246 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS the analysis of essential oils and other mixtures of odorants, "9 and in the examination of aerosol ingredients and products." 0 A gas analyser measur- ing sound velocity in gases may find application as the detector unit in the gas chromatograph. TM By ion-exchange chromatography, commercial adenosine triphosphate was found to contain 8 per cent tetraphosphate and a small amount of pentaphosphate. •2 •/[ISCELLANEOUS Biochemistry has progressed far since the time, only 20 or 30 years ago, when "some biologists were still insistent that comparison of the living cell with any physicochemical system was sheer impertinence. ""3 Szent- Gyorgyi points out that some biological phenomena may belong to the domain of "quantum biology," and suggests that three new factors may have to be introduced into biological thought: water structures, the electro- magnetic field, and triplets or some other unusual form of excitation made possible by water structures. TM The importance of water structures is connected with the likelihood that cells contain very little random water, but do contain ice, or more exactly water which has acquired an ordered structure around surfaces. Thus water forms cubic lattices around non- polar substances? 5 Electropolar groups on surfaces may also induce order in the adjacent water. TM The biochemical use of radioactive tracers may be expanded by Wflz- bach's report that a wide variety of organic compounds can be labelled (more or less at random) by warming them for a few days with tritium in sealed tubes.•97 THE PACE OF PROGRESS As is apparent from the above selective review, 1958 was a year of extremely rapid progres• in the life sciences. The rate of progress is likely to continue to accelerate at least for the duration of the current period of prosperity. The government grants which sustain about 60 per cent of the research in this country TM continue to be available. Of the Federal grants for unclassified research in the life sciences, at least 143 subjects in the report •*• for fiscal 1954 were judged to be of interest to the cosmetic chemist. TM For fiscal 1955, 223 subjects were considered of interest. TM In the important fields of enzyme mechanisms and protein structure, 03 projects were listed in 1955 against 88 in 1954. Federal backing of research and development, which totalled $2.•1 billion in fiscal 1955 and $2.4 billion in 1•5•, is expected to reach $2.7 billion in fiscal 1957. TM The Federal budget for fiscal 1958 calls for $:i.4 billion for research. •ø* There appears to be a general impression that U.S. management, both industrial and govern- mental, has favoured applied over basic research it is therefore encouraging

SOME NEW KEYS TO COSMETIC CHEMISTRY--1956 247 to note that the National Science Foundation budget, which goes largely to fundamental studies, has been doubled in each of the past two fiscal years, to reach $42 million for fiscal 1957. 304 Basic research is estimated to account for about $240 mill•ion, or 9 per cent of the fiscal 1957 Federal research budget of $2.7 billion) 05 SUMMARY New discoveries in chemical aspects of the life sciences have provided a wealth of new facts, concepts, and techniques which may be applied by the cosmetic chemist to improve the efficacy and attractiveness of his products while maintaining their high standard of safety. As ever, much of last year's new data came from sources outside our own industry, and as the volume of reported work continues to increase, its proper assimilation becomes a growing problem. Continued and increasing support of basic research by public funds promises that many more problems now puzzling our best investigators will be solved in the next few years. Cosmetic chemistry is still a fast-growing child. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lauffer, P. G. I., J. Soc. Costa. Chemists, 7, 26-37 (1956). Montagna, Wm., The Structure and Function of the Skin, Academic Press, New York, 1956. Rothman, S., Physiology and Biochemistry of the Skin, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1954. Hunter, R., Pinkus, H., and Steele, C. H., J. Inves. Dermat., 27, 31-34 (1956). Matoltsy, A.D., and Odland, G. F., J. Inves. Dermat., 26, 121-6 (1956). Blank, I. B., J. Inves. Dermat., 18, 433-440 (1952) 21, 259-269 (1953) i Proc. Sci. Sect. T.G.A., l'qo. 23, 19-23 (May, 1955). Peck, S. M., and Glick, A. W., J. Soc. Costa. Chemists, 7,530-540 (1956). Shelmire, J. B., J. Inves. Dermat., 26, 105-109 (1956). Yokozeki, T., Skikoku Acta ivied., 7, 80-90 (1956). Montgomery, H., Horwitz, O., and Penneys, R., Trans. Assoc. Am. Physicians, 8, 185-198 (1955). Petrun, M. M., Fiziol. Zhur. Akad. Nauk. Ukr. R.S.R., 1, /Xlo. 2, 108-112 (1955). van Heusden, P. L., Excerpta Med., Sect. 11, 8,482 (1955). Roe, D. A., J. Inves. Dermat., 27, 1-8 (1956). Rudall, K. M., Advances in Protein Chemistry, 7,253-288 (1952). Matoltsy, A. G., and Herbst, F. S. M., J. Inves. Dermat., 27,263-270 (1956). Thomas, K., et al., Arch. Tierernahr., Beihefte, No. 5, 103-109 {1954). Nicolaides, N., and Rothman, S., J. Inves. Dermat., 24, 125-129 (1955). Selby, C. C., J. Soc. Costa. Chemists, 7, 584-599 (1956). Flesch, P., J. Soc. Costa. Chemists, 7, 521-530 (1956). Rothman, S., J. Soc. Costa. Chemists, 7, 576-583 (1956). Aavik, O. R., J. Invest. Dermat., 24, 103-106 (1955). Hellman, K., J. Physiol., 129,454-463 (1955). Shelley, W. B., Coehn, S. B., and Koelle, G. B., J. Inves. Dermat., 24, 561-565 {1955). Block, W. B., and Johnson, D. V., J. Biol. Chem., 217, 43-48 (1955). Spier, YI. W., Pascher, G., and Martin, K., Dermatologia, 3, 9-13 {1955). Repke, H., Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. exptl. Pathol. Pharm., 228,227 (1956). Tanaka, H., Demura, K., and Kat .... '., , -•L44/955 ). O'Donnell, I. J., and Woods, E. F., Australian J. Chem., 9,212-22! (1956). Detlev v. Uexkull, J., Seifen-Ole-Fette-Wachse, 81, 611-612 (1955). Agureikins, S., Latvijas P.S.R., Zinatnu Akad. Vestis. 1955, Blo. 4, 127-138. Paschoud, J. M., Dermatologica, 112,323-334 (1956).