Prof. J. Masson Gulland, F.R.S

702 NATURE November 22, 1947 Vol. 160 The general discussion was opened by Dr. W. K. Slater. He emphasized that the additional production OBITUARIES of food from sources in Great Britain means increased supplies of materials, for example, for additional Prof. J. Masson Gulland, F.R.S. factories and plant for extracting sugar-beet and for IT was with a sense of severe personal loss that housing poultry. The training of the human element his many friends learned of the untimely death of in more efficient methods of cultivation and of Prof. J. M. Gulland, who was a victim of the railway management of stock is likely to be a formidable accident at Goswick on October 26. He was a leading task. He asked whether a true appreciation of the figure in the chemical world, a pioneer worker in immediate future position in Great Britain is rather several important fields of organic chemistry and that the number of calories per person and the biochemistry, and a man of outstanding personal nutritional value of the average diet generally are charm. much more likely to fall than to rise ; and how far John Masson Gulland was born in Edinburgh in this fall could go without acute sequelre. 1898 and was the only son of the late Prof. G. Lovell Dr. N. C. Wright considered that a matter of Gulland, professor of medicine in the University of immediate importance is the prevention of wastage, Edinburgh. Gulland was much devoted to his native from whatever cause, of food already produced. We land, and above all to his native city, which ho must find out, for example, exactly what happens to frequently visited. He was educated at Edinburgh the 10-15 per cent of calories that vanish as between Academy and the University of Edinburgh, where food 'moving into consumption' and food actually he graduated in 1921, after serving as a second consumed in the household. He believed there is no lieutenant in the First World War. At that period escape from a greatly increased importation of animal it was natural for a graduate of a Scottish university feeding-stuffs from overseas if home-produced human with an interest in organic chemistry to turn his eyeH food is to increase. towards St. Andrews, and, having been awarded a The importance of disease control and the part Carnegie Scholarship, Gulland went there to work that the veterinary profession could play in preventing under Prof. (later Sir) Robert Robinson, whom he wastage were emphasized by Dr. W. R. Wooldridge. rejoined in Manchester and again later in Oxford. Prof. J. R. Marrack inquired whether, if the amount Gulland became a University demonstrator in of milk required per head per day by the nutritionists chemistry at Oxford in 1924, and was appointed has to be produced as liquid milk during the winter lecturer in chemistry at Balliol College in 1926. months, it would not thereby entail a considerable These appointments he relinquished in 1931, when excess to liquid requirements at the production he became senior assistant in biochemistry at the peak during spring and summer, which excess could Lister Institute, London, and a reader in biochemistry provide a substantial quantity of dairy products. in the University of London. In 1936 Gulland waR Prof. A. W. Ashby, in summing up, said that we appointed to the Sir Jesse Boot Chair of Chemistry should face the fact that the standards in Great at University College, Nottingham, which post ho Britain for human food have been reduced to, and resigned in September of this year in order to takfl are likely to remain for some time, those of a rather up a new appointment as director of research to the poor peasant population. He considered that more Institute of Brewing. This position had been vacant co-ordinated consultation between t.he experts in since the death of Sir Gilbert Morgan in 1940, and nutrition and in food production aJld the administra in reviving the post the Institute of Brewing planned tive authorities is needed to give a sound basis both to expand its research activities and to set up its for the planning of increased food production at own central research laboratories. At the time of home and the carrying of these plans into effect. He his death, Gulland had already begun to apply him criticized some of the figures given by those who had self with his customary vigour and enthusiasm to spoken during the conference on the possibilities of the execution of these plans. He was married in increased agricultural production, and thought that 1924, and is survived by his wife and two daughters. more statistical wisdom and mutual consultation Although he has a large amount of first-rate might have made their estimates more helpful. He scientific achievement to his credit, Gulland was not was very doubtful whether the yields per acre of quite so prolific a contributor to the original literature wheat, etc., that one of the speakers had assumed as some of his contemporaries. This is partly due as at.tainable in the near future, could, in fact, be to the formidable nature of the problems which he reached. Competing requirements for feeding-stuffs tackled ; he never engaged in trivialities. It is to provide milk, meat and eggs have to be regarded probably due also to the fact that his earlier ardour from the point of view of efficiency of conversion of for work at the bench tended to be subordinated feeding-stuffs to human foods. Here the dairy cow later to his interest in organisation and administra is far superior to the bullock. He emphasized that tion, for which he had a real flair. He served on the under an effective system of price control the relative councils of the Chemical Society and the Royal prices offered to the producer for the different farm Institute of Chemistry, and was an honorary secre products is the main directive factor in influencing tary of the Chemical Society during 1933-36. From relative volumes of farm output. 1932 until 1934 he was secretary of Section B of the The chairman, in conclusion, mentioned the British Association, and during 1935-37 he was surprisingly large total tonnage, relative to the recorder to the Section. During the early years of tonnage of human food, that is needed to feed the the Second World War he was senior gas adviser to animal population of Great Britain, and emphasized the North Midland Region of the Ministry of Home tho importance and economy of producing the Security, and during 1943-44 he was assistant director, maximum quantity of feeding-stuffs at home by the Chemical Research and Development, Ministry of intensive application of existing knowledge. Supply. In this capacity he was attracted by the The proceedings of the conference will be published potentialities of alginic acid as a chemical raw in an early number of the British Journal of material, and he took an important part in the Nutrition. establishment of the Scottish Seaweed Research © 1947 Nature Publishing Group No. 4073 November 22, 1947 NATURE 703 Association, the new laboratories of which in Mussel and he investigated (with R . A. Peters) the reducing burgh, Midlothian, were formally opened in Septem substances of pigeon's blood, and carried out a series ber (see Nature of November 15, p. 662); Gulland of investigations on the oxytocic principle of the was a member of the Board of Management of pituitary gland (1932-35), elucidating something of this Association, and chairman of its General Pur the chemical nature of this hormone. His major poses and Chemical Advisory Committees. His contributions to science are those carried out during department at Nottingham was a model of efficient the past twelve years on the chemistry of the nucleic organisation, and was well equipped for the researches acids, and of the nucleotides and nucleosides from which were carried out there under his inspiration which they are built up. Some of this work was and guidance. He had in recent years planned and summarized by Gulland in his Tilden Lecture given supervised the erection of excellent extensions to the before the Chemical Society in 1943 (J. Ohem. Soc., laboratories, and these are now playing a valuable 208; 1944). The pre-eminent part which the nu part in meeting the heavy demands of the post-war cleoproteins play in the fundamental processes of life period. has become increasingly apparent in recent years, Only the barest reference is possible herA to and gives added significanee to Gulland's invest Gulland's scientific work, an appreciation of which igations in this field. It is a great misfortune to will doubtless be published elsewhere. During his biological science that they have been so abruptly St. Andrews and Manchester days, he worked on the terminated. J. W. CooK morphine group of alkaloids, and the constitution which is now generally accepted for morphine was first adumbrated in two classical papers, published in 1923 and 1925, by Gulland and Robinson. With WE regret to announce the following deaths : R. D. Haworth, Gulland published a series of papers Prof. W. S. R. S. Lewis, professor of geography at on the aporphine group of isoquinoline alkaloids the University College of the South-West, Exeter, (1928-29). New methods were devised by which on November 14. were synthesized, among other compounds, bulbo Prof. Frank R. Lillie, emeritus professor of capnine methyl ether and corytuberine dimethyl embryology in the University of Chicago, president ether. Gulland also made other chemical studies of during 1935-39 of the U.S. National Academy of compounds of biological interest, including pellitorine, Sciences.

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