Chapter VIII 



THE OUTLOOK OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORK 

 by Hugh S. Gumming and Arthur M. Stimson 



THE inference that disease is practically coeval with 

 the existence of life seems justified by the testimony of 

 prehistoric animal and human remains. This evidence sup- 

 ports the speculation that even the earliest forms of life 

 must have been subject to competitive, toxic, and nutri- 

 tional stresses which they were not always able to with- 

 stand. Surely, for practical purposes, we may assume that 

 disease has always been among us human beings. It thus 

 takes its place among natural phenomena like sunlight and 

 gravitation. 



For a long time man refused to regard disease as a natural 

 phenomenon. It presented such an affront to his assumed 

 dominance over nature that he could conceive of it only 

 as a visitation from supernatural sources. Only with the 

 development of natural science within the past few hun- 

 dred years has it become possible definitely to classify 

 disease among the phenomena which are subject to natural 

 law. In ways similar to those by which man has learned to 

 employ gravitation and sunlight to his advantage, he is 

 learning how to avoid the ravages of disease. These 

 methods consist essentially of first learning by research the 

 laws which control the operation of these phenomena, 

 and then, by suitable conduct in accord with these laws, 

 of securing the desired ends. 



History records attempts at very early periods to escape 

 disease both by individual and collective effort. The latter 



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