LETTERS
Drug trademarks and generic names D E A R SIR:
Jean Sice erred in several respects (C&EN, Oct. 10, page 6 ) , first in comparing "generic vs. trade name." The term "generic" frequently has been misused when applied to drugs. It would be more appropriate to discuss trademarks and nonproprietary names (see National Formulary XII, page 579). Dr. Sice points out that a trademark is not irrevocably related to a specific composition of matter. This is true but in practice constitutes no real problem. In most cases a pharmaceutical manufacturer is legally tied to a particular formulation and is powerless to change it materially unless he is willing to go through the time-consuming and expensive "new drug" procedure. The promiscuous kind of substitution suggested by Dr. Sice is forbidden by U.S. law. Moreover, pharmaceutical trademarks are chosen with great care, are seldom changed, and then only for cogent reason. Ethical manufacturers invariably adopt safeguards to prevent any practitioner from being misinformed. Dr. Sice next argues that multiple trademarks cause confusion. Is he unaware that U.S. law requires that each time a trademark is used in labeling or advertising, it must be followed immediately by the established nonproprietary name? Why, then, confusion? Furthermore, although different trademarks may refer to the same active ingredient, they most often do not refer to the identical formulation. Brands differ widely with respect to excipients, stability, taste, odor, shape, disintegration time, absorption, weight limits, hardness, viscosity, and so forth. Different brands exhibit measurably different characteristics, and this variability applies to drugs, foods, automobiles, razor blades, and all articles of commerce. A pharmaceutical trademark refers to a specific drug compounded in a specific manner by a specific manufacturer and hence has utility. The medical profession relies on this specificity for dependable therapeutic results. Dr. Sice's next point concerning possible overdosage impugns the intelligence of practicing physicians, all of whom, I believe, are literate. His final plea for abandonment of trademarks in favor of R x "hydrochlorothiazide Ciba," has merit but may violate traditional American fair play. 6 C&EN NOV. 21, 1966
Trademarks are property, and in the U.S., whenever property is appropriated for the public weal, the owners must be justly compensated. Does Dr. Sice advocate: (1) confiscation by law of trademarks without compensation; (2) purchase and abandonment of all trademarks at the taxpayer's expense; or (3) educating the physician to prescribe by nonproprietary name? Each alternative is fraught with difficulty. Deerfield, III.
ROBERT G. TUCKER
Color matching D E A R SIR:
We very much enjoyed reading your article on color matching (C&EN, Aug. 15, page 5 0 ) . One paragraph, however, is incomplete (fifth paragraph, page 56), in that when your staff man talked with us we did not cover our use of the COMIC outside the area of printing inks. In our discussions we did mention that we have not been able to use the COMIC successfully to match printing inks and planned to use a digital computer. This is indeed true. We did not, however, discuss our use of the COMIC at several locations in the company where we find it a useful tool for color matching industrial finishes, coated fabrics, and pigmented plastics. We have three units for these uses and will probably increase this number. We hope this note will clarify the situation. DANIEL SMITH
Assistant Director of Research, Interchemical Corp., Clifton, N.J.
CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Editor: GORDON H. BIXLER Managing Editor: Kenneth M. Reese Assistant Managing Editors: Chester Placek, Arthur Poulos Art Director: Joseph Jacobs Assistant Art Director: Leroy L. Corcoran Senior Editors: Walter S. Fedor (New York), David M. Kiefer (Washington) Senior Associate Editor: Earl V. Anderson (New York) Staff Writers: James H. Krieger, Arnold E. Levitt, Brendan F. Somerville Associate Editors: James L. Hall, Margaret S. McDonald, Howard J. Sanders Assistant Editors: Kathryn Campbell, John J. Elsbree, Joyce A. Richards Editorial Assistants: Neil D. Baldwin, Ernest L. Carpenter, William F. Fallwell, Thomas E. Feare, James W. Haskins, Jr., John C. Keresztesy, Jr., Gilbert R. Parker, Carol J. Swartz Editorial Reference: Barbara A. Gallagher Art and Production Staff—Washington: Production Manager: Clarence L. Rakow Art: Melvin D. Buckner Production Staff—Easton: 20th & Northampton Sts., Easton, Pa. Associate Editor: Charlotte C. Sayre Editorial Assistant: Stephanie Bertsch NEWS BUREAUS 733 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017 Bureau Head: Kenneth A. Kovaly Assistant Editor: Peter E. Finlay Editorial Assistants: Robert C. Berlo, Angela P. Candela, Frank S. Morehouse Philadelphia National Bank Building Broad & Chestnut, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107 530 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15230 36 South Wabash Ave., Chicago, III. 60603 Bureau Head: Donald J. Soisson Assistant Editor: Peter M. Heylin 1367 East Sixth St., Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Editorial Assistant: Peter J. Piecuch 57 Post St., San Francisco, Calif. 94104 Assistant Editor: Dermot A. O'Sullivan 422 South Western Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90005 Assistant Editor: Richard T. Mitch 514 Main Bldg., 1212 Main St., Houston, Tex. 77002 Bureau Head: Bruce F. Greek Washington News Bureau 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Bureau Head: Louis A. Agnello Congressional Specialist: George B. Krantz Assistant Editor: Wilbert C. Lepkowski
