Makch 3, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



327 



method of destroying or preventing the 

 growth of alg£e in water supplies, as devised 

 by the Department of Agriculture, has been 

 used with marked success in over fifty water 

 supplies throughout the country, on a scale 

 running into the hundreds of millions of 

 gallons, and causing a saving in money 

 ■diffienlt to estimate. In fact, there is now 

 on file a list of testimonials from hard- 

 headed, practical, business men which 

 should make systematic algology and plant 

 physiology hold up their heads with pride. 

 The whole matter has created a demand for 

 trained botanists able to tell the difference 

 between Volvox and Uroglena, which can 

 not be supplied, and there is no doubt but 

 that within the next few years the leading 

 water companies will consider an algologist 

 as important a member of their staff as the 

 bacteriologist, and under certain conditions, 

 of much more practical necessity than a 

 chemist. It is difficult to prophesy what 

 will be the future of this method which ap- 

 plies our knowledge of plant physiology in 

 such a simple manner. Physicians and 

 health officers are making use, in a number 

 of different ways, of this piece of botanical 

 investigation, and the employment of cop- 

 per in one form or another, as an efficient 

 means of fighting typhoid, cholera and 

 similar diseases is undoubtedly destined to 

 become of the utmost importance. I have 

 referred somewhat in detail to this example 

 because it seems to me to offer a very strong 

 argument in favor of the ability of scien- 

 tific research to furnish the solution for 

 ■some problems which ordinarily might not 

 be considered as falling under its influence. 

 Here we have a long history of failure, due 

 to the lack of scientific information. I am 

 sure no one can realize how complete and 

 absolute that failure has been iintil he has 

 had an opportunity of examining the re- 

 ports made by the practical men who have 

 been attempting to solve the difficulty. It 

 is no wonder that it was not until the in- 

 A'estigation was transferred from the 



reservoir to the laboratory that the remedy 

 was found. 



Perhaps no branch of botanical research 

 seems farther removed from the practical 

 side of life than that usually referred to as 

 cytology. The killing and fixing, staining 

 and cutting of plant and animal tissue, 

 seem to be an operation calculated to re- 

 sult in but small good to mankind, how- 

 ever much it may add to its store of in- 

 formation. But it is not beyond the range 

 of possibilitj' that these very cytologieal 

 investigations of Farmer and other botan- 

 ists may be destined to throw much light 

 upon what may be termed the most im- 

 portant unsolved problem in medicine. 

 Most of the diseases in the world are the 

 result of filth, or imprudence, or some con- 

 dition which could be prevented if we 

 would. Tuberculosis, diphtheria, typhoid 

 fever and similar contagious forms can 

 generally be prevented and are most cer- 

 tainly curable, if we but use the knowledge 

 that scientific research has given us. But 

 cancer remains as the one dread disease, 

 about which authorities are in dispute even 

 as to its origin. Ask any up-to-date physi- 

 cian, thoroughly familiar with the results 

 of research in laboratories at home and 

 abroad, what is the most baffling, the most 

 hopeless disease, the one thing he oftenest 

 meets for which he has no remedy, and 

 there will be no hesitation in his reply of 

 cancer. That the cytologieal investigations 

 of Farmer and others, concerning the ab- 

 normal growths occurring on ferns, may 

 lead to the ultimate solution of the cause 

 and cure for cancer, we can only hope ; 

 but certainly they have been able to throw 

 a flood of new light upon the nature of 

 malignant growths in man which can not 

 but be of practical value. 



The application of facts obtained from 

 pure research in that most practical line 

 of botany— plant breeding— is Avell known 

 10 all of you. Of the utmost theoretical 

 importance, this branch of botanical in- 



