Introduction

Abstract

The end of the first quarter century of The American Physiological Society was not marked by any special celebration but it did happen to coincide with the founding of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) which held its first meeting in Philadelphia, December 28, 1913. This indeed was an epoch-making event for our Society but it preceded by only a few years the outbreak of World War I. Likewise, the celebration of the end of the second quarter century of The American Physiological Society preceded by only a few years the outbreak of World War II. Now at the end of the third quarter century of our history we find ourselves again scanning the crystal ball and searching for enough wisdom to forestall another catastrophe to mankind which might be even more disastrous than the other two.