Role of the Scientist in Modern Society—a Symposium: Part III

ROLE OF THE SCIENTIST IN MODERN SOCIETYA SYMPOSIUM: PART III C. HEYMANS* It has been stated that medicine is the mother ofall sciences. In my mind this statement is very true. Progress and development of any branch of science in any area in the world are dependent first ofall on the health of the individuals and ofthe population as a whole. The old proverb Mens sana in corpore sano is still a fundamental statement. Some of the classical Greek thinkers also believed that reasonable men could achieve the millennium ofhealth by the exercise ofwisdom, ifthey livedaccording to reason. In our modern society and world reason and wisdom are more than ever a fundamental requirement. Private and public support is mainly and largely provided for technological development. In contrast, the very fundamental problems facing medicine today get less help and support than those provided for technology and armament. However, as Dr. M. G. Candau, Director-General ofthe World Health Organization, affirmed very correctly, "Ifthe great advances gained in science and technology are put at the service ofall the people ofthe world, our children and their children will Uve in an age from which most ofthe disease our grandparents and parents took for granted will be banished. ... It may no longer be Utopian to envisage a new chapter in the history of medicine." Medical scientists may be skeptical ofsocial utopias designed on the basis ofpolitical theories, but they rarely doubt that mankind would soon achieve the millennium if their own theories derived from basic sciences were put into practice, as stated by René Dubos. I had the privilege of being a member of an Expert Committee of W.H.O. for medical research and a member of several teams of W.H.O. in developing areas. The help and support provided by W.H.O. to the * Address: Instituut J. F. T. & C. Hcymans, Pharmacologisch & Therapeutisch Laboratorium der Ríjksuniversiteit, 3 Albert Baertsoenkaai, Gent, Belgium. 554 C. Heymans · Role ofthe Scientist in Modern Society Perspectives in Biology and Medicine · Summer 1963 developing countries is tremendous and efficient. But the means at the disposal ofW.H.O. are, I believe, still too limited. The world oftoday is a unity, and the advances and means of medicine existing in our modern and developed countries ought to be put more at the service ofthe needy and developing areas. Hunger, diseases, and bad living conditions are probably the main causes ofunhappiness and revolutions in many parts ofthe world. Ifwe wish—and we all do—to live in a quiet, peaceful, and happier world, we ought to provide, first ofall, better health and social conditions to the countries which need them most. But also in our modern and well developed society, medicine faces very important problems. No doubt medicine today finds itselfat many crossroads as it has in the past. At each crossing the situation will probably be different and not necessarily the same as the one facing us today. Not in any branch of medical science have we reached a final stage. Progress will continue, with both development in knowledge and development in technique. The latter in particular involves certain dangers. Techniques in medical research, requiring highly specialized training, may become so complicated that the goal—i.e., the development ofour knowledge and understanding ofbiological and medicalproblems—may, indeed, be more or less obscured by technical details. In a general way we may postulate that the progress ofbiological and medical research will largely depend on its ability to assimilate the different technicalities oftoday and ofthe future in a harmonious and balanced way without losing sight ofthe orientation and survey ofbiology and medicine as a whole. This is indispensable for the necessary integration and coordination ofthe various disciplines of biological and medical research. The best assurance in this respect is, to our mind, a proper grounding in basic biological sciences, mainly in physiology and biochemistry, obligatory for all investigators in the biological and medical fields. In this connection I would like to say that in general too many young investigators start too early as ultraspecialists in a too-narrow field and thuslose sight ofgeneralproblems. Analysis is of course necessary, but the value of odd curiosities chiefly depends on...