 



But why was Weston able to overcome 

 difficulties which seemed almost unsur- 

 mountable to his predecessors and cowork- 

 ers in the art? 



The answer is simple : He introduced in 

 most of his physical problems a chemical 

 point of view — a chemical point of view of 

 his own; a point of view which was not 

 satisfied with general statements, but which 

 went to the bottom of things. He did not 



