ltP:PORT ON THE DIVISIONS OF TEXTILES AND MEDICINE AND THE 

 SECTIONS OF AVOOD TECHNOLOGY AND FOODS, 



By F. L. Lkwton, Curator of Textiles. 



CHANGES IN DKGANIZATIOX OR STAFF. 



During the 3'ear there "vvas but one change in staff, Mrs. E. W. 

 Kosson, of the division of textiles, having been promoted from pre- 

 parator to aid. On September 2, 1919, Mr. William M. N. Watkins, 

 assistant curator, section of wood technolog}^, returned to the iMu- 

 seum and took up the work of the section where he laid it doAvn in 

 August, 1918, due to induction into the military service of the Unitef.l 

 States. It seems to be the fate of this section to suffer long periods 

 of inactiA'ity for, due to changes in personnel or war service, there 

 have been three such periods since 1916. It is earnestlj^ hoped that 

 nothing more will come up to prevent steady progress in the carrjdng 

 out of plans long since formulated for the section of wood tech- 

 nology. 



COMI'AKISON OF INCUEMENT OF Sl'EI'IMENS OF 1P19 20 WITH THAT OF iniS-19. 



The accessions received during the year number 75 (including two 

 joint accessions with other departments), being one less than the 

 i:>receding year. 



Without counting the more than 4,000 yet unlisted specimens com- 

 })rised in the incompleted exhibit of the JNIedical Department of the 

 \L S. Ami}', the entries coAered b^^ the accessions of the year were 

 1,716, 832 more than Avere received in the fiscal yea.- 1919. These 

 entries may be divided into five groups as f oIIoavs : textiles 133, med- 

 icine 889, wood technology 570, foods 55, and miscellaneous organic 

 jn-oducts 69; each group, Avith the exception of textiles and foods, 

 shoAving as manj^ or more entries than last year. 



The value of the accession covering the jNIedical Department of 

 the U. S. Army Avas emphasized in the report for last year, although 

 but a part of the exhibit material had been receiAed by June 30, 1919. 

 Leaving out of the comparison this accession, since it comes into the 

 actiA'ities of both the fiscal v'ears 1919 and 1920, the scientific value 

 of the entries received during the present year is much in excess of 

 that of last A^ear. This comparison is not just, however, as concerns 

 the section of Avood technology, since the section was practically 

 inactiAe during the A'ear 1919, on account of war Avork and service. 



CD %/ / 



117 



