Breakthroughs and QuantumJumps
Development of a Burn Treatment Burns require careful treatment. It is desirable not only to promote the healing process hut also to prevent infection in the injured areas. Silver salts have been used to promote healing for some time and sulfadiazene is effective against infection. Dr. C. L. Fox, Jr. of Columbia University and Bellvue Hospital argued, "Why not combine the two?". He and H. M. Rose established that sulfadiazene formed a silver salt that was onlv. sliahtlv soluble in water. Upon contact with . l l t ~ l y~ u i d -I.. . , ~ I ~ ~ Ii hI Il uBr ~ i d < i(,n-.tnd u r h u ri,.tL\.c1110 tprinl h .liver . n ~ di l ~ ~ l l i t n . ~ nim. ~ ~ .lrt d e g : ~ J u i t l ~rtlt.:htd v After years of clinical testing the pharmaceutical was generally accepted. The product is free of the undesired side effects of previous treatments. It is applied as an ointment which also contains collagenase to improve the separation of the eschar (scab) and to promote healing. WCF
48
Journal of Chemical Education
To say that a given piece of research or a new product is a "breakthrough" or that it is a whole "quantum jump" ahead of existing technology is commonplace today. While such expressions may improve the respect of a company president for his research organization or mav"i m ~.r e s sthe wopective . " customer, they may also he misleading. Every researcher, director of research. and cor~orationofficer would like to have -~~ radical developments, hut the normal course of research is incremental: a hit more information here, a slight improvement there, and only rarely a "great leap forward. Even then the truly revolutionary result has a long line of progenitors. Any corporation that expects its research organization to produce breakthroughs in rapid succession is due for disap"ointment. ~
to the result in the marketplace. 1f the product uniquely meets an existing demand or need, or significantly lowers costs, or offers possibilities hitherto not envisioned, the effect in the marketplace may be drastic (i.e., "radical"). WCF
