RAYMOND DELABY
. R A ~ O(Marie N D Florent) Delaby well merits his international reputation for two reasons: his competent conduct of the general-secretaryship of the Iuternational Union of Chemistry, and his excellent research studies in the fields of organic, pharmaceutical, and analytical chemistry. Born a t Lens (Pas de Calais) on September 20, 1891, his scientific training was begun a t the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Lille, where he was assistant 1912-13. The pharmacien degree was obtained in 1913. Shortly after the outbreak of World War I he volunteered for active duty. He was gassed at Verdun in 1916 and after his recovery was appointed chef du laboratoire de toxieologie. The Croix de Guerre was awarded in 1916. At present he holds the rank of pharmaeien commandant de reserue. After the war he continued his education at Paris and received his docteur as sciences physiques a t the Sorbonne in 1923. Having now resolved to enter the teaching profession, he qualified as agrdgd (teaching fellow) at the Facult6 de Pharmacie in 1926. In 1937 he was appointed professor of analytical chemistry in this school and in 1940 exchanged this chair for his present post, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry, He has been an outstanding teacher, both for elementary and advanced students. He worked out new spotdetection methods for arsenic, antimony, and tin, and in line with this interest with the collaboration of J. A. Gautier, he composed the well-known "Analyse qualitative minerale a l'aide des stillir6actions" (2nd ed. 1949). Delaby did his doctorate work under Marcel Del6pine,' who suggested as a thesis topic a study of the homologues of glycerol in the acyclic and heterocyclic series. The organo-magnesium compounds vere condensed with acrolein, and the resulting vinyl alcoyl carbinols were then converted to the glycerols via the bromhydrins. Delaby prepared derivatives of these new compounds, and also used them in the classic Skraup synthesis to arrive at new quinolinic derivatives. The section "Triols et leurs deriv6s," in Grignard's "Trait6 de chimie organique" vas logically entrusted to Delaby. Selected examples from his many research projects will demonstrate the caliber of the work that has come from his laboratory. Straight chain a,p-ethylenic aldehydes were prepared through the isomerization of vinylaryl and vinylaracoyl carhinols into 8-homoacroOEBPER,R.E., J. CEEM.EDUC., 27,567 (1950).
C L ~ M E N TDUVAL University of Paris, Paris, France RALPH E. OESPER University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
leins. With J. Lecomte he studied the infrared absorption spectra of about 60 ethylenic derivatives which he had prepared. He confirmed the existence of sarothamninc, a satellite alkaloid of spartein, whose constitution he had clarified. He investigated the group sulfamides-amidines from the pharmacological viewpoint, and dealt with p-sulfamidobenzamide in particular. Wit,h R. Charonnat he prepared dioxypyramidooe (n-methyl-u-acetyl-pdimethyloxamyl-8-phenylhydrazinej and proved that though less toxic than pyramidone its analgesic properties are just as good. In the field of organic analysis he and Y. Breugnot developed a new method for determining the acetyl index, namely acetylation in pyridine. The determination of streptomycin by means of periodic acid was worked out in his laboratory. He, Charonnat, and IM. Janot made an extended study of the radioactivity of the mineral waters of the eastern parts of France. Those coming from the Ballon dlAlsace, t,he highest peak in the Vosges mountains, were found to be the most active. He has directed an excellent scientific film, "Vichy, capitale thermale."
He has been a member of the Higher Council for Scientific Research since 1939. As inspecteur gendral des dtablissements class& iinalubres, and also as prdsident du comitd consultatif des Btablissements classds,
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he devoted rn11r.11 of his time and energy to safegunrding guisbed post of secrcrnry-general of the 1nternilrion;rl the ~ u b l i chealth inParis where themuhi~licit\~of manu- Union of Chmiistrv sillre 1045. After the closc of 1111~ " factking establishments constitutes a serious problem. World War 11, he again organized its various activities Professor Delaby served as secretarygeneral of the and bad a prominent part in arranging the London SociBtB chimique de France for 13 years. I n 1947 he (1949) and the New York (1951) meetings. was unanimously elected to the presidency of this imHis services have been recognized by the award of portant organization. Since 1945 he has been secre- many prizes, including the Lavoisier Medal. He is a tary-general of the FBdBration Nationale des Associa- member of the AcadBmie de MBdecine. In 1949 he v a s tions de Chimie en France. He has held the distin- 'made oficier of the Legion of Honor.
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