VOLUME
2 0, N O . 2, F E B R U A R Y
17 A
1948
the analyst's column HE advantages to analysts of holding a national symposium sponsored by the Division of Analytical and Micro Chemis try have been discussed in this column. Officers of the division have expressed great interest in such a plan. We are happy to report t h a t a t a meeting of t h e divisional officers and the editors
T
of ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY held in Washington on J a n u a r y 13 it
was decided to proceed with summer symposia to be cosponsored by the division and ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.
D r . Elving, divi
sion chairman, writes that tentative plans have been made for a meeting this summer a t Northwestern University on the general theme of methods in nuclear chemistry. This subject, top secret during the war, can now be discussed in detail, and experts will cover the important techniques developed in this field as they apply to analysis. When the methods become better known, we feel that they will have broad application. We trust t h a t the national divisional activities will continue to grow and we pledge your journal to support all activities which will contribute to the growth of a broad, modern, scientific a p proach to analysis. G R A N T Wernimont, Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, Ν . Υ., is acting as chairman for a short symposium on statistical methods to be held a t the A.C.S. meeting in Chicago. Most analysts now agree t h a t statistics can be useful, b u t many would like guidance as to how to proceed and what short cuts can be used where suf ficient data for broad statistical treatment are not available. Dr. Wernimont as an analyst has been faced with these problems and has solved some of them. This short, informal symposium will be welcomed, we are sure, by all practicing analysts; tenta tive details are given in the Analyst's Calendar (page 185). I N t h e past three issues comments on t h e role of t h e analyst reflect a progressive viewpoint. With this as a background we read in Chemistry and Industry replies t o a letter by Crowhurst published October 25, 1947, on the use of elaborate instruments in research. Crowhurst surveyed the 1947 papers in the Analyst up to the date of his writing, which revealed t h a t 5 5 % dealt with physical instrument techniques. While not decrying the value of such instruments, he felt t h a t because of their prohibitive cost many small laboratories could not afford them, and therefore the publication committee was asked to consider the desirability of reducing the number of papers on instruments to a level consonant with a wider appeal. The six replies to this letter (Chemistry and Industry, 1947, 693, 708, 723, 741, 774) mirror in some measure the thinking of English chemists on the subject of analysis and instruments. The com ments reveal that certain research problems often demand the use of instruments where analysis is involved. I t was felt t h a t many instruments are within the price range for oven a small laboratory, b u t if prices were lowered, they could be used more. For some analytical problems the use of expensive instruments may be questioned, but where a considerable amount of work is to be done with a particular method and an instrument can be purchased, it will save much time. T h e analyst is interested in increased accuracy, wider scope, greater speed, and less tedium, and if instruments provide this, they are worth the price. An other comment was that, while industry is prone t o consider laboratory equipment less important t h a n t h a t used in manufac turing, no association of industrialists would be prepared to sub sidize research into ' 'string and sealing wax' ' analytical methods on the grounds t h a t individually they could not afford more expen sive analytical equipment. The comments generally reflect, we believe, sane thinking on the use of instruments and augur well for progressive develop ment in this field of analysis b y our colleagues in other countries.
Associate Editor
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