980 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 704 



istry. If it were not for tlie specific prop- 

 erties of iron, copper, concrete, brick, etc., 

 and of all tlie other materials of engineer- 

 ing, there would be no such subject as 

 engineering. Speaking in a broad sense 

 we may say that engineering is the art of 

 making the structural properties of matter 

 useful to man. 



Geology is the study of the chemistry 

 of the earth. This has been recognized for 

 a long time, and though we speak of the 

 Geophysical Laboratory at Washington, 

 its work is geochemical in fact though not 

 in name. 



In biology of the present and future we 

 are interested in the chemical changes in 

 the living organisms due to heredity and 

 environment. Growth is a chemical 

 change. The internal and external struc- 

 tures of plants and animals are the result 

 of a series of chemical changes. After 

 the first stage of identification, enumera- 

 tion and classification has been passed, the 

 interests of the biologist are essentially 

 chemical and the quality of his work is 

 likely to increase as his methods become 

 chemical. The work of Loeb in California 

 is a striking instance of what may happen 

 when a biologist realizes that his subject 

 is a subdivision of chemistry. 



In curative medicine we are dealing 

 largely with the action of drugs. In pre- 

 ventive medicine we are dealing with 

 inoculations, diet, exercise and fresh air. 

 In the first case we are checking and 

 eliminating an abnormal process, sickness, 

 by the action of one set of chemicals on 

 the system. In the second case we are 

 preventing the occurrence of a disturbing 

 chemical process, sickness, by the action 

 of another set of chemicals on the system. 

 Owing to the difficulties involved and to 

 the number of variables concerned, our 

 knowledge of the chemistry of medicine is 

 not yet what it should be ; but it is clear 

 that real progress will be made just in 



so far as we study physiology and medi- 

 cine as subdivisions of chemistry. I cite 

 as an instance the brilliant work of 

 Arrhenius in the field of immuno-chem- 

 istry. 



I have tried to show you that physics, 

 engineering, geology, biology and medi- 

 cine are all subdivisions of chemistry. 

 My task is over. The future in chem- 

 istry will consist in the change from 

 chemistry as a coordinate science to chem- 

 istry as the dominant science. With this 

 in mind can you wonder at the fascination 

 which chemistry has for the chemist? 

 Now you will see why I rejoice that to-day 

 the world is to be the better for a well- 

 equipped laboratory in the hands of a 

 well-equipped staff. 



In introducing the next speaker, Pro- 

 fessor BaskerviUe said: 



Dean Swift said a certain university 

 was a learned place; most persons took 

 some learning there, few brought any 

 away, hence there was accumulation. 

 This caustic arraignment is probably true 

 of some institutions. Yet in my humble 

 opinion, a college should not be regarded 

 merely as a place of learning. I like to 

 fancy it as a machine which grasps the 

 refined, but still raw, metal of mentality 

 and turns it out a tool fit for efficient 

 citizenship. 



M. Leroy-Beaulieu, who has shown a 

 robust faith in the United States, has said 

 that we are fast approaching undisputed 

 leadership in practical things. According 

 to Professor Munroe, and he is qualified 

 to speak, in 1840 the coal production and 

 consumption was one quarter ton per 

 person in the United States; in 1860 it 

 was one half; in 1880 one ton, and 1890 

 five tons. These figures show the increas- 

 ing energy demands of a growiag manu- 

 facturing country. The colleges must pro- 