Basic element in college program—the student
Foreign News Bureaus Frankfurt/Main, West Germany Grosse Bockenheimerstrasse 32 Assistant Editor: H. Clifford Neely
D E A R SIR:
London, W.C.2, England, 27 John Adam St. Assistant Editor: Michael K. McAbee
Upon analysis, the comments of A. W. Astin and C. B. T. Lee (Research Concentrates, C&EN, Oct. 3, page 47) are a bit foolish. The continuing whitewashing of college administrators for 100% reliance on the publication as the criterion for judging skills in educational processes is asinine. Any dean or any department head has a far better, far more reliable source of information available. Unfortunately, the deans, department heads, and entire academic community seem to have forgotten the one basic element in a college program—the student. This was the fundamental cause of the troubles at Berkeley in the fall of 1964 even though the stuff that
Tokyo, Japan likura Central Building, 4th Floor 12 likura Kata-Machi, Azabu Minato-ku, Tokyo Bureau Head: Patrick P. McCurdy Advisory Board: Raymond F. Baddour, Herman S. Bloch, Walter M. Carlson, Herbert D. Doan, William D. Emmons, Alfred B. Garrett, Walter R. Guyer, Charles J. Jelinek, Marshall Nirenberg, Royston M. Roberts, Frederick D. Rossini, Wayne D. Staley, Harold E. Thayer, Ervin R. Van Artsdalen, Robert R. White American Chemical Society Publications Director of Publications: Richard L. Kenyon Assistant Director of Publications: Richard H. Belknap Director of Business Operations: Joseph H. Kuney Executive Assistant to the Director of Publications: Rodney N. Hader Assistant to the Director of Publications: William Q. Hull
was reported in the press was only mildly related. It is common in industry to judge the value of a technician by the quality of the product he turns out. Just as in the classroom it is unfair and a great disturbance to observe a faculty member in operation, it is unfair and not allowed, to watch over a technician's shoulder as he performs his skills. We are concerned with the product in both industrial and academic circles. Certainly the value of a teacher can be judged by the product he turns out. Evaluation is not as simple as in the industrial analogy, but the administrators of such institutions presumably have abilities uncommon in our society and should be able to devise a system of evaluation with comparative ease. I dare say there is not a faculty member in this country who could not be evaluated by members of my staff within 30 days and the evaluation will show an accurate picture of his worth in research as well as in teaching. W e won't visit his classrooms, nor will we limit ourselves to any particular discipline.
SIZE REDUCTION Fitzpatrick designs and manufactures a full range of particle size reduction equipment from laboratory research units...
W I L L I A M D. HARRIS
Berkeley, Calif.
Creativity in industry
to thousands of pounds per hour capacity for a broad range of products.
D E A R SIR:
Recently Dr. J. Schmooker ("Invention and Economic Growth/' Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1966) concluded that inventive effort as deduced from the number of patents granted in fields which he examined was proportional to the demand for the products. Hence, creative effort would be a commodity subject to the laws of supply and demand. But does the originator who likewise is motivated by reward share in the return in proportion to his contribution? The image of a company, surely, is partially built by the profitable new products or new processes which are generated by its creative people. It would therefore seem that the originator of a product or process which makes a profit should share in the return in an amount equal to the executives who guide the product or process through the development and commercial stages. If it were clearly understood in industry that the originator (there cannot be more than one for each product or process) would be awarded 2% of the profit of sucessful developments for the period of his lifetime, it would serve as a powerful motivating force to greater creative effort. The company would pay only in proportion to the
ASK ABOUT THESE FEATURES: • • • • •
All Stainless Steel construction Sanitary design • Rugged splined construction Simple disassembly • Easy maintenance and clean-up Multiple feed methods 200 blade types • 500 screen sizes and variations Laboratories and sales engineers available nationwide to assist with youi processing operations without expense or obligation. Representatives in foreign countries.
