360 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS According to the Society's Special Award Committee under the chair- manship of H. J. Amsterdam, which reviewed many recent publications in the fields related to cosmetic science, Dr. Blank's basic discovery has been amplified by more recent work on the effects of surfactants on moisture- retaining powers of the skin, on the desirable features of cosmetic creams, on the mode of penetration of substances applied to the skin and on the location of the skin's barrier layer. Dr. Leon Goldman, professor of dermatology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, gave the following eulogy of Dr. Blank. "When the prophet first descended from Mount Carmel in Illinois, not too many years ago, little did he realize at that time what great groups he would lead to new and better cutaneous worlds. I do not know if the father of 'moisturizers' so-called in cosmetic advertising science, still remembers his early days in leather research at the University of Cincinnati, but those in the Department of Leather Research on the university campus still remember his excellent work and his excellent movie on the production of pigment by fungi. This was after undergraduate training as a chemical engineer, then graduate training in bacteriology and biochemistry. "Our first contact with Dr. Blank was in the unsteady middle 30's and this came about through mycology. This was the beginning of his pains- taking and tolerant instruction of the clinical dermatologist. The con- tinued small amount of basic research in this country in medical mycology would indicate simply that Dr. Blank is no longer doing basic research in medical mycology. "Following his interest in mycology at Cincinnati and later at Harvard, in 1936 he became Research Fellow in Dermatology. This is one of the fbrtunate happenings for dermatology. For in that brief space of time an extraordinary amount of basic and clinical research has come forth from that department of dermatology. In 1948 he was the only full-time inves- tigator in dermatology. In December, 1958, Dr. Griesemer summarized the research at Harvard for the period 1948 to 1958. This modest docu- ment showed the great amount of work and results accomplished by this division under the leadership of Dr. Blank. For us in clinical dermatology and for you in cosmetology, Dr. Blank's studies have been extremely important. ,His various phases of research have extended skin therapy with topical agents, the use of surfactants, skin detergents, vehicles, bac- teriology of the skin, hydration of the skin, shoe dermatitis, and now his fascinating and important experiments on percutaneous absorption. One of our great failings in dermatology is our continued lack of basic research on biochemistry and physiology of the normal epidermal cell. This was shown especially by the needs of skin research during the last war. It was then that the chemists and biologists begran to show more interest in derma- tology. This trend continues fortunately. I do not know of any other

THE FIFTH SPECIAL AWARD 361 research group in large centers of dermatology which has taken upon itself the specific purpose of studying in a very systematic fashion this basic work. Some institutions have done more basic, as opposed to project research, than others but none has done as much as the Harvard group. For those of you, who of necessity must know practical applications of basic work, I will give you an illustration of last month's Grand Rounds in ray, small department in Cincinnati. (1) The presentation of a case of shoe dermatitis. Dr. Blank made important contributions on this as regards the antioxidants and the controlled usage test. His studies were reported in this conference. (2) The survey of our studies with simple wet applications with '"'• colored water over a period of four years. Dr. Blank had suggested and initiated this form of clinical therapy. (3) The review of our interest and the increasing importance of geri- atric dermatology. through the use of agents for the softening of the skin of elderly individuals. As you know, this is Dr. Blank's basic work on hydradon of the skin. There in a short space of time in clinical conferences for postgraduate teach- ing were only three of Dr. Blank's studies. Now as regards his own teach- ing interests, Dr. Blank's work in presenting dermatology to both under- graduates and postgraduates, and his simplified exhibits for practicing dermatologists of the modern concepts of chemistry and physiology are but some of his other interests. For you, his active membership and active participation in the Committee on Cosmetics of the American Medical Association is of g•eat interest and importance. He is on the Board of Directors of the Society of Investigative Dermatology. I should like to quote Dr. Raymond R. Suskind of our department about his picture of Dr. Blank. 'Here is a quiet and humble person, who through clear thinking, lack of archaic medical prejudices and a rather special talent for experi- mental design, has thrown a great deal of new light on old problems.' "So, in behalf of dermatology, I wish to compliment your Society for recognizing finally for his great works in our specialty, Irvin H. Blank." Dr. Blank's acceptance of the Award follows. WATER ON TROUBLED SKINS--OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS By IRviN H. BL^NK IT IS WITH great pleasure that I accept this award today and join the distinguished company of investigators on whom this honor has been con- ferred. The fact that, within the short space of five years, men who work in several different scientific fields--dermatology, chemistry and biology--