The Living State, with Observations on Cancer

In a letter to the Editor of Science (176, 966, 1972), Professor Szent-Gyorgyi described his approach to science as Dionysian. This little book provides some further insight into the meaning of this statement. In 114 pp. he writes about some of his research interests over the past half century. This account does not describe the work in much experimental detail, but rather tries to give the motivation for the interest in each subject. It came as a mild surprise to this reader to find that apparently Szent-Gyorgyi has made a career of making significant discoveries which were motivated by what seem to be rather suspect hypotheses, or just intuition, combined with fateful circumstances. For example, he indicated that his research which led to the discovery of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was motivated by his interest in how plants respond to injury (discoloration is a related symptom in some plants, which involved the study of phenol oxidases and peroxidases) and his simultaneous dislike of peppers. When his wife served some peppers for dinner, he tactfully avoided them by a plan to take them to the lab where he found them to be the only adequate source of ascorbic acid which he had discovered. It is not clear for whom this book is written. It is too technical in places for general audiences, yet its scientific content is meager. The author wanders through his pet theories which impinge on everything from the origin of life to the nature of malignancy. He pulls together bits and pieces of scientific evidence, opinion and wishful thinking to support his ideas. This reader is no more enlightened oln "The Living State" after reading this book than when reading the statement on p. 1 that, "Life appears to be a revolt against the rules of Nature." On the other hand, I have a great deal more understanding of the Dionysian approach to science and of one of its most successful practitioners.