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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 643 



finished celebrating the fiftieth anniversary 

 of the discovery of mauve, the first of the 

 coal tar colors, and have been happy in the 

 knowledge that its discoverer was still 

 among them to receive their congratula- 

 tions and rejoice with them at the splendid 

 outgrowths of his work. In the addresses 

 to Perkin at the time it was estimated that 

 in the industries based on his discoveries 

 no less than $750,000,000 is invested. As 

 a result profound economic changes have 

 been brought about not only in England 

 and Germany, but in India, South Amer- 

 ica, Mexico, China and Japan. Our 

 fastest dyes are now produced syntheti- 

 cally, the range of the dyer's art has been 

 widely extended and through collateral 

 channels new and powerful agencies for 

 combating disease and suffering have been 

 placed in the hands of physicians every- 

 where. 



Few of the industries upon which the 

 prosperity of the country and the comfort 

 and material well-being of its inhabitants 

 depend have not experienced within the 

 memory of those before me changes so pro- 

 found and so far-reaching in their effect 

 as to be fairly described as revolutionary. 

 I believe it to be within the truth to say, 

 that in the great majority of cases these 

 changes have been initiated or accelerated 

 by chemists. For our present purpose and 

 before this audience, it is unnecessary, even 

 if it were possible, to catalogue the ma- 

 terials for which, at prices permitting their 

 general use, the community is indebted to 

 the chemist. They comprise a large pro- 

 portion of the things which are regarded 

 as among the necessities of life, without 

 which comfortable, or even decent, living, 

 would be impossible. With reference to 

 productive industry generally, it may be 

 said that in many instances the chemist is 

 the most effective agent for standardizing 

 materials, controlling the course of proc- 

 esses, and minimizing wastes. 



The chemist has been similarly active in 

 respect of matters pertaining to the pubUe 

 health. One has but to recall the splendid 

 pioneer work of Drown in connection with 

 the study of public water supplies in Mas- 

 sachusetts, work which is still regarded 

 everywhere as the standard for other com- 

 munities. The sanitary engineer can not 

 work without the chemist, the physician 

 relies upon him for the most potent means 

 for avoiding or arresting disease, or al- 

 leviating suffering and domestic economy 

 and science make increasing demands upon 

 the laboratory. 



In no way has the community benefited 

 more through the 'diffusion of useful 

 knowledge among men' and few if any 

 agencies for the diffusion of such knowl- 

 edge have worked to better purpose than 

 the Smithsonian Institution, which stands 

 as an enduring monument to the wisdom 

 and public spirit of Smithson, who was a 

 chemist. 



We, who are 'heirs of all the ages,' have 

 no more imperative duty upon us than that 

 of transmitting to our successors the ex- 

 perience and wisdom which has been hand- 

 ed down to us, and in the execution of this 

 duty the chemist has nobly borne his part. 

 To Harvard the profession has given Eliot ; 

 to Stevens Institute, Morton ; to the Massa- 

 chusetts Institute of Technology, Crafts; 

 to Lehigh, Drown; to Johns BDopkins, 

 Remsen; to the University of Iowa, 

 Schaeffer; to the Columbia School of 

 Mines, Chandler. Through such educators 

 as these, chemists have had a direct and 

 lasting influence on public opinion, and the 

 thought of the generation which is to fol- 

 low us. Similarly, but more intimately, 

 the heads of the chemical departments in 

 our universities and technical schools come 

 into contact each year with thousands of 

 students who are influenced far more pro- 

 foundly by the personality of their teacher 



