PROBLEMS OF MODERN SCIENCE 



guns, bridges, ships, and so forth, and I particu- 

 larly remember that he singled out the telephone 

 as the triumph of genius which the ' next-to- 

 nothings ' had done so much to perfect. I do 

 not know whether he would have selected the 

 same instance to-day, for since that time there has 

 been another Postmaster-General ! 



What is it that distinguishes a good cook from 

 a bad cook ? It is attention to small and trivial 

 things apparently trivial things. And it is just 

 the same with the doctor and with the physiologist. 

 This present time is the day of immeasurably great 

 progress because of the increasing attention that is 

 being bestowed upon the infinitely little. Let me 

 give you a few instances of how these apparently 

 insignificant things have played an important role 

 in the progress of our science. 



There are in our body a number of organs 

 which we modestly conceal. In these days of open 

 blouses you may see the outline of one of them 

 in the neck region displayed to great advantage, 

 particularly in those who have a rather large one. 

 It is known as the thyroid gland. Now the 

 thyroid gland is one of a group of formerly mysteri- 

 ous organs, about which so little was known that 

 they were regarded as next door to useless. The 

 thyroid is only one, and it has been rendered 

 somewhat familiar to the general public because it 

 has been boomed so much in the daily press. It 

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