HI
T H E FITZPATRICK COMPANY 1001 West Washington Blvd. Chicago, Illinois 6 0 6 0 7 Area code: 312 CHesapeake 3 - 2 8 0 0
NOV. 21, 1966 C&EN 7
Go ahead, start something! CH 2 (COOH) 2 malonic acid CH 2 (CN) 2 malononitrile CH 2 (COOC 2 H 5 ) 2 diethyl malonate C 2 H 5 O C H = C (COOC 2 H 5 ) 2 diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate C 2 H 5 OCH = C ( C N ) 2 ethoxymethylenemalononitrile (RO) 2 CHCH 2 CH (OR) 2 malonaldehyde diacetals Here are six good starting points for synthesizing a wide variety of products. T h e active methylene groups and the functional groups undergo a variety of reac tions, and the malonaldehyde diacetals look particularly promising as crosslinking agents for several polymers. Comprehensive product bulletins on malononitrile, diethyl malonate, and malonaldehyde diacetals are all available on request. These bulletins detail physical properties, chemical reactions and up-to-date applica tion and patent information. For your copies a n d / o r free samples of any of the Kay-Fries malono compounds, write us, on your company letterhead, please: Kay-Fries Chemicals, Inc., 360 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017. KAY - F R I E S ^
\
ι
y
ν
KF CHEMICALS. INC.
V
8 C&EN NOV. 21, 1966
V
profit derived. In this way the techni cal man would in a few cases be paid as highly as the executive and the transfer from the laboratory to the car peted office would seem less of a pro motion and a higher value would be placed on creative talent. Probably creative talent is much more rare than executive ability, hence it should be as highly rewarded when it is demon strated, since it contributes to com pany growth as much as executive de cision. Dr. W. J. Sparks (C&EN, Sept. 19, page 102) in his ACS Presidential ad dress, concluded that the creative in dividual should be rewarded by a gold medal and certificate. Dr. W. O. Baker (C&EN, April 4, page 98) in his Priestley address suggested that crea tivity in industry could be encouraged by closer liaison with the university at mosphere. As Dr. M. A. Coler (C&EN, Aug. 15, page 72) observed, creativity is "often a highly personal ized performance" and as such it pre sumably is subject to encouragement as are other personal efforts. Un doubtedly both Dr. Sparks and Dr. Baker were correct, since honor would accrue to the individual from either course, but if demonstrated creativity in industry were as highly rewarded as is here proposed, there would be an even greater motivating force equiva lent in pressure to that which drives the executive. Both the company and the stockholders would profit from the increased effort. The uncommon man who originates a line of endeavor which importantly adds to the progres sive image of a company would partic ipate in the partnership in proportion to his contribution and would thus ac quire both honor and money. DAVID R. W I G G A M
West Grove, Pa.
Foods, not nonfoods D E A R SIR:
My thanks to Joan S. Heald (C&EN, Oct. 24, page 7) for the drubbing she administered to the food additives in dustry and C&EN on the subjects of food additives, name-calling, and Rachel Carson. Some five or six years ago when our household became alarmed at all the nonfoods we had begun to notice in our diet—and being certain that these developments were intended to bene fit primarily others than the consum er—we instituted certain precautions as a matter of self-defense; that is, we stopped eating any foods containing artificial colors, artificial flavors, pre servatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickeners, and so on down the whole dreary list. The only excep tions made are for such materials that
®
U.S.I. CHEMICAL NEWS November-December
1966
A Series of Advertisements for the Chemical Process Industries
Alcohol Notes: Drop 5< Differential on Brucine-Denatured SDA 40 U.S.I, has dropped the five cents premium heretofore charged for SDA 40 denatured with brucine. The premium became necessary when brucine—a botanical extract, and one of several optional denaturants authorized for SDA 40—came into short supply. The situation has eased somewhat, however, because aerosol producers and other users have evaluated SDA 40 formulas
U.S.I. Doubles Capacity For Anhydrous Ethyl Alcohol Output Expanded to Meet Aerosol Needs By Jan. 1, U. S. I. will have doubled its capacity to produce anhydrous ethyl alcohol. With this increase, U.S.I, will have available for the merchant market as much high quality anhydrous alcohol as all the other producers combined . . . more, in fact, than all producers
These products have realized tremendous growth over the past several years. Aerosol production increased 3 1 % last year, as determined by the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association, and reported in the JulyAugust, 1966 edition of U.S.L Chem-
Capacity for anhydrous ethyl alcohol at U.S. I.'s Tuscola, III. alcohol unit, will have doubled by the beginning of next year.
based on alternative denaturants, and found them satisfactory.
