ERNEST GUENTHER, THE SCIENTIST 287 understanding and without the continuous encouragement and moral support on the part of Mr. Leonhardt and his associates, the completion of the great work might have been delayed by many years, if not vitiated altogether. In concluding this all too inadequate statement, I cannot help returning to Ernest's humanistic and classical background which is so manifest in his outstanding personality and in his scientific writings, and of which he is so proudly conscious. And this is why I deem it only fitting to suggest that our contemporary, Ernest Guenther, the author of "The Essential Oils," can justly say of his accomplishment at least as much as Horace said of his own work (in the thirtieth ode of the third book): "Exegi monumentum aere perennius regalique situ pyramidum altius, quod non imber edax, non Aquilo impotens possit diruere aut innumerabilis anncrum series et fuga temporum. Non omnis moriar multaque pars mei vitabit Libitinam .... " "I have erected a monument more enduring than bronze, of regal pro- portions and higher than the pyramids, one that no wasting rain, no powerless north wind could destroy, nor the countless number of years and the flight of the ages. I shall not die completely, since a great part of me will remain immortal .... " ERNEST GUENTHER, THE SCIENTIST By EDWAKD E. LANGENAU THE CONTRIBUTIONS of Dr. Ernest Guenther to the field of essential oils and to the related fields of perfumery and cosmetics cannot be over- emphasized. Unfortunately, the scope of this address permits me to touch but briefly upon his training and upon his important contributions to this field. The formal education of Ernest Guenther included study at the Tech- nische Hochschule of Munich and Zurich. His chemical training was con- tinued at the University of Zurich under the Nobel prize winner, Professor Paul Karrer. Here he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1920 upon completion of a scholarly inaugural dissertation entitled, "Thioglu- koside." Subsequently he was associated closely with Prof. A. Hesse, of Berlin the well known authority on natural flower oils. Thus the course of Dr. Guenther's lifework had already been set at an early date.

288 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS As a chemist and perfumer, the Medalist worked for a period of some three years in Europe. In 1924 he joined the firm of Fritzsche Brothers, Inc., in New York as chief research chemist, an important position he has held for the last thirty-one years. In 1941 he became a vice-president of this firm, in recognition of the importance of his work. As chief research chemist of Fritzsche Brothers, Inc., one of his early as- signments involved the supervision of the production of natural flower oils in our Seillans factory in France. Here Dr. Guenther accumulated first- hand knowledge of the production of concretes, absolutes and resinolds-- all important raw materials for the perfume, soap and cosmetic industries. Constant experimentation and development were an important part of this work at Seillans. In addition, investigations were undertaken in connec- tion with the commercial production of a great variety of essential oils and oleoresins: black pepper, French celery seed, cinnamon bark, cumin seed, estragon, sweet basil, and others. The resulting products, all of absolute and known purity, were sent to the New York laboratories of Fritzsche Brothers, Inc., for examination and evaluation. And so began the slow and systematic accumulation of basic knowledge, founded on his personal experience with the finest products that could be produced using the most advanced equipment available at that time. It soon became apparent that many essential oils could not be studied adequately in the factory or in the lab9ratory , and that a study in the field would be highly desirable. Thus began Dr. Guenther's travels throughout the world--travels which took him to every remote spot where essential oils were produced--travels which extended over more than twenty years. This resulted in important data, often the first reliable data available, on production methods, qualities and potential commercial availabilities of essential oils. This information was made freely accessible to the trade through Dr. Guenther's many articles. At the present time, well over 150 of such articles have appeared in the scientific and technical journals. Another phase of the Medalist's work was undertaken just prior to and during the early years of World War II. Dr. Guenther worked closely with various governmental agencies in an attempt to establish an essential oil industry within this hemisphere to permit the United States to become in- dependent of sources of supply from overseas. Important developments resulted in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, the West Indies and in South America (notably Brazil). Dr. Guenther has given freely of his vast experience to help new pro- ducers everywhere. This has been accomplished through personal con- tacts, through his papers and his books, through his celebrated lectures and motion pictures. I should like to cite a specific example to emphasize this point. If any individual can be singled out as the most important in the development of