tion that the efforts of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists to create a monopoly for themselves in the clinical laboratory field are made without regard to the improvement of laboratory standards. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. As part of its effort to improve the performance of chemical tests in clinical laboratories, The AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCI-
ETY'S Committee on Clinical Chemistry sent a questionnaire to all laboratories of the country doing such tests in 1947. On hearing of this questionnaire, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists broadcast a letter instructing the hospital laboratories not to cooperate in supplying the information. That there was good reason for the pathologist group to avoid supplying the information developed later. In their own journal (American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 17, 853 [1947]), they reported on "A Survey of the Accuracy of Chemical Analyses in Clinical Laboratories." This represented a survey made for the purpose of checking the accuracy of some of the more common chemical measurements made in hospital laboratories in Pennsylvania. Among the examinations included were hemoglobin, glucose, sodium chloride, total protein, albumin, calcium, and urea nitrogen. The survey revealed shockingly unsatisfactory performance. In the words of the authors, The data presented in the tables and figures are self-explanatory. They should, however, be carefully scrutinized so that their full implications will net be missed. The scatter of the measurements and the degree of unreliability is surprising. The accuracy of the measurements is below any reasonable standard. It will be noted that unsatisfactory results outnumbered the satisfactory and that no laboratory had a perfect score. From the clinical pathologists' own survey, therefore, it becomes clear that the words of Frank C. Whitmore at the assembly of laboratory directors and serologists in 1938, that "what is needed is more chemists, not less," were thoroughly justified. In the quarter of a century in which the clinical laboratory situation of the United States has been in the control of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, it is doubtful whether any real improvement has taken place. Such an improvement can not be expected to take place until a change in attitude on the part of the medical authorities towards laboratory tests is effected. Only a return to the attitude of Sir William Osier, who in 1905 called on physiologists, chemists, and pathologists t o apply their most advanced technique to clinical problems, will serve to give the public the best service in a situation in which scientific tests are constantly being devised and becoming more complicated. It is obviously impossible for any but the very exceptional medical man to acquire sufficient skill in all the sciences going into a laboratory in addition to his medical education. The clinical chemist (Continued on page 1106) VOLUME
2 7,
N O . 15
•
New Techniques in Analysis Revealed A STAFF REPORT
i^l EW approaches in analytical work were of the D u Pont Experimental Station. Apparatus and technique were outlined, discussed by workers from varied fields of and data presented on use of solvents and research during a two-day conference on catalysts. Maleic acid assisted in standspecific methods of analysis, staged by the ardizing procedure and testing the apparasection of physics and chemistry of the tus. Data for a high vapor pressure hydroNew York Academy of Sciences, March 25 carbon pointed to the utility of equipment and 26 in New York. for hydrogénation analysis of hydrocarProperties of surface films were disbons. The speaker discussed hydrogénacussed by Alexandre Rothen, Rockefeller tion of unsaturated ketones t o illustrate Institute for Medical Research. The rehydrogénation of the carbon-carbon unsearches of Rayleigh and Drude some 60 saturation without hydro(jenating the caryears ago relating to the effect of surface bonyl group. films on the elliptîcity of light reflected by In his paper on the analysis of mixtures surfaces and the later work of Langmuir based on rates of reaction, Thomas S. Lee, and Blodgett were related by the speaker. department of chemistry, University of It was concluded that Drude's general Minnesota, outlined factors necessary for formulation for ellipticity changes is satisaccuracy of the method, and detailed factory for transparent films deposited on analysis of mixtures of esters, olefins, and metallic reflecting surfaces. carbonyl compounds. The method is useful Wilfred E. Campbell of. Bell Telephone for the most part in the analysis of mixLaboratories took up the electrolytic tures of two organic compounds containing analysis of taxnish films on metals, holding the same functional group. Illustration of that the method has great advantages over the principles involved was seen in the other methods of measurement for such analysis of mixtures of ethyl and isopropyl films. It had been first employed by acetates, based upon different saponificaEvans and Bannister i n England for the tion rates. measurement of silver iodide films formed Automatic paper chromatography was by the reaction of silver and iodine. Its the subject of a paper by Ralph H. use was later extended to studies of oxide Muller and Doris L. Clegg, department of and sulfidefilmso n copper, tarnish films on chemistry, New York University. silver, and of fluoride films on copper. A paper on x-ray absorption and ehrmiSpecific advantages of the electrolytic cal analysis was given by Hermann A. analysisroctkiodused along with the other Liebhafsky, of General Electric Co. The chemical and physical tests were outlined. analytical specificity of countercurrent disA paper by J. B . Bateman and Margaret tribution was the topic of J. D. Gregory W. Harris, Camp Detrick, Frederick, and L. C . Craig, Rockefeller Institute for Md., took up the measurement of properMedical Research, while a third discussion, ties of thin Minis on chromium by the reon the method and application of difflection of polarized light. Chromium was ferential thermal analysis, was contributed coated with multilayers of barium stéarate by 11. E. Grim, Geological Survey of Illinois. and cadmium, arachidate, also with skeletonized films of cadmium arachidate, and T H E Ν. Y . Academy o f Sciences will publish the above papers as a monograph. their optical properties determined for film thicknesses up to 1,000 A. S. E. Q, Ashley, General Electric Co,, conference chair units. man, and Thomas S. Lee, University of Minnesota Goniornetric analysis of crystals was discussed by J. D . H. Donnay, of Johns Hopkins University. With the assistance of coworkers, the author for some years has been.compiling goniornetric data in the form of axial ratios and interaxial angles. Goniometry cannot be expected to be universally applicable but will succeed in special cases where other methods fail, as in pseudomorphouscrystals, or crystals containing inclusions. The use of catalytic hydrogénation reactions in quantitative analysis was discussed by E . C. Dunlop
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(Continued from page 1047) and t h e biologist, a s well a s t h e clinical pathologist, a r e all needed for the best service to t h e public. I t is to be hoped that a n o t h e r surgeon general m a y take u p the resolution left unacted upon in 1938, and t h a t representatives of the various scientific societies will be called together t o consider t h e i m p o r t a n t problem of t h e clinical laboratory. Until such joint action is taken a n d t h e problem definitely settled, t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL. SOCIETY
will continue t o oppose with t h e utmost vigor such moves as are now proposed in New Jersey. T h e National Office of the ACS was informed p r o m p t l y of t h e introduction of New Jersey Senate Bill No. 94. Alden H. Emery, t h e Executive Secretary, immediately brought t h e m a t t e r to the attention of Warren M. Sperry, chairman of t h e ACS Committee on Clinical Chemistry, and t h e chairman of each local section of the ACS in N e w Jersey. T h e y a t once alerted t h e chemists in the s t a t e to the gravity of the situation. Emergency meetings of appropriate committees of the local sections were held to t a k e up this m a t t e r . T h e ACS local sections took prompt action t o see t h a t t h e members of the New Jersey Senate were informed of the facts a n d how adverse would be the effect upon the public health of t h e citizens of t h e s t a t e if the bill were enacted into law. Mr. E m e r y h a s written to t h e members of t h e New Jersey Senate Committee of Public H e a l t h to w h o m t h e bill was referred a n d other key senators setting forth in detail t h a t t h e ACS opposes S.94 because it is not in t h e public interest. I t is gratifying to m a k e this report of the p r o m p t a n d vigorous action t a k e n b y the national office of t h e ACS a n d t h e local sections in coming t o the aid of t h e chemist whose right freely t o practice his profession is threatened by this legislative att e m p t to b a r t h e chemist from practicing chemistry in N e w Jersey. APRIL
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1949
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