aiid theories. Let us hnvc in sonic cotiwxtctl fortti suclt evidence as thcrc i s ; the best nccoitnt ivc Itnppcn to Itave come across of tltc spncc forniuh of the cnrlJon conipounds was isritien inany ycnrs ngo by n matluftteturer of cod-liver oil. Surelj-so~nctlting morc rcccnt is now nvailablc ! Cniiiiot we ltiive n plain stntcnicnt of the currciit views, dicthcr t h y arc riglit or wrong ? If there arc no current views, let us linvc tltc stagnant oiics. Will not two or tltrcc cltemists Ict its I~nrc a short note of their doctrines, avoiding so far as possible, pnrtiality on the one Iiand mid impnrtinlity o i i t . 1 ~ ot,licr hand ?
Biochemical Research
It is customary a t the opctiing of n i i c ~ year citlwr to maI;c good resolutions ur. to uttcr prophecies. Wc haw long pnsserl the stage of innking rcsolutioris: tlio~~glt, to tliosc u-110 nrc so c1ispogctl, ivc \vould IIC incliiicd IicIpfuIIy. 'Uic task of the prophet is ec\n:illy pmcnrious :ind it. Iins even bccn sugpetetl tltiit w l m i two nngurs nict in tltc streets of anctent, I3otitc? tltcir snlutntion wns usitnlly expressed by n trntisiriit closure of a singlc cyc. If w e look back, tlicru lire soinc interesting ccntcnnrirs ~IiicIt could IJC ccldm tctl this ycnr. In 1728 I-lalcs, if ivc rciiictiiber aright, wotc oil tlic distillation of coal, and, R cciitury Iiitcv, Joscpli Black was 1)orn in Tkwdcnus, Possclt ~i i i i l licitnnn discovcrcd tiicot,itic?, Dinitits put foriviirtl the ctlioriii tlicory, G it t cl i ti ii iicl C; uiiiit! t. discow red d t rti i i w i tie, a i t d Seilsoii introcluccd t,lie principle of 1iv:iting the air (or. use in \Anst. hiriiitccs. In thc sniitc p i r , too, iI young innti of tivcnty-cigltt, \dio wns tcnchiog clicmisfiy in tlic Berlin l'riidc Rcliool, t,ricil to follow tip liis Xcw Ycrir's rcsolution to tiinkc ittiiniottiitin cyntiiitc nnil in so doing iiinde iir~ii, t,liits ncliicvii~g tlic distinction of tlic! firstsyntltcsis of it tiut.rtrii1 prodact.. I t \vns singuliirly iip~~roprintc tlmt the p a r which itiurks thc cclttcttnry