Ciba Foundation Tenth Anniversary Symposium on Significant Trends in Medical Research.

Abstract

The idea behind this symposium was excellent: to assemble leaders in medical research from America, England, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa, and elsewhere and have them indicate what they consider the most significant and promising areas of current work. The result makes interesting and worthwhile reading. Specific areas discussed were molecular structure in relation to biological function and disease (Pauling), enzymology (Theorell), virus chemistry (Schramm), population dynamics of body cells (Burnett), medical genetics (Waldenstrom), neurophysiology (v o n M u r a l t ), hormones (Young), the pancreas (Best), chronic pulmonary disease (Richards), malignant disease (Haddow), clinical nutrition (Brock), and hypertension (Pickering). But the formal presentations were merely points of departure for discussion of what the most fruitful approaches to these several problems are likely to be. Finally, Dr. James A. Shannon, director of the National Institutes of Health, spoke on administrative aspects of medical research. He stimulated valuable