November 14, 1884. 



SCIENCE 



455 



lack of appreciation of the importance of the 

 subject, or whether it is generally considered 

 as outside the pale of biological inquiries. 

 We are more inclined to believe that the rapid 

 development of the past twenty years in the 

 various branches of biology, so divergent from 

 chemistry, has tended to push into the back- 

 ground the chemical phenomena of life to such 

 an extent that the existence of chemical 

 science as a part of biology is in danger of 

 being forgotten. 



Physiology in its entirety, dealing with all 

 the functions of the living organism, both ani- 

 mal and vegetable, is truly a broad subject ; 

 but that by itself does not constitute a suffi- 

 cient reason why the chemical composition 

 and chemical processes of the organism should 

 be so seldom studied. By this it is not meant 

 that all applications of chemistiy to prrysiolog3 T 

 are overlooked, or that there is an utter lack 

 of appreciation of its importance, but rather 

 that the average instruction in physiology in 

 this country, and apparently likewise in Eng- 

 land, disregards almost every thing pertaining 

 to chemistiy. aside from the common funda- 

 mental facts ; so that, whether as a part of 

 physiology, or as physiological chemistiy, the 

 average student in biolog} T acquires but little 

 knowledge of the chemical processes of the 

 animal organism ; by ' knowledge ' being meant 

 that personal knowledge, which, in the case of 

 an experimental science, can be obtained only 

 in a properly equipped laboratoiy. 



But while in America little has been done 

 either to advance or to teach the chemical side 

 of physiology, in Europe it has been ven T dif- 

 ferent, until now as a growing science, follow- 

 ing a natural law of progressive division of 

 labor and of thought, the chemical phenomena 

 of the living body have massed themselves 

 together, and, aided by increased interest and 

 added workers, a division of physiolog} T has 

 become necessaiy ; and to-day there exists, in 

 Germany at least, a new science, or rather a 

 specialized portion of an old one, viz., that of 

 physiological chemistry. 



We would lay all possible stress on the im- 

 portant position of physiological chemistry in 



Germany, its relation to medicine and biology 

 in general, the large number of important re- 

 searches emanating from her laboratories, and 

 on all that tends to make the science so pro- 

 gressive in that country ; and then, by con- 

 trast, how small and insignificant appears the 

 little work done in our own country ! If we 

 look to the biological laboratories of our col- 

 leges, to our medical schools, and to the labora- 

 tories connected with our hospitals, we find an 

 almost utter lack of work tended to increase 

 the boundaries of the science. Seldom do we 

 hear of a piece of original work in prysio- 

 logical chemistiy ; and few American names 

 are being added to that long list of German 

 investigators whose united work has made the 

 science what it is to-day. 



There is also a practical side to this ques- 

 tion. Not every medical student, it is true, 

 can become proficient in plrysiological chemis- 

 try, there is not time for it ; but man}^ a man 

 gifted with powers of observation, and en- 

 dowed with a love of knowledge, may find 

 much to do of direct practical value to medical 

 science. Every student of medicine should, 

 however, possess some knowledge of physio- 

 logical chemist^. Dr. Perkin, in his recent 

 address before the Chemical society of Eng- 

 land at its anniversaiy meeting, says, "If 

 there is any value in chemical products as 

 curative agents, if there is any value in 

 plrysiological chemistry, or an} T importance 

 in toxicology, surely medical students should 

 have a sound knowledge of chemical science, 

 and not simply learn to detect an acid and a 

 base in a mixture, — an operation which is of 

 no value, except as an intermediate exercise 

 to be followed by more advanced work." 



What is needed in this countiy is a fuller 

 appreciation of the importance of physiological 

 chemistry, both in biology and in the science 

 of medicine. A host of questions are to be 

 answered regarding digestion, nutrition, respi- 

 ration, etc., — questions to be answered only 

 through the agenc} T of chemical science ; and, 

 if America is to do her share in the clearing- 

 up of the mj'steries surrounding the chemical 

 processes of the living organism, physiological 



