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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



tnent is omitted. Dr. Lister, now Sir Joseph 

 Lister, realizing that inflammation and sup- 

 puration of wounds (whether caused by ac- 

 cident or the kindly knife of the surgeon) 

 proceeded from noxious spores settling in 

 exposed parts of the flesh (as taught by 

 Pasteur), arranged methods by which none 

 of these germs might light upon the wound, 

 or, if they did alight, that they might be 

 killed. This, the antiseptic or germicide 

 system, gives the modern surgeon, with the 

 use of anaesthetics, such a command of cir- 

 cumstances that he can amputate a limb or 

 explore interior parts of the body with an 

 impunity almost miraculous. The wound 

 that, in former times, almost inevitably sup- 

 purated, is now protected from serving as a 

 fertile ground for germs that but a few 

 years ago would have settled there and multi- 

 plied enormously. The presence of these bac- 

 teria produced the inflammation, and there- 

 by much of the vital force of the patient 

 was expended in the process of recuperation 

 from a trouble which was but a sequel to 

 the wound. Now, every skillful surgeon 

 protects his patient from these spores, and, 

 binding up the exposed flesh with antiseptic 

 bandages, the wound heals rapidly without 

 secondary symptoms. The existence of in- 



flammatory gangrene in hospitals ought to 

 be forever exorcised. 



To religiously prominent men are built 

 shrines, even though they did not perform 

 miracles either during their lives or after 

 death. But there will be no need to visit 

 Lister's tomb ; for the almost miraculous 

 benefits he has conferred upon us can be 

 obtained at the uttermost ends of the earth. 

 Votive offerings innumerable might well 

 be made to one who, if not listed among the 

 saints, has rendered an inestimable service 

 to mankind. 



The English Government created Dr. 

 Lister a baronet, though he was, in the esti- 

 mation of many, as deserving of a higher 

 title as any upon whom such honor is con- 

 ferred. The Germans accepted his teaching 

 promptly and cordially, and, when he visited 

 Germany, awarded him a grand ovation. 

 The American physicians adopted Sir Jo- 

 seph's ideas, and have, perhaps, improved 

 upon his system. It is now appropriate that 

 the laity of all nations should recognize his 

 most valuable teachings, and raise a sum of 

 money to create, say, an endowment for origi- 

 nal research to be named for the baronet. 

 Yours truly, Horace J. Smith. 



PoNTEESINA,, SWITZEBLAND. 



EDITOR'S TABLE. 



HINDRANCES TO SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS. 



AN exceedingly useful address was 

 that delivered this year at In- 

 dianapolis, by Prof. T. C. Mendenhall, 

 as retiring President of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. "We publish it in our present 

 number, and trust it may be "widely read 

 and carefully pondered. In Prof. Men- 

 denh all's opinion the relations between 

 the scientific few and the non-scientific 

 many in this country are not as satis- 

 factory as they ought to be. He finds 

 that, though individuals here and there 

 are disposed to be very liberal in the 

 endowing of scientific schools and col- 

 leges, and though science is professedly 

 held in very high honor, the community 

 at large hardly seems to know how to 

 distinguish between a true man of sci- 

 ence and a dilettante or charlatan. In 

 many cases the latter more easily secures 

 attention and credence than the best 

 qualified scientific specialist. He finds, 



too, that scientific methods of thought 

 are not permeating the community to 

 the extent that might be expected, con- 

 sidering all that is said in praise of sci- 

 ence and the extensive provision that is 

 already made for imparting a knowledge 

 of its principles. What are the obsta- 

 cles that stand in the way of more fa- 

 vorable results? That is the question 

 which Prof. Mendenhall applies himself 

 to answer. He thinks there are faults 

 both on the scientific and on the non- 

 scientific side ; and not being able to 

 deal exhaustively with the whole ques- 

 tion, he properly confines himself to in- 

 dicating the faults with which his own 

 side, the scientific fraternity, may prop- 

 erly be considered chargeable. 



The main fault all through, however 

 its phases may vary, is that men of sci- 

 ence, or many of them at least, are not 

 sufficiently practical in their views and 

 aims. They allow a great gulf to form 

 between themselves and the non-scion- 



