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WINNERS OF THE NOBEL PRIZES FOR CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, AND PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE WENDELL H. POWERS Wayne University, Detroit, Michigan
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Any prize may be divided among two or three indiliterature of chemistry is the record of man's accomplishments in the realm of chemistry and allied viduals, should the selecting committees so decide. fields, his experimental findings and theories. While In awarding the prize, no consideration is given to the most of us try to keep abreast of these current scientific matter of nationality, thus making the prize one of accomplishments in our o m specialized fields, we may international scope. Any prize omitted one year can fail to take special cognizance of the men themselves be given out the next year; if omitted more than a who are making the really significant contributions year, it reverts to the main fund or to a special fund to support work in corresponding fields. in the various branches of the sciences. The Nohel Prize for Chemistry is indeed a singular NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY award from the standpoint of prestige and honor. No The prize, consisting of a medallion and approxiless renowned in scientific circles are the Nobel Prizes 940,000,is announced annually, usually during mately for Physics and for Physiology and Medicine. So November. The recipient is selected by the S ~ e d i s h are the ultimate boundaries between defined " Sciences.'s2 chemistry and physics, on the one hand, and chemistry and physiology and medicine or biology, on the other 1901 Jacobus Hendrik van't Hoff, University of Berlin, ill recognition of the extraordinary value of his disrovcry hand, that a notable advancement in the knowledge of of the laws of ehomicrtl dynamics and osmotic pressure in one of these branches of science is also a notable adsolutions. vancement in its applications to the others. A student Emil Fischer, University of Berlin, in recognition of tho of biochemistry or one of physical chemistry will recogextraordinary merit of his synthetic work with relation to the sugar and purine groups. nize how true this is when reading the contributions of Svante August Arrhenius, University of Stockholm, in the N o b ~ lPrize winners in these various branches of rxognition of the special value of his theory of electrolytic science. dissociation in the interest of the development of The will of Alfred Bernhard Nobel has probably done chemistrv. Sir \lril
