THE ETHICS OF FOOD 



I.— THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AS EXEMPLIFIED 

 BY THE UNITED STATES FOOD AND DRUG 

 ACT OF JUNE 30, 1906 



By H. W. WILEY, Ph.D. 



Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, United States Department of Agriculture 



[This and the following article under the same general title are the first two of 

 a series dealing with Food Materials which it is proposed to publish from time 

 to time. Dr. Wiley may be said to be the leading authority of the day on the 

 subject of pure food, his strenuous efforts as a propagandist having gained for him 

 a world-wide reputation. His attitude towards the question is clearly displayed 

 in his article. Naturally enough, action such as he has taken is greatly resented 

 by the threatened interests, but the general public are beginning to appreciate his 

 efforts on their behalf. At present there is much need of a similar crusade being 

 preached in our country. — Eds.] 



The increasing utility of science appears to no better advantage 

 than in its connection with public sanitation and public morals. 

 The fundamental principle of science is truth ; the fundamental 

 guide of the scientific investigator is honesty ; when truth is 

 sought for dishonest purposes or when dishonest methods 

 are used in seeking truth, we cannot hope for useful results. 

 The fundamental attitude of the scientific worker is receptivity. 

 We cannot hope that mankind will ever be free from bias and 

 prejudice but we can hope that a man may so rise above bias 

 and prejudice as to be able to see things in their true light. 

 Applied science is dynamic science ; research is potential 

 science. All truth is useful no matter how abstract it may 

 be. Every extension of the limits of our knowledge makes 

 in some way for the good of humanity. In this sense all 

 science is applied science. 



The welfare of a nation is too often judged merely by the 

 magnitude of its industries and the balance of its imports and 

 exports. The nation that sends away more than it brings 

 in is always becoming gradually exhausted, yet the excess of 

 exports over imports is regarded as a mark of prosperity. It 



529 34 



