i88 
A  Study  of  Starch  Grams. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  18S9. 
pepper.  The  crucial  test  is  not  the  absence  or  presence  of  tissues 
or  contents,  which  give  a  characteristic  stain  or  reaction ;  but  it  is 
what  both  a  micro-physical  and  micro-chemical  examination  yield 
the  botanist  and  pharmacognocist. 
Some  may  object  to  my  remarks  in  that  I  lay  too  much  stress  on 
the  training  necessary  for  research  work  of  this  kind.  Time  will  show 
that  competency  in  setting  standards  for,  and  in  examining,  foods 
and  drugs  is  acquired  only  by  proper  training.  This  training  cannot 
be  too  broad,  and  at  the  same  time  specific.  The  chemical  analyst 
spends  four  to  seven  years  in  attaining  competency.  How  can 
any  one  consider,  then,  that  a  few  days  or  weeks  are  all  that 
is  necessary  to  make  one  competent  to  pronounce  on  commercial 
food  and  drug  products  which  require  for  their  examination  a 
a  knowledge  of  the  foundation-stones  and  principles  in  other 
sciences  of  which  he  may  know  comparatively  little,  if  anything. 
A  chemist  may  use  a  microscope,  so  may  a  lawyer,  but  it  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  they  can  use  it  with  the  same  degree  of 
certainty  and  skill  as  one  who  has  been  trained  in  its  use.  Of  all 
the  instruments  yet  devised  in  the  prosecution  of  scientific  research, 
there  is  none  that  requires  that  its  user  shall  be  better  taught  in  the 
foundation  and  guiding  principles  of  the  science  in  which  he  engages 
than  the  microscope. 
The  chemist  may  make  a  chemical  examination  of  water,  but  it 
requires  the  bacteriologist  (or  specialist  in  another  department  of  sci- 
ence) to  make  a  biological  examination  of  the  same.  The  knowl- 
edge of  the  latter  is  as  essential,  if  not  more  so,  in  some  cases,  than 
the  former,  and,  in  fact,  unless  made  may  result  in  an  error  in  the 
deductions  that  are  drawn.  It  may  also  be  said  that  the  chemist 
may  make  a  chemical  analysis  of  foods  and  drugs,  but  a  biological 
examination  requires  the  aid  of  the  biologist,  i.  e.y  the  specialist  in  bot- 
any and  zoology.  As  in  the  examination  of  water,  so  in  the  examina- 
tion of  these  products,  the  different  sciences  mentioned  should  work 
conjointly,  each  contributing  its  share  to  the  truth.  This  is  the  age 
of  specialists,  and,  even  in  the  different  departments  of  science,  we 
have  a  further  division  of  labor  among  experts.  We  believe  that 
the  best  efforts  of  this  Congress  will  be  served  and  materially 
strengthened  if  not  only  the  division  of  chemistry  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture,  but  the  other  divisions  of  the 
department  that  can  furnish  material  assistance  in  this  work  are 
