The Washington times., 1916-02-21
CHEMISTS ATTACK
SHEPPARD MEASURE
Protest Against Clause Pre-
venting Use Of Alcohol In
Laboratories.

The Chemical Society OF washington
has adopted a resolution calling upon
Congress to modify those features Of
the Sheppard bill which its members
fear seriously threaten the Develop
ment of legitimate and necessary SCI.
entific industry.
A committee composed OF II. c. Full
er. Of the Institute OF Industrial Re-
search; John. Johnston, of the Carnegie
Institution; and DR.. Charles e. Munroc,
dean Of the School OF Graduate Studies
of George Washington University, was
appointed at a meeting Friday night at
the Cosmos Club TO present the reso-
luton to the District Committees.
Would Stop Experiments.
The resolution sets forth that the
bill in its present form contains fea-
lures which would absolutely prevent
the use OF grain alcohol In conducting
laboratory experiments ana analyses in
the District.
II would prevent. according TO the
chemists. the purchase OF alcohol for
experimental work, and would prevent
the delivery OF alcohol and samples
Of products containing alcohol which
might be sent into the District to be
analysed.
Congress, the resolution points out,
specifically provided in the food and
drugs act that the United States Pharm-
aoopoeia should be the standard used to
determine the purity of drug products,
and In order to arrive at the proper
conclusions, the chemists declare It Is
necessary to perform the tests prescribed
by that standard.
Alcohol Is Needed.
Many Of the analytical methods of the
Pharmacopoeia, It is added. require the
use OF alcohol at one stage or another
of ghe manipulations. Consequently
tho trainers OF the resolution believe II
Is unreasonable to suppose that Con-
gress should pass subsequent law
which would keep laboratories from
carrying out the details OF analysis pre-
scribed.
The regulations Of both the food and
drugs act and the insecticide act direct
that many analyses shall be performed
by methods made official by the Assoc
citation of Official Agricultural Chemists,
and directed by the Secretary OF Agri-
culture. The methods provided. the
resolution adds. in many instances, re-
quire the use of alcohol.
Problems Are Vital.
Continuing. the resolution reads:
"All of the laboratories Of the District
are engaged in handling research prob
iems Of economic importance. and since
the outbreak of the war many new
problems have been taken up for con-
sidcration. some of which problems are
vital to national defense. Alcohol plays
a large part In this work. and the
success of foreign manufacturers has
bean due to q large extent to their abil-
ity to obtain unlimited supplies of this
material.
"At the present time there is an
enormous demand for chemical talent
in manufacturing industries throughout
the country. and there Is every prospect
Of this demand continuing indefinitely.
The educational institutions of the
District are engaged In training young
men and women for actual service in
this important field. and the success Of
thase Institutions Is due in large meas
ure to their ability to turn out high
GLASS chemists and chemical engineers.
The study of chemistry requires large
laboratory practice, and one of the i'm
portant reactive agents. and one which
Is used to q large extent. Is grain
alcohol"