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as far as possible our skilled workers and men with technical training. In order that we might not suffer from the depletion of our ranks, steps were taken to secure deferred classification, and later on provision was made to furlough back to industry. This arrangement made it possible for chemical industries to maintain their efficiency and has contributed largely to the effectiveness of our forces in the field. Up to the time of cessation of hostilities the Industrial Relations Branch of the Chemical Warfare Service had recommended for deferred classification 641 chemists and skilled workers. These recommendations were favorably considered, as a rule, by the Local Boards, and as a result about 90 per cent of the men so recommended were put in a deferred class. Many cases, hdwever, were not brought to the attention of this branch until the men had actually been called into service. Such chemists or skilled workers as were essential to industry were then furloughed in order that the production of war materials might not be retarded. Through this method 156 men had been returned t o industry; and at the time of the signing of the armistice I Z O more cases were pending in the Adjutant General’s Office. As hostilities cease we naturally must again turn to peace time conditions and look forward to the future development of chemical industry in America. The problem now before the Industrial Relations Branch of the Chemical Warfare Service is to assist chemists in service to secure positions where their training and experience can be used to the best interests of the Government. This enormous readjustment is rendered possible through the information gathered by Dr. Charles I,. Parsons,
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secretary of the AMERICANCHEMICAL SOCIETY, and through the questionnaires sent out by Major F. E. Breithut of the Personnel Division of the Chemical Warfare Service. In order t o accomplish results the chemists now in military service who desire to return t o chemical industry are being requested to inform the chief of the Industrial Relations Branch concerning their future prospects, while the manufacturers are being asked to designate their requirements for chemists. The administration of this work will be carried out by the Industrial Relations Branch. Any information desired may be obtained by writing to Major Allen Rogers, Chief, Industrial Relations Branch, Chemical Warfare Service, 7th and B Streets, N. W., Washington, D. C. Here is a definite problem of readjustment of t h e utmost importance, a n d we congratulate t h e Chemical Warfare Service on t h e promptness with which it has moved. We are led, however, t o wonder what plans are being made for t h e demobilization of t h e large number of chemists secured recently for war purposes in other branches of t h e government service, for example, t h e Ordnance Department. U p t o t h e present time we have n o t heard t h a t specific steps have been t a k e n , although t h e problem is fully as imp o r t a n t in these other departments.
AN INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AS AN AID TO THE AMERICAN DRUG INDUSTRY Addresses delivered before the New York Section OF the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, November 8, 1918
A t t h e meeting of t h e New York Section of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY on November 8, 1918, a symposium was held upon t h e subject of a n institute for cooperative research b y chemists, biologists, a n d manufacturers as a n aid t o t h e development of t h e American drug industry. T h e basis of t h e discussion was a n editorial in t h e September 1918 issue of THISJ O U R N A L entitled “ W a r Chemistry in t h e Alleviation of Suffering.” A t t h e conclusion of t h e regular program D r . E. R. Weidlein, Acting-Director of t h e Mellon Institute, upon invitation, spoke of t h e early steps i n t h e foundation of t h a t institution. He traced its continuing growth, outlined t h e conservative principles which h a d proved such wise safeguards for its well-being, a n d in a spirit of enthusiastic support of t h e movement offered t o aid t o t h e fullest extent desired i n t h e formulation of t h e policies of t h e proposed institute. In t h e following report of t h e meeting t h e r e is included a dommunication subsequently received from Dr. Weidlein. As t h e m a t t e r under discussion was of national rather t h a n of local import, t h e resolutions adopted a t t h e close of t h e meeting were referred t o t h e Advisory Committee of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICALSOCIETY. T h e feeling of those present at t h e meeting seemed t o be epitomized i n t h e remark of a prominent manufacturer who said, “Something h a s been s t a r t e d to-night.”-EDITOR. A NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR DRUG RESEARCH By
JOHN
J. ABEL
I a m greatly interested i n t h e plan for a national institute i n which chemists would cooperate with specialists i n t h e medical sciences t o produce new remedies for t h e alleviation of h u m a n suffering. T h e need for such a n institute is very great a n d its opportunities are boundless. Among t h e m a n y problems which i t might undertake would be t h e isolation of powerful drug principles, like t h e so-called hormones, problems which cannot be solved without t h e help of t h e funds a n d t h e facilities offered b y a great central institute. For example, t h e investigator who a t t e m p t s t o isolate t h e active principle of t h e pituitary gland, t h e most powerful uterine stimulant known t o medicine, finds t h a t t h e price of t h e raw glands is six dollars a pound i n t h e
Chicago slaughter houses and t h a t he must be on h a n d with t h e proper equipment t o work u p t h e fresh glands as t h e y are gathered. Considering t h e large a m o u n t of material necessary a n d t h e cost of all t h e operations involved, it is ’ plain t h a t t h e individual investigator would have no chance t o solve a problem of this sort without generous financial assistance. This is b u t a n example of t h e innumerable problems, all of t h e greatest scientific a n d practical importance, t h a t lie all about us. There are a great number of crude drugs known t o barbarous, a s well as civilized peoples, which should be exhaustively studied i n t h e interest of b o t h science and medical practice. Furthermore, with t h e knowledge t h a t is already at hand, t h e joint labor of pharmacologists a n d organic chemists should lead t o t h e synthetic production of a very great number of drugs of t h e most diverse qualities
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a n d remedial powers a n d hence of t h e greatest service t o mankind, or, stated more precisely, combining t h e chemo-therapeutic d a t a already i n h a n d with t h e innumerable hints t h a t are given b y nature’s own remedies should yield an enormous return in new synthetic products. T h e time a t m y disposal does not permit me t o elabor a t e this theme as much as I could wish or t o cite examples in illustration. T h e wonderful work of Ehrlich in giving us organic arsenical derivatives for t h e cure of syphilis is a n illustration of what was accomplished b y t h e combined labors of pharmacologists and chemists supported b y adequate funds. W h a t has been done in our own country in t h e way of t h e isolating of active principles from natural sources, as well as in t h e production of synthetics, should make us certain t h a t from t h e large number of trained pharmacologists and organic chemists among us a group of men could be selected who would t u r n out brilliant work in a national institute such as has been proposed. W h a t are t h e requirements for a successful national institute of therapeutics a n d pharmacology, or whatever i t might be called? I-A large endowment, t h e income of which should be sufficient t o finance t h e following groups of workers. 11-Workers: Group I would consist of pharmacologists who should have some knowledge of chemistry as well as of medicine. With this group must be associated a certain number of pathologists, bacteriologists, biological chemists, a n d such other specialists from t h e medical a n d biochemical field as .the needs of t h e work require, a fluctuating number, a t least i n subordinate capacities. Biological, chemistry, however, would play such a large rale t h a t this first group would always contain a t least one eminent leader i n t h i s field. This first group would i n t h e course of time naturally divide itself i n t o various sub-kroups each devoting its energies t o a special field, b u t all working in close cooperation. Thus, i t is evident t h a t there would be a sub-department for pharmacological and toxicological testing of new drugs a n d poisons. Such a sub-department could very easily train young men t o t a k e positions with manufacturing firms which more a n d more require t h e service of such men. This dep a r t m e n t of t h e institute could also undertake t h e pharmacological and toxicological testing for individuals a n d firms who have no laboratories of their own. Group 2 must, be made u p of capable and highly trained organic chemists a n d their main work would be in perfecting various syntheses, t h e hints for which would probably be derived from t h e work of t h e first group. Individuals of t h e t w o groups would naturally pair off t o work together on some given problem. I n this second group there would also develop various subdivisions; thus, one or more men would t a k e charge of t h e microchemical and ultimate analysis. I n time there might even be a division for t h e prosecution of pharmaceutical chemical research; a subdivision of this character could be depended on t o stimulate scientific pharmacy in this country. I will not now elaborate further on t h e various sub-
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divisions of a national institute of t h e character under discussion. I would, however, emphasize t h a t t h e t w o important things t o be borne in mind a r e : ( I ) A sufficient endowment t o make t h e institute independent of a n y outside influences. ( 2 ) T h e Board of Trustees of this institute must see t o i t t h a t those selected for t h e leading positions are men of ability a n d promise, whose one interest is research of a high order, whether in t h e fjeld of pure or of applied science. It is evident t h a t a n institute of this kind must d o work in b o t h pure a n d applied science as indicated i n t h e above outline. While I have a t t e m p t e d .to give a brief outline of what seems t o me a feasible scheme for t h e development of our proposed institute, I would welconie a n y modification, however extensive, which would be found advisable b y those selected t o m a n such a n institute, for we shall all agree t h a t these men must be t h e very best t h a t t h e country can furnish. Men of this caliber must be given great freedom of action. JOHNSHOPKINS UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
AN INSTITUTE OF CHEMOTHERAPY By P. A. LEVENE
T h e thought t h a t t h e American chemical industry, in order t o be successful a n d impregnable against foreign competition, needs t h e most careful utilization of all intermediary products, is n o t novel a n d requires no new advocates. It is also well recognized t h a t t h e most profitable utilization of t h e intermediary products of chemical industry lies in their conversion into drugs. T h e problem which confronts us t o - d a y is how t o establish t h e American drug industry on a solid basis. I t is needless t o say t h a t i n order t h a t t h e production of a drug shall be profitable t o American industry t h e drug must be American in origin, a n d in order t o be successful i t must equal and, if possible, excel t h e corresponding drugs of foreign origin. Katurally, as in every other enterprise, one m u s t have a certain faith t h a t t h e work has promise of success. Fortunately every one of t h e more successful remedies is f a r from t h e s t a t e of perfection, a n d new fields of application of chemical remedies i n connection with preservation of health or with t r e a t m e n t of disease are being discovered every day. T h u s t h e chemical knowledge of t h e cardiac vasoactive remedies is in a n elementary s t a t e ; t h e field of anesthetics, though i t has received some attention, remains rich in promise of fruitful results; there is much t o be discovered in t h e field of antiseptics; t h e chemical t r e a t m e n t of infectious disease is a field all new a n d most attractive t o t h e chemist; a n d those substances known as accessory food elements or vitamines, have as yet not emerged from t h e darkness of mystery. However, several conditions have to be met in order t h a t t h e enterprise may end i n success: First, t h e existence of a chemical industry furnishing t h e intermediary products.