Renewal Applications Due January 10, 1967 Applications for renewal of Form 1450 (the withdrawal permit for taxfree ethyl alcohol) must be filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division of the Internal Revenue Service by Jan. 10, 1967. All Form 1450 permits must be renewed yearly. Permits now current expire April 30, 1967.
of anhydrous ethyl alcohol (including U.S.I.) supplied just after the end of World War II. Aerosol Boom The increase in U.S.I, output is intended to help meet the continually growing needs of the aerosol industry for anhydrous alcohol. Many aerosol products—including hair sprays, personal deodorants, colognes, and space sprays—contain alcohol as the solvent or carrier for active ingredients.
icdl News. Hair spray output rose from 270.2 million to 423.7 million aerosol units. Personal deodorants were not reported separately before last year; however, CSMA estimates that they registered the sharpest gain of any aerosol product, increasing to 157.3 million units. Dryness Counts Manufacturers of these products not only require more alcohol, but the driest possible alcohol (in some cases, 500 ppm water or less). The reason: (Continued on next page)
November-December
U.S.I. CHEMICAL NEWS
1966
A l C O h o l C a p a c i t y (continued) even relatively small amounts of mois ture in an aerosol can cause such diffi culties as container corrosion, valve clogging and breakdown of product ingredients. The significantly expanded U.S.I, capacity at Tuscola, 111. is aimed at meeting both needs—for quality as well as quantity.
New Clear Plastic M o d e l s Show Electron Orbitals of Atoms and Molecules Large scale models for illustrating atomic and molecular orbitals are now
chemical compounds can be repre sented. Three Sets Available One set of models illustrates atomic and molecular orbitals. Another set shows how orbitals are used in single, double and triple bonds. A third illus trates the five d orbitals, and includes a sixth model showing all five d orbi tals about the nucleus. Cost for all three sets of models is about $60.00. More information on the molecular models is available from the manufac turer. Write to U.S.I., and please spec ify No. 2350.
TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS Fire hazards of reactive chemicals are discussed in recently revised 24-page pamphlet, now on sale. Materials capable of rapid energy release either by selfreaction (polymerization), or in contact with water, are discussed. No. 2351 New liquid ammonia batteries is the sub ject of recently published naval ordnance report, now on sale. The report describes seven experimental tvpes of batteries. No. 2352 Fluorocarbon tape reportedly has many laboratory uses—lubricating, sealing, gasketing. White tape is described as noncontaminating, heat-resistant, chemically inert and self lubricating. No. 2353
Molecular model, used for showing electron orbitals, stands 12 inches high.
New TFE tape aids in lab glassware assembly.
on sale from their manufacturer, and also from scientific supply companies. The orbitals, which are the most prob able regions for finding electrons in atoms and molecules, are represented by planes inserted into large geomet ric shapes. Some of the molecular models are a foot tall, as they are scaled to 5.6 inches per Angstrom. Different colored caps that attach to the geometric shapes are used to rep resent atom groups. Consequently, the geometry of hundreds of different
Text on inorganic and radiochemistry, now on sale, discusses transition metal cyanides, perchloric acid, applications of neutron diffraction. No. 2354
EVA Replaces Cork In Bottle Pourers Ultrathene® ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers are replacing natural cork in pourers for liquor bottles. Cork breaks easily, absorbs liquids and cracks under stress. EVA seals, on the other hand, fit more tightly and last longer. These advantages, and its general inertness, recommend evaluation of Ultrathene EVA copolymers for stop pers and sealers for a variety of uses.
Returnable polyethylene milk bottle system features and economics are out lined in new booklet. No. 2355 For more information on the U.S.I. products or other items in this issue, write: U.S.I., 99 Park Ave., New York, Ν. Υ. 10016. Please use the identifying number when writing.
U.S.I. Chemicals National Distillers & Chemical Corp.
USI
are known to occur naturally in foods. Such a policy, of course, has its price, but we are convinced that the price of unquestioning acceptance could possibly be much greater. Having found over the past 40 years that a mild degree of hunger invariably stimulates my appetite, I remain unimpressed and unappreciative of the food (and chemical) industry's attempts to make foods more colorful, more attractive, and more tantalizing. In fact, the arguments I have read for the value and need for food additives put me in mind of such nonsense as electric toothbrushes and exaggerated tailfms on automobiles. With so much hypocritical balderdash already abroad in the world today, there is hardly any need for a contribution from chemists or the chemical industry. L. M.
SOFFER
Fullerton, Calif.
Brewing process D E A R SIR:
Your article (C&EN, Oct. 10, page 73) summarizing the advantages of using the preisomerized hop concentrate of one of the several producers of treated whole extracts failed to mention the availability of solutions of the sodium salts of pure iso-humulones. Successful development of a plantscale method for isolating these bitter compounds provides the brewer with a clear, light orange liquid for automatic complete control of the flavor and foam-sustaining properties of hops. Simple addition of this essence to the cold beer before capping the bottle eliminates concern for the extraneous hops constituents of whole extracts and shortens the brewing process. RICHARD P. CLARKE
President, Kalamazoo tion Co., Kalamazoo,
Spice Mich.
Extrac-
If you use any of these gases SEND FOR NEW SPECIALTY GAS CATALOG FROM AIR PRODUCTS Acetylene Air Aliène Ammonia Argon
Deuterium Difluorodiazine Dimethylamine Dimethyl Ether 2,2-Dimethylpropane
Boron Trichloride Boron Trifluoride Bromine Pentafluoride Bromine Trifluoride Bromotrifluoroethylene 1,3 Butadiene Butane 1-Butene cis-2-Butene trans-2-Butene cis- and trans-2-Butene
Ethane Ethyl Acetylene Ethyl Fluoride Ethyl Chloride Ethylene Ethylene Oxide
Hexafluoropropylene Iodine Pentafluoride Isobutane Isobutylene Krypton Methyl Aliène Methyl Fluoride Methane
Methyl Acetylene Methyl Bromide 2-Methylbutene-l 2-Methylbutene-2 Fluorine 3-Methylbutene-l Methyl Chloride Halocarbon— 12,13,13B1,14, Methyl Mercaptan 21,22,23,114, Monoethylamine Carbonyl Fluoride 115, 116,142B, Monomethylamine 152A,C-318,1132A Carbon Dioxide Natural Gas Helium Carbon Monoxide Neon Hydrogen Carbonyl Sulfide Nickel Carbonyl Chlorine Hydrogen Bromide Nitric Oxide Hydrogen Chloride Chlorine Trifluoride Nitrogen Chlorotrifluoroethylene Hydrogen Fluoride Nitrogen Dioxide Hydrogen Iodide Cyanogen Nitrogen Trifluoride Hydrogen Sulfide Cyclopropane Nitrogen Trioxide (plus thousands of gas mixtures)
Nitrosyl Chloride Nitrous Oxide Nitrosyl Fluoride Oxygen Perfluorobutene-2 Perfluoropropane Phosgene Phosphorus Pentafluoride Propane Propylene Silane Silicon Tetrafluoride Sulfur Dioxide Sulfur Hexafluoride Sulfur Tetrafluoride Sulfuryl Fluoride Thionyl Fluoride Tetrafluorohydrazine Trimethylamine Tungsten Hexafluoride Tetrafluoroethylene Vinyl Chloride Vinyl Fluoride Vinyl Methyl Ether Xenon
Student draft Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Specialty Gas Department, Allentown, Pennsylvania
D E A R SIR:
The article "Student draft threat looms larger" (C&EN, Sept. 26, page 42) has been read with great interest. It is an exceptionally well-written item dealing with a complex subject. If the numerous interrelated details are not properly understood, the conclusions will be distorted and misleading to the reader. Your Mr. Agnello displayed a keen insight into the problem and did a magnificent job of reporting. Thank you and your organization for carrying this story. W I L L I A M S. PASCOE
Washington,
D.C.
CEN116
Please send new 75-page Specialty Gas Catalog listing the industry's largest selection of specialty gases and gas mixtures . . . available nationwide from 65 district sales offices or from convenient stock points:
Name/Title Company Address
City/State
Zip
Air Products and Chemicals IMC.
Total RESPONSE to your Specialty Gas Requirements
NOV. 21, 1966 C&EN
11
