Editorial

When knowledge is misused, it is harmful for humanity. This knowledge can be science, economies, political science or even agriculture.

When huge tracts of good arable land is converted to grow opium in certain countries, it is a misuse of the knowledge of agricultural science. Further misuse is in making worse narcotics out of opium. Yet, opium is used in certain medicines.

Chemical warfare is the worst form of utilizing the knowledge of chemistry. But the knowledge that mustard gas is a slow killer because it inhibits the production of white cells in the blood, came useful in the treatment of lukaemia patients. For them the problem is the overproduction of certain white corpuscles in blood Medicine from mustard could control them.

Chemists have to take inspiration from Louis Pasteur and other eminent chemists to harness chemistry for good of man. There is a fallacy that anything available in plenty or grows well by the fertilizers cannot be good for health. Insecticides are not bad but not washing the vegetables very well to remove any trace of insecticides, is bad. Vegetables are coloured by chemicals. Turmeric is mixed with lead chromate. Kits have to be distributed

to customers with relevant booklets showing how to detect them.

They could also check the edible oils and butter, for purity. Checking the density or testing by paper chromatography is quite easy. There should be mobile laboratories to check food materials and dress materials sold as cotton or silk.

Scientific studies should be conducted on the comparative values of nutrition of the different varieties of wheat and rice grown with chemical fertilizers as well as organic ones.

The green revolution and white revolution have changed our balance sheet from perennial shortage to a surplus beyond expectations.

What is not yet tested is the genetically modified cottons and grains. Chemistry has to be used to find solutions to the growing needs of society - from polyesters to fiber glass.

The only antidote for the evils of society is more knowledge and still more knowledge of every branch of science with a dose of philosophy and ethics for keeping the balance